A Baker's Dozen Of "Santa Baby" Renditions

Since my last post like this one garnered a grand total of one "vote" (oh, I'm not bitter!), I've pulled 13 different versions of ANOTHER great holiday song for your listening pleasure. As before, it's up to you to decide which one you like best. I have my favorites – more than just one this time, actually. But I'd LIKE to hear your take on it too. Enjoy?  ~  JH

1)  Madonna  (Madonna, in her younger days, had the vocal chops and sex appeal to pull off this song with aplomb – this is an iconic version of a classic song!)

2)  Kylie Minogue  (What I said about Madonna just then, that goes double for this lady – except Kylie's not well past her prime, like Madonna is now)

3)  Ariana Grande ft. Liz Gillies  (Ariana's got a great voice, but the modernized instrumentation here takes away a lot of the charm and classic feel of the song.)

4)  Megan Nicole  (Self-made YouTube star Megan Nicole captures the essence and the sassiness of the song while keeping it sounding fresh and modern – well-done!)

5)  Kellie Pickler  (Some songs simply don't sound as good with a massively overblown country twang – I think this is one of them.)

Video wouldn't load properly – click link to view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LVffa5UDSQ

6)  Colbie Caillat  (I love, love, love Colbie Caillat, but…she's just too sweet for a song this sassy. When she croons, "I've been an angel this year," you actually believe her!)

7)  Taylor Swift  (She's plucky, spunky, and quite pretty, but – like Colbie Caillat – Taylor just seems too innocent for this song. Plus, the country-pop instrumentation on this one lacks the jazzy feel of the original.) 

8)  Glee Cast  (With her exotic good looks and sultry vocals, Naya Rivera is the perfect GLEE cast member to tackle this classic song!)

9)  Miss Piggy  (Everyone's favorite porcine diva is just right in this doo-wop-inspired rendition of a holiday classic. And it's awfully funny, too!)

10)  Shakira  (This is definitely one of the best modern versions of this song I've ever heard. Her voice, her look, that slight hint of an accent – it's just perfect!)

11)  Pussycat Dolls  (If anyone could wring all the subtle double entendres out of this song's lyrics and bring them to the forefront, it would be the Pussycat Dolls. The fact that they're singing the song to Snoopy Doggy Dogg dressed as Santa Claus – whom they refer to in the song as "Santa Bizzle" – just ramps up the weird factor that much more! #smh)

12)  Jenna Sousa  (If seeing and hearing a 12-year-old girl sing this decidedly adult-oriented holiday song doesn't make you more than a little uncomfortable, you might be a pedophile. Also, she kind of sucks at singing it.)

13)  Eartha Kitt  (Of all the excellent versions of this song that have been recorded in the ensuing years, none quite surpasses Kitt's original recording. This has gotta be – hands down – my favorite one.)

A Baker's Dozen Of "White Christmas" Renditions

So, I've pulled 13 different versions of the same song for your holiday listening pleasure. Now it's up to you to decide which one you like best. I have my favorites among these – and ultimately, my single favorite – as I've noted here. But I'd love to hear your take on it too. Get used to this idea, by the way. I'm likely to do a couple more of these posts – all Christmas songs, of course! Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Rod Stewart  (Nice traditional take on a classic – isn't that David Foster on piano?)

2)  Michael Bublé & Kellie Pickler  (Classy cool with a dash of raucous redneck – not bad at all!)

3)  Cee-Lo Green  (Somehow Cee-Lo seems to make this song his own – well-done!)

4)  Lady Gaga  (Surprisingly subdued – plus, she wrote a new verse to it…and it's actually NOT nasty!)

5)  Tony Bennett  (Crooners and Christmas just seem to go together for some reason – a masterful jazz rendition.)

6)  Garth Brooks  (Hey, I found Garth Brooks on YouTube! I thought that was impossible! Nice version, too!)

Video wouldn't load properly –

 of course! – click link to view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYfgWSF81TE

7)  Michael Bolton  (I'm not a huge fan of Bolton – I think he tries too hard at that blue-eyed soul thing – but I suppose this one isn't too bad.)

8)  Martina McBride  (I've always loved Martina's voice/music, and she doesn't disappoint here either – surprise, surprise!)

9)  Il Divo  (A little too slow for my tastes, but there's no denying that these guys are mega-talented.)

10)  Kelly Clarkson  (I wish this were an actual video, but whatevs… Kelly is, as always, fantastic on this song.)

11)  Glee Cast  (Not surprisingly, Darren Criss and Chris Colfer knock this one out of the park!)

12)  The Drifters  (Often-copied, never-duplicated – this is the group that originally recorded the doo-wop, Motown-style version of the song made über-famous on the Home Alone soundtrack.)

13)  Bing Crosby  (For my money, Crosby's is the quintessential version of what is truly a quintessential Christmas song. Many have performed it well, but no one does it better than Bing!)

"High" & "Low" Songs

Another "Opposites" music post? Really? Yep. Get over it!  ~  JH

1)  Kellie Pickler  ~  "Red High Heels"

2)  The Wanted  ~  "All Time Low"

3)  James Blunt  ~  "High"

4)  Middle Class Rut  ~  "New Low"

5)  Radiohead  ~  "High & Dry"

6)  Kelly Clarkson  ~  "Low"

7)  Tal Bachman  ~  "She's So High"

8)  a-ha  ~  "Hunting High And Low"

9)  Kodaline  ~  "High Hopes"

10)  Cracker  ~  "Low"

11)  John Denver  ~  "Rocky Mountain High"

12)  Tony Bennett & Norah Jones  ~  "Speak Low"

13)  Damn Yankees  ~  "High Enough"  (Don't give me that look – it's the name of their band!)

14)  Augustana  ~  "Sweet And Low"

15)  Survivor  ~  "High On You"

16)  Sara Evans  ~  "Low"

17)  Tiffany Houghton  ~  "High"

18)  Freshlyground  ~  "Fire Is Low"

19)  Steve Winwood  ~  "Back In The High Life Again"

20)  War  ~  "Low Rider"

Songs About Falling In Love

This collection of "Falling In Love" songs is pretty straightforward, at first glance. However, it's part 1 of 2. The followup post will be "Heartbreak" songs. So get ready to smile here, but be prepared to frown later.  ~  JH

1)  Selena  ~  "I Could Fall In Love"

2)  Landon Pigg  ~  "Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop"

3)  Jason Castro  ~  "Let's Just Fall In Love Again"

4)  Kellie Pickler  ~  "Makin' Me Fall In Love Again"

5)  Céline Dion & Clive Griffin  ~  "When I Fall In Love"

6)  Earth, Wind, & Fire  ~  "Fall In Love With Me"

7)  Estelle ft. John Legend  ~  "Fall In Love"

8)  UB40  ~  "Can't Help Falling In Love"

9)  Alabama  ~  "How Do You Fall In Love"

10)  Eddie Money  ~  "Fall In Love Again"

11)  Brad Paisley  ~  "Two People Fell In Love"

12)  Peter Cetera & Amy Grant  ~  "Next Time I Fall"  (As many times as I've heard this song, I never knew Amy Grant was the female singer! Did you know that?)

13)  Alicia Keys  ~  "Fallin'"

14)  Lila McCann  ~  "I Wanna Fall In Love"

15)  Gloria Estefan  ~  "Falling In Love (Uh-Oh)"

16)  The Spinners  ~  "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love"

17)  Tyler Ward ft. Alex G.  ~  "Falling"

18)  The Kelly Family  ~  "Fell In Love With An Alien"

19)  Carlene Carter  ~  "I Fell In Love"

20)  Whitton  ~  "I Fell In Love"