Before TiVo and onscreen menus that showed program schedules days in advance, you had to hunt for your favorite holiday movies. It was absolutely thrilling. There was a whole process for finding a time for A Charlie Brown Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life. And a constant in all of the specials is great holiday music. Home Alone and How the Grinch Stole Christmas made the cut on our list, but here's a few honorable mentions to get things started.
Honorable Mention
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - "The Star-Spangled Banner"
Elf - "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - "A Holly Jolly Christmas"
Scrooged - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"
A Charlie Brown Christmas - "Christmas Time is Here"
And now, the top five:
5. Home Alone - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
Never underestimate the mind of a child. That's what I took from Home Alone. Macauley Culkin's Kevin McCallister first shows his genius when Harry and Marv show up to rob his house and he has a fake Christmas party set up. Kevin dances to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" as he manipulates some puppets and there's even a Michael Jordan cameo (sort of). It scares the Wet Bandits away, but, as we all know, they return for some painful hijinks.
4. The Year Without a Santa Claus - Snow Miser/Heat Miser Song
This stop motion Christmas special from 1974 has a plot that's a little more involved than Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town. Santa is sick and convinced no one cares about Christmas anymore, which causes elves Jingle and Jangle to look for some holiday cheer. When Vixen the reindeer is imprisoned, the only way to free her is to make it snow in Southtown, where it never snows. Enter the Miser brothers. The song and dance routine is catchy and hilarious. Head to the 2:35 mark to see Heat Miser's minions do a showtune dance number.
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas - "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"
There needed to be something extra in How the Grinch Stole Christmas to show just how ruthless the title character was. The scenes of him plotting his classic scheme to ruin Christmas weren't enough."You're a monster, Mr. Grinch/Your heart's an empty hole," Thurl Ravenscroft bellows. "Your brain is full of spiders/You've got garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch/I wouldn't touch you with a/Thirty-nine and a half foot pole." This song certainly does the trick. Luckily, old Grinchy has a change of heart and saves the very same Christmas he tried to destroy. Then all the Whos down in Whoville have their singing moment.
2. The Muppet Christmas Carol - The Entire Movie
I would love to choose one song from The Muppet Christmas Carol but that would be a difficult task. There's rarely a moment that lets you down in the whole movie. The wise-cracking Statler and Waldorf team up for "Marley and Marley." A tender rendition of "When Love is Gone" is a highlight of Christmas Past. And then there's the joyous "Thankful Heart" where Michael Caine's Scrooge finally sees the error of his ways. A personal favorite would have to be Kermit leading "One More Sleep 'til Christmas." Some of the best holiday tunes have to deal with the anticipation felt on Christmas Eve, and this tune captures that feeling effortlessly. Added bonus — it's The Muppets!
1. It's a Wonderful Life - "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
It's a Wonderful Life may be the greatest Christmas movie of all time. Jimmy Stewart is brilliant as both the hopeless George Bailey and the hopeful George Bailey. After his guardian angel, Clarence, shows just how much Bedford Falls needs him, Bailey returns home to find the townspeople there to help him out of his financial bind. Clarence gets his wings and everyone joins in on "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." It truly is a wonderful moment.
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