A few days ago, after a few weeks’ immersion in Mainstream AC Christmas, I asked Ross On Radio readers for suggestions of other Christmas stations, side channels, and playlists. You can see a longer list of their suggestions here, but a recommendation from Classic Hits WUEZ (Magic 95.1) Carbondale, Ill., PD Paxton Guy—a serious student of international radio—led me to Nostalgie Noël, one of the nearly 50 side channels of the French oldies station.
There was also a reader request for U.K. rhythmic AC Heart’s Christmas side channel. So I listened to them as well as AC rival Magic Radio, which made its annual flip to all-Christmas on Nov. 25, but has been streaming their holiday format as a side channel since August.
I’ve always respected Nostalgie and Europe-wide sister brand NRJ for their wide array of side channels. It’s always hard for me to monitor just one channel. I started on Noël and now I’m listening to early ‘80s dance obscurity “Get On Up And Do It Again” by Suzy Q on Nostalgie Fiesta.
Like the U.K. and Canadian holiday stations recommended in years past, Noël is a good choice for the big holiday songs punctuated by just enough exotica (in this case, a handful of mostly lounge-flavored French-language covers and originals). As I write this, they’re playing “Silent Night” by the Temptations, a song you can hear on Adult R&B stations, but not Mainstream AC outlets in the U.S.
Here’s Nostalgie Noël just before 11 p.m. on Nov. 25:
- Neil Diamond, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”
- Couer De Pirate & Michael Legrand, “Noël Blanc” (lounge version of “White Christmas” from a 2011 compilation album featuring the famed film composer)
- Elvis Presley & LeAnn Rimes, “Here Comes Santa Claus”
- Miles Davis, “O Christmas Tree”
- Axelle Red & Charles Azanvour, “Noël à Paris”
- Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
- Jacques Dutronc, “La Fille Du Père Noël” (the best of set winner; scorching mid-‘60s rocker built on a “Tobacco Road”-type riff, followed by a sharp right turn into…)
- Carpenters, “Silent Night”
- Michael Bublé f/Thalia, “Mis Deseos/Feliz Navidad”
- Jackson 5, “The Christmas Song”
- Enrico Macias, “Souviens-Toi Des Noëls De Là-Bas”
- Shakin’ Stevens, “Merry Christmas Everyone”
- Barbra Streisand, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”
- Mel & Kim, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (Kim is Kim Wilde; Mel is comedian Mel Smith; the act’s name is a reference to the other Mel & Kim who had dance/R&B hits in the mid-‘80s)
- Les Poppys, “Noël 70” (breakthrough single for a children’s choir that became one of the biggest acts of the early ‘70s; similar feel to Ocean’s “Put Your Hand in the Hand”)
We profiled Magic when they switched to Christmas music for the first time two years ago. This year, morning hosts Ronan Keating & Harriet Scott were joined by Dolly Parton, who played selections from her new “A Holly Dolly Christmas.” As noted before, U.K. Christmas radio has more tempo than ours, in part because of a handful of holiday perennials from ‘70s glam rock acts. There are also more newer songs that achieve traction, helped by the annual battle for the holiday No. 1 song.
Here’s Magic’s 100% Christmas channel at 1 p.m., Nov. 24, a day before the FM flipped:
- Eartha Kitt, “Santa Baby”
- Gabriella Climi, “(I’m Gonna Be) Warm This Winter”
- Perry Como, “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”
- Slade, “Merry Xmas Everybody”
- Waitresses, “Christmas Wrapping”
- Frankie Goes To Hollywood, “The Power Of Love”
- Darlene Love, “Winter Wonderland”
- Carpenters, “Merry Christmas Darling”
- Elton John, “Step Into Christmas”
- Bing Crosby, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”
- Gwen Stefani, “Jingle Bells”
- Beach Boys, “Little Saint Nick”
- Lady Antebellum, “A Holly Jolly Christmas”
- John Lennon, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”
- Kylie Minogue, “Every Day’s Like Christmas”
- Robbie Williams f/Bryan Adams, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
- East 17, “Stay Another Day”
Here’s Heart Xmas at Noon on Nov. 24, thanks to reader (and former trade journalist) Keith Berman:
- Kelly Clarkson, “Underneath the Tree”
- Jona Lewie, “Stop the Cavalry”
- Whitney Houston, “Do You Hear What I Hear”’
- Girls Aloud, “Jingle Bell Rock”
- Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
- Ronettes, “Frosty the Snowman”
- Sam Smith, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
- Boney M, “Mary’s Boy Child/Oh My Lord”
- Pogues f/Kirsty MacColl, “Fairytale Of New York”
- Chris DeBurgh, “A Spaceman Came Traveling”
- Crystals, “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”
- Michael Bublé, “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”
- Gwen Stefani, “Jingle Bells”
- Elton John, “Step Into Christmas”
- East 17, “Stay Another Day”
- Mike Oldfield, “In Dulci Jubilo”
I’ve also recently reviewed two ‘70s/’80s-based holiday channels. Or see all your suggestions here.
