My Top 10 Song Numbers from Christmas Movies & Specials

 

    One of the many staples of the Christmas season are hearing familiar songs, and they usually enhance both the joy and wonder of the season. We all know the classics in the vein of “Jingle Bells”, “Deck the Halls” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”, but equally special to me are the songs featured primarily in our favorite annual Christmas themed movies and specials. 

One of the many qualities that bring me back to my favorite holiday specials are the songs that we don’t commonly hear playing on the radio, but still maintain the same magic and charm of the season. So, for this season, I wanted to count down my own personal favorite musical sequences from either Christmas movies or specials. Now to clarify, I’m focusing more on scenes as opposed to songs that happen to be part of a film’s soundtrack. For example, "Let it Snow" is a song memorably featured in the 1988 movie "Die Hard", but only as part of the soundtrack, and not really a scene from the film. 

Lastly, they need to be musical numbers, and not scenes that just happen to feature characters singing. For example, the ending of “It’s a Wonderful Life” is probably one of my all-times favorites ever put to film, and while it features characters singing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, I also wouldn’t call it a musical number either. With all that said, here are my 10 personal favorite song-numbers from either Christmas movies or Specials.   

 

#10 “Snow” from “White Christmas” 

While Bing Crosby’s iconic “White Christmas” song is universally regarded as one of the all-time greatest songs of the season, I’ve always associated it more with the 1942 movie “Holiday Inn”. As for the 1954 movie musical “White Christmas”, my favorite song comes in the form of a quartet between our four principal characters … and it’s simply titled “Snow”. There are so many cheerful songs that describe the holiday and the season, but aside from “Let it Snow”, there really aren’t too many songs that highlight our favorite Christmas weather. Well, this song covers all the bright spots and great cheer that comes with a snowy day, and it makes for a catchy tune in the proses. 

#9 "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" from “Glee: Ep.9 of Season 3" 

While I’m mostly focusing on songs from either movies or specials as opposed to episodes from TV shows, I just couldn’t help including at least one Christmas song from “Glee”. For years, I’ve enjoyed listening to the holiday themed music from this popular show, and if I was to pick a personal favorite, it actually comes in the form of an original song called “Extraordinary Merry Christmas”, from the season 3 episode of the same name. If a relentlessly upbeat and cheerful musical number is up your ally, this song will give you your fix, and keep bouncing in your head through the season. There’s no other way to describe it other then infectiously up-beat, and never failing to put me in a good mood.   

 

#8 “Invisible” from “Klaus” 

When a self-centered Postal man meets a broken-hearted toy maker, the two find themselves bringing joy to a secluded little Northern Town as a toy delivery service. As the town slowly comes back to life, the two men grow into better people. The moment that typifies their respected reformations is a little segment in which the two silently construct a sled, which is then presented to a little girl as a gift. It’s a mostly visual sequence, with Zara Larsson’s song “Invisible” carrying the emotions and importance of the scene. Maybe a touch gimmicky, but still a wonderful song that compliments the visual storytelling on display. It’s simply one of those special little movie music moments that touched my emotions, and assured me I was in for a great new Christmas movie.    

 

#7 “One More Sleep Til Christmas” from “The Muppet Christmas Carol” 

Like many musicals on my list, there’s a number of great songs that could have made my countdown, including the sentimental ballet of “The Love is Gone”, and the jubilant celebration of “It Feels like Christmas”. Yet, as far as I’m concerned, the Christmas season isn’t complete until I hear Kermit the Frog singing about how “It’s a season to be jolly and joyous!”. In general, my personal favorite event of the season isn’t Christmas day itself, but the build-up to it on Christmas Eve. In this cheerful little musical number, Kermit and friends celebrate how the most magical of holidays will be coming with the dawn of a new day. It’s a simple, yet upbeat song that always assures me … that on Christmas Eve … “There’s magic in the air!”.     

 

#6 “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” from “Meet Me in St. Luis” 

While I’ve personally never viewed this classic 1944 musical as a real “Christmas Movie”, it certainly has its memorable holiday moments, with Judy Garland’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” being the bright spot that everyone remembers. With moving day approaching, little sister Tootie is noticeably having a glum Christmas Eve, and thus, big sister Esther cheers her up with a merry little song we’ve all heard around the holiday season. It's a moment that's melancholy in tone, yet comforting in it's simplicity. Naturally, we all remember Judy Garland as Dorthey, and I’ve seen her in a number of musicals … but I don’t think she ever sounded more beautiful then in this moment when she sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. It’s my favorite cover of the song by far, and the scene packs an emotional punch all these years later.    

 

#5 “Welcome Christmas” from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” 

While most would point to the more famous villain song “You’re a Mean One Mister Grinch”, my personal favorite song from this holiday classic is the “Welcome Christmas” song heard at both the opening and closing of the film. Like most kids, I was introduced to all those popular Christmas songs we hear every holiday season, yet I distinctly remember liking the Who’s “Welcome Christmas” more than any of them. There’s just something warm, and inviting about this song that’s suck with me through the years. Right from the opening title card, the music starts chiming, and it instantly wins me over. The opening scene introducing the Who’s decorating the town for Christmas might actually be one of my favorite little animated sequences put to a Christmas cartoon. Again, it’s the combination of this music with these colors that carries this infectious appeal, and just gets the ball rolling for a great special.

 

#4 “When Christmas Comes to Town” from “The Polar Express” 

“The Polar Express” has gotten mixed reactions over the years, but it’s remained a personal favorite of mine that I love to watch every year. I just adore the animation, the atmosphere, and the simplicity of the experience. For some reason, the scene that always stands out to me is when a lonely boy sings about the simple joys he desperately wants to feel around Christmas. This leads into a duet between him and a young girl, as they sing "When Christmas comes to Town". It may seem just a little corny to have these children signing, but I just love this song, I love the melody, and really love all the colors and visuals that are displayed in this moment. It’s simply a touching little scene with these two kids, and it just adds a little more magic to the experience.

 

#3 “What’s This?” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” 

While I’ve only ever watched this movie around the Halloween season, the film obviously isn’t without its share of great Christmas material. When the King of Halloween town gets tired of his own holiday, he finds himself whisked away to the colorful world of Christmas … resulting in one of my favorite songs to ever be tied to the holiday. Seriously, when Jack Skellington first arrives in Christmas Town, we get the outstanding musical number … “What’s This, What’s This” … and the detail of the setting is outstanding! It’s probably the greatest looking Christmas world I’ve ever seen in a movie. Beyond that, it’s the concept of someone discovering the holiday for the first time, and exploring all its wonders that make it especially cheerful. I may only like watching this movie around Halloween, but this segment has a secure placement among my favorite Christmas songs.   

 

#2 “Walking in the Air” from “The Snowman” 

With its light as air storytelling and rich atmosphere, the 1982 short titled “The Snowman” is simply one of the greatest holiday gems of all time. The story revolves around a snowman that’s brought to life through the magic of Christmas, and he spends the night with the young boy who created him. The highlight is a scene in which the snowman actually flies the boy through the night sky, all set to a magical song titled “Walking in the Air”. It’s a simple, yet powerful musical piece that carries an awe-inspiring sense of wonder and grandeur. The peaceful melody mixed with the singer’s voice give the scene an almost dreamlike atmosphere, which is fitting. It’s just a beautiful segment, the music is so warm and uplifting. Plus, it’s just awesome that this kid gets to fly around the world on Christmas in a way that’s unique, but also in the spirit of the season.

 

Before I reveal my Number 1 Favorite, here are some quick Honorable Mentions …

“White Christmas” from “Holiday Inn”   

The Reprise of “As Long as There’s Christmas” from “Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas”

The “Christmas Vacation” Theme from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”

“Last Christmas” from “Last Christmas”

“Rockin Around the Christmas Tree” from "Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July"

 

#1 “God Bless us Everyone”, “Christmas Together” and “A Place Called Home” from “A Christmas Carol: The Musical” (2004) 

  Once again, I find myself admitting that I could have filled my entire list with songs from this one musical alone … but instead, for my number one spot, I’ll just round up my three personal favorite songs from this musical adaption of my favorite Christmas tale. While escorted by the ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, the once bitter Mr. Scrooge finally learns to embrace his fellow man, discovers the beauty of the holiday, and finds love in his heart again. 

When looking back at his childhood, he’s reminded of the love he shared for his sister, which is effectively utilized through their childhood song “A Place Called Home”. The song comes back a second time as a romantic duet between the teenage Scrooge and his beautiful love interest played by Jennifer Love Hewitt, and it really is a wholesome romantic piece. The song “Christmas Together” is a straightforward celebration piece, showing how all the people London come together, and spread the joy of the season … and it’s hard not to have a big smile on my face whenever this one plays. 

Of course, the main highlight is Scrooge’s reformation, which is punctuated by the song “God Bless us Everyone”. This triumphant musical number effectively captures both the tone and message of the original Dicken’s classic, and I love how this too is utilized more than once in the film. First, it’s a dramatic baled sung by Scrooge’s mother, which is sung effectively by Ruthie Henshall. Then finally at the end, this song makes for a triumphant climax to Scrooge’s journey, as he reforms and becomes a better man who’s ready to celebrate the Christmas season. The line “God Bless us Everyone” was already the most famous line from the source material, and it’s only fitting to stand as the best song in this musical adaption … as well as my personal favorite song from any Christmas movie or special.

Thanks for reading my countdown … and continue to enjoy the Christmas and Holiday specials you Love! 

The Nutcracker - Looking Back

  Just as decorated Christmas trees, Santa on his sleigh, and nativity scenes are immortal staples of the Christmas season, the Nutcracker decoration has always been a holiday staple in my family household. As far back as my early elementary school years, it was a tradition to receive a new nutcracker every Christmas, and over thirty years later, my nutcracker collection surpasses any other holiday decoration I own. 

Of course, the original 1816 Nutcracker story from Author E. T. A. Hoffmann is a long-standing favorite of mine, and I’ve always held it to the same high standards of other Christmas favorites in the vein of “A Christmas Carol” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Originally the book was titled “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, but now days it’s simply referred to as “The Nutcracker”. Back when I was just a little kid, I had a hard cover book of “The Nutcracker”, with illustrations by David Delamare, and I had my parents read it to me every Christmas season. It was a story that made my imagination come to life and seemed to contain everything I enjoyed. It had action, beauty, wonder, sword fighting, journeys into magical worlds, and memorable characters. So, for this Christmas, I wanted to look over “The Nutcracker”, how it’s been reshaped over the years, and discuss it’s many different adaptions. 

   It’s the story of a girl named Marie, who’s favorite Christmas Toy comes in the form of a Nutcracker, which was a gift from her mysterious Godfather … an inventor who goes by the name of Drosselmeyer. Despite the Nutcrackers ugly features, she can’t help but look at it, and see a special person who’s brave and selfless. Through her Godfather, she learns the tragic story behind the Nutcracker, that he was once a handsome Prince, and cursed into the form of the wooden figure. 

One magical Christmas Eve, her Nutcracker comes to life, and protects her from his ruthless enemy … the seven-headed Mouse King. After vanquishing his enemy, the Nutcracker takes Marie to his home … a magical Christmas Forest which he refers to as the Kingdom of Dolls. While there, she meets a number of colorful characters, including Mother Ginger, and the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy. After spending time with the Nutcracker, she promises that she would love him always, regardless of how he looks. This naturally lifts his curse, transforming him into a human Prince again, and Marie in turn is crowned Queen of his Kingdom. The story has gone through a number of changes and alterations over the years, with arguably the most famous adaption being Authored by Alexandre Dumas, in which the lead girl Marie was changed to Clara.        

   The real legacy of “The Nutcracker” took shape in 1892, when the famed Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky took Alexander Dumas’s adaption of the story, and simplified the premise to serve as the narrative of his world-famous Nutcracker ballet. 

Even if you’ve never seen the ballet, your probably still familiar with the music, as that too has become a staple of the holiday season. Back when I was a kid, I had the privilege of seeing the Ballet performed live, and the imagery on the stage was forever ingrained in my mind. The most striking image of all happens early on, when the magic of the season first takes shape, and Clara’s Christmas Tree grows into a giant-sized tree. As for the music, I was initially introduced to these famous medleys through Disney’s 1940 animated classic “Fantasia”. While the sequence of “The Nutcracker Suite” doesn’t feature any of the principal characters, it still captures the same spirit of the Ballet, as it features fantastical creatures and elements that dance and move with the same grace and spirit as Ballet dancers. 

The final scene with the fairies skating on the ice always got me in the winter, holiday mood, despite the lack of any Nutcracker on screen. Every now and then around Christmas, I like to watch this segment, along with “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” sequence from the 1999 sequel “Fantasia 2000”. While the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” is a completely different entity all together, it still has a similar look and feel to “The Nutcracker”, and just has that same magic touch. Back to back, they make for a perfect holiday package, and neither even had to mention Christmas.     

Naturally, a source material as rich as this would be a prime target for various Christmas specials and movies. I won’t go over every single one of them, but I’ll definitely touch on the specials that have impacted me as a viewer, as well as the ones popular enough to mention …

“The Nutcracker Prince” (1990) 

The first Nutcracker Christmas special I ever watched, and subsequently my personal introduction to the source material, was a 1990 animated movie titled “The Nutcracker Prince”. It was a Canadian production, distributed in America by Warner Brothers, and stared Kiefer Sutherland as our titular Nutcracker. This version mostly followed the narrative of the original 1816 story, with some slight alterations, and the lead girl once again is Clara from the Ballet adaption, as opposed to Marie from the book ... although the name is used for a different doll character. Also, the evil Mouse King in this version didn’t have Seven Heads like in the original book, and his design was very Don Bluth-esk. With that said, he was still menacing, and there was one scene with him near the climax that scared me senseless as a kid. Upon its release, the film was a box office flop and received largely negative reviews from critics. 

Objectively speaking, both the animation and storytelling were admittedly on par with a TV production, and it didn’t really feel like a theatrical experience. There's also a needlessly long backstory, presented in an off-putting animation style, which derails the passing. Regardless, the film still engaged me as a kid, and I certainly have my nostalgic reservations for the film years later. Over time, it’s actually grown an audience that’s found general favor with it. I can’t say it’s quite good enough to be branded as an underrated classic but considering the many adaptions that have followed … this still remains for me one of the more memorable film adaptions of “The Nutcracker”.    

“The Nutcracker” (1993) 

What followed next for me was a theatrical, live-action movie produced by Warner Brothers, and stared a young Macaulay Culkin in the lead role ... who was naturally still riding the success of his previous Christmas classic “Home Alone”. I remember seeing the advertisements for this movie as a kid, and got really excited that this could be that awesome Nutcracker movie I always wanted. I rented the movie one holiday season … sat down … and was shocked to discover that this theatrical production was little more than a straight-on viewing of the stage show. No joke, what you’re looking at is an admittedly impressive production of the stage show … but not shot in a way that was exciting or interesting. As a comparison, the 2020 film of the musical “Hamilton” was also the straight-forward stage production, but shot, staged and edited in a way that engaged my senses differently from how I'd experience it live in the theater. This 1993 production of “The Nutcracker” by contrast didn't feel any different from when I saw the production live on stage … except it was far less magical, and honestly kind of boring. Still, I suppose if you just want to see a passable stage production of "The Nutcracker" without actually going to the theater, this could possibly give you your fix.    

"The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" (2018) 

Jumping ahead to one of the more recent adaptions ... it's Disney’s theatrical 2018 movie titled "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms". It strayed away from the originals format and tried something a little different. This time the focus is all on Clara, who discovers she’s a lost Princess, one destined to rule over the magical Christmas land, and protect it from a surprise villain, who comes in the form of Keira Knightley as The Sugar Plum Fairy. The Nutcracker is more of a side character this time, and even the villainess Mouse King is reduced to an ordinary mouse, who functions as a cute sidekick. It also features Helen Mirren as Mother Ginger, and Morgan Freeman as Drosselmeyer. The movie was not well received by critics, was a bomb at the box office, and quickly forgotten by the general movie viewers. I freely admit that it was a very by the numbers fantasy adventure, as well as pandering to the Disney Princess crowd, and annoyingly reduces its titular Nutcracker into a side character ... but I also didn’t find anything offensively bad about it either. The performances were committed, the visual design was absorbing, including a well-placed visual call back to “Fantasia”, and there were some imaginative details throughout … enough to keep me engaged, and willing to return for a second viewing. Call it a “guilty pleasure” for sure, and certainly not a good adaption of "The Nutcracker" … but I at least found it a passable little escape.      

“Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale” (2007) 

Like any great source material, "The Nutcracker" has been paired with a number of popular characters and franchises over the years … with varying results in quality. My personal favorite of these crossovers was this 2007 special, staring Tom and Jerry. This time, Jerry takes on the role of the Nutcracker, and since he's a mouse, the villain this time around comes in the form of a wicked Cat-King, with Tom serving as his main enforcer. This film also has its own narrative, with Jerry and a team of misfit toys setting off on a journey to protect a lovely ballerina and her enchanted theater world from the invading cat villains. The music is used as a backdrop for several goofy, slap-stick chases, set amidst this unique setting, and for what it is ... I think it's fun. I've always had a soft spot for Tom and Jerry, and I found this one of the rare contemporary offerings of theirs's which still maintains some spirit from their classic shorts. It's far from any definitive Nutcracker offering, but it's honestly more fun to watch then most other versions I've seen.   

  Another little franchise crossovers I just had to spotlight comes in the form of a short 1999 cartoon staring Mickey Mouse, simply titled “The Nutcracker”. 

I loved Disney and Mickey Mouse cartoons my whole life, and I thankfully discovered this short when I was at just the right young Elementary school age. It’s a straight-forward cartoon adventure, just with our favorite Disney characters in the roles, and the tone is obviously very goofy. The jokes in this short are hit and miss, and there’s some moments that make me cringe … but still, seeing Micky Mouse in the role of the Nutcracker is appealing, and there’s just enough charm to the whole set-up. John Cleese is the narrator, and he never fails to bring the laughs. I also like seeing Donald Duck in the role of the evil Mouse King, and Minnie fits right into the role of Marie, who for once is referred to by her original name as opposed to Clara. The highlight is the energized remix of the classic music, which fits along with the animated action sequences. While not without faults, I’ve always had some reserved fondness for this silly little Mickey Mouse adventure.

  I won't go through every version that features a famous character, but I'll make light mention of some others. I remember one of the earliest I saw was the 1988 TV movie of “Care Bears: The Nutcracker”. I only lightly watched “The Care Bears” back when I was a kid, and while I remember watching their Nutcracker Christmas special, I really couldn’t tell you more about it. I suppose it wasn’t horrible, but an average special with nothing really great to offer, and certainly not one that I’d care to re-watch as an adult. I also remember one time during my college years, I was babysitting my little cousin, and she was watching the 2001 movie of “Barbie in the Nutcracker”. I wasn’t paying much attention, but my ears did perk-up when I noticed that the villainess Mouse King was voiced by one of my favorite vocal talents Tim Curry, which is awesome.      

 There have subsequently been a number of other film adaptions over the decades, most of which I haven't seen. This includes the 2004 animated direct to video film titled "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King", just like the original book. What makes this one worth mentioning is that it featured the late great Leslie Nielson as the Mouse King, and Eric Idle as Drosselmeyer. Of course, there was also the 2010 movie “The Nutcracker in 3D”, also known as "The Untold Story", which I thankfully haven’t seen, as it has a distinct reputation as one of the worst Christmas movies ever made. Just from what I’ve glimpsed of the film, with its Nazi villains, and ugly visual design … I think I’m better off skipping that one. 

  In general, I’ve always viewed the story of the Nutcracker, along with its iconic stage music, to be iconic staples of the Christmas season … but I don’t think it’s ever gotten a really great movie or special to represent it. There have been some okay ones, but nothing that I’d label as a great Christmas classic … which is unfortunate, because the source material is ripe for adapting into a contemporary special or movie. Maybe one day I’ll get that Nutcracker special that will do its source material justice … but until then … we still have the iconic Ballet, and a great premise that’s well worth re-telling in the Christmas seasons to come.

Thanks for reading my post … and continue to enjoy the stories you Love!