"You couldn't hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant!"
What you can hear (below) is the theme song of one of my top 3 favorite Christmas movies, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Though not one of the traditional Christmas songs you hear on the radio, this is one of those songs that so many people recognize the tune to. And part of what makes it my third favorite Christmas song (and Christmas movie, coincidentally) is that it IS so rarely heard. I can't emphasize how much Christmas music appearing on my favorite Christmas movies has effected the songs I've chosen for these countdowns. Can you relate? Even songs I've heard a hundred times on the radio don't compare. The song is so much more infectious ('Christmas-ly' speaking) when it is associated with your favorite Christmas movie/s.
Enjoy some classic scenes from the "hap-hap-happiest" Christmas movie ever!
Mavis Staples - Christmas Vacation
Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (vocal)
1-
2-
3- Mavis Staples - Christmas Vacation
4- Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
5- Johnny Mathis - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
6- Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
7- Brandon Heath - The Night Before Christmas
8- Perry Como - Home For The Holidays (There's No Place Like)
9- Matthew West - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10- Bing Crosby - White Christmas
11- Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
12- Celine Dion - Don't Save It All For Christmas Day
Speaking of my favorite Christmas movies...
Home Alone 1 and 2 came out at the perfect time for me. The first movie was released in 1990, and the second in 1992. Macaulay Culkin, just three years my senior, was a very relatable figure to many boys my age, engaging in heroic and hilarious acts of courage that many boys that age (myself included) aspired to. Subsequently, those movies became Christmas classics and I suppose there is still some part in every guy my age that can still relate to. Our boyhood adventures, lived out in a movie which was also centered around a young's boy's favorite time of year.
That was the movie, of which we all are familiar with. What you may be unfamiliar with is the man who composed the music for those films.
If you've watched or even heard about movies in the past 50 years...OK, that's everyone (just to make my point)...then you are familiar with John William's work. Just who is John Williams exactly? Well, for starters, the only other person in history to be nominated for more Academy Awards (45) was Walt Disney himself. John William's career spans nearly 6 decades and he is one of only two composers ever to win 5 Academy Awards for their work. In addition, he has also won 4 Golden Globe Awards and 21 Grammy Awards.
You name it, John Williams has composed it...
Over his 6 decades of work, he has composed music for: 4 Olympic Games, the theme song to NBC Sunday Night Football and the NBC Nightly News, as well as film scores for the top movies of our lifetime. He has composed music for all but two of Steven Spielberg's feature films. He has composed the music for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., Harry Potter, Schindler's List, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Superman, Hook, The Patriot, Fiddler On The Roof...and of course Home Alone. Just to name a few!
It was never a question of if I would include Home Alone's Main Title on my instrumental countdown. It was just a question of how far up. And since I couldn't choose between both movie's Main Title (which are slightly different), I just chose both!
Be sure to check out the interactive street view map below of "The McCallister House", made famous in these movies.
Be sure to check out the interactive street view map below of "The McCallister House", made famous in these movies.
John Williams - Home Alone 1 (Main Title)
John Williams - Home Alone 2 (Main Title)
(Yours for $2.4 million)
Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (instrumental)
1-
2-
3- John Williams - Home Alone (Main Title)
4- John Debney - Elf (Main Title)
5- Mannheim Steamroller - Carol Of The Bells
6- Michael W. Smith - It's A Wonderful Christmas
7- James Horner - A Change Of Heart
8- Celtic Woman - Carol Of The Bells
9- David Foster - Carol Of The Bells
10- Vince Guaraldi - Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental)
11- Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve
12- Boston Pops Orchestra - Sleigh Ride
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