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.)

"Wild" Songs

Here's an interesting collection of songs united only by the fact that their titles contain the word "Wild." No, this is not an "Opposites" post, so don't be expecting a "Tame" songs collection to follow. As usual (for me), a variety of genres are represented here including indie rock (aka hipster music), metal, oldies, country, rap, and just plain rock. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Royal Teeth  ~  "Wild"

2)  Skid Row  ~  "Youth Gone Wild"

3)  LP  ~  "Into The Wild"

4)  U2  ~  "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?"

5)  Juliet Simms  ~  "Wild Child"

6)  Mr. Big  ~  "Wild World"

7)  The Cult  ~  "Wild Flower"

8)  Great Lake Swimmers  ~  "New Wild Everywhere"

9)  Gary Moore  ~  "Wild Frontier"

10)  Steppenwolf  ~  "Born To Be Wild"

11)  Elen Levon  ~  "Wild Child"

12)  San Cisco  ~  "Wild Things"

13)  Hank Williams, Jr.  ~  "Hog Wild"

14)  Enya  ~  "Wild Child"

15)  John Mellencamp & Me'shell Ndegeocello  ~  "Wild Night"

16)  Dio  ~  "Wild One"

17)  Iggy Pop  ~  "Real Wild Child (Wild One)"

18)  The Troggs  ~  "Wild Thing"

19)  Common ft. Lily Allen  ~  "Drivin' Me Wild"

20)  Kylie Minogue ft. Nick Cave  ~  "Where The Wild Roses Grow"

"First" & "Last" Songs

More "Opposites" songs to distract you from this dreary Thursday. Some really good songs here. Take a listen.  ~  JH

1)  Barry White  ~  "You Are The First, The Last, My Everything"

2)  David Guetta ft. Taped Rai  ~  "Just One Last Time"

3)  Kylie  Minogue  ~  "Love At First Sight"

4)  Creed  ~  "One Last Breath"

5)  Roberta Flack  ~  "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

6)  Michael Bublé  ~  "Save The Last Dance For Me"

7)  Lifehouse  ~  "First Time"

8)  Vanessa Williams  ~  "Save The Best For Last"

9)  Sade  ~  "Never As Good As The First Time"

10)  Electric Light Orchestra  ~  "Last Train To London"

11)  SOKO  ~  "First Love Never Die"

12)  Keane  ~  "This Is The Last Time"

13)  Fiona Apple  ~  "The First Taste"

14)  Céline Dion  ~  "The Last To Know"

15)  Foreigner  ~  "Feels Like The First Time"

16)  Etta James  ~  "At Last"

17)  Surface  ~  "The First Time"

18)  Steel Magnolia  ~  "Last Night Again"

19)  The Kelly Family  ~  "The First Time"

20)  Jeff Buckley  ~  "Last Goodbye"