Yes, We Know It's Christmas

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It's snowy here in Portland, and the power is out at my house. Thus, I've taken Monitor Mix HQ over to a friend's house (thanks, Corin) in order to post these Christmas videos.

Usually, when I think about Christmas music, I think of the day after Halloween, when certain retail stores start piping the merriment through tiny, tinny speakers. I look down and my hand has formed a fist, and after a few minutes, I can taste the enamel in my mouth from all the teeth grinding. No wonder I haven't been grocery-shopping in weeks. Basically, from Nov. 1 until Dec. 26, I wear my night guard and wake up on a drool-soaked pillow thanks to lyrics like, "City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style" and "Fa la la la la la LA LA la." No, I'm not Scrooge; I just know we can do better in terms of Christmas music. And we have.

Below are some of my favorite holiday tunes.

Wham!, "Last Christmas." For those of you too young to remember, there was a time when George Michael (and even Andrew Ridgeley) were talented, sexy and straight. Sure, I had a picture of them on my bedroom wall from Bop magazine where they are giving each other piggyback rides on a beach, but that just meant they were best friends. It also meant that I would get to date one of them, and my best friend would date the other. I still love this song.

Madonna, "Santa Baby." Okay, this is not one of my favorite Christmas songs, but it makes all of the other ones in this post sound better. When I was a pre-teen, my mother actually had to console me over the fact that I would likely never meet Madonna.

Ramones, "Merry Christmas Baby (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)." One of my all-time favorites. As far as I'm concerned, the Ramones had very few missteps. Plus, this song carries a profound double-meaning that speaks to wishing for peace in places far outside our own domestic domain.

David Bowie and Bing Crosby, "Little Drummer Boy." The interaction between Bowie and Crosby in the first few minutes of this video is almost as good as the song itself. I think this might constitute one of the best duets of all time. Bowie looks incredibly handsome.

Bob Geldof, "Feed the World." The best part of this video trying to identify all the superstars in it. For some of these artists, this song might be the last great thing they ever did. (And certainly the best they ever looked. Sting and Phil Collins, I'm talking to you.) Paul Weller looks like a supermodel, Bono reminds you why U2 is still head and shoulders above most bands, and Boy George had yet to break the law. Most of all, the melody is fantastic.