All Categories

Podcast Countdown For 2025

11/5/2025

For the third year in a row, to mark the pending arrival of the new season of the Sounds of Christmas, I highlighted the top ten most-listened-to and most-downloaded episodes of the Sounds of Christmas podcast, one each day up through Halloween.

If you weren't able to follow along, or if you just want to listen again, I've gathered them all into one place and posted them below!

The Best Variety Of Christmas Music (2025 Edition)

11/3/2025

This is a variation of a blog I post at the start of every season. I always say that the Sounds of Christmas plays the best variety of Christmas Music. But I think the word "variety" has been so over-used these days that it no longer means anything.

So I thought I'd show you what I mean.

While I probably won't do this again until next year, here's a list of the artists we played on one of the first days of November, after we switched back to all Christmas music.

98 Degrees, Acantha Lang, Al Martino, Alabama, Alan Jackson, Alex Bird and His Jazz Mavericks, Alex Newall, Alex Sampson, Alison Moyet, Alternate Routes, America, American Comedy Network, Amy Grant, Anais Reno, Andrew DeLong, Andy Williams, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Ann Hampton Calloway, Ann Kittredge, Anne Marie, Aqua, Arthur Godfrey, Aubrey Logan, Ava Max, B.E. Taylor, B.J. Thomas, Babyface, Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow,

Basil Rathbone, Bay City Rollers, Beach Boys, Bebe Rexha, Bebe Winans, Belle Brigade, Ben Barnes, Ben Folds, Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters, Bing Crosby, bird and the bee, Blenders, Bobby Vinton, Bobs, Bon Jovi, Boney James, Brad Paisley, Brandon Wisham, Brandy, Brenda Lee, Brett Eldredge, Brian Hylan, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Brook Benton, Bryan Adams, Brynn Stanley, Burl Ives, Cameos, Camryn Mannheim Steamroller, Canadian Brass,

Canned Heat, Carpenters, Carpenters Legacy, Carrie Underwood, Cary Grant, Casting Crowns, Celtic Woman, Chad Mitchell Trio, Chaise Lounge, Charles Sexton, Charlie Byrd, Cher, Chet Atkins, Chicago, Chloe Flower, Chris Blue Chris Hillman, Chris Isaak, Chris Rea, Chris Tierney, Christian Bautista, Christina Perri, Christine Lavin, Christine Miller, Cimorelli, Cliff Beach, Coasters, Committed, Conan O'Brien and the Basic Cable Band, Continentals,

Corinne Cook, Crystals, Dan + Shay, Dan Ashley, Daniel Powter, Danny Kaye, Dara Renee, Darius Rucker, Darlene Love, Dave Stewart, David Arkenstone, David Benoit, David Bowie, David Swope, Dean Martin, Debbie Gibson, Debby Dabney, Derek Ryan, Diana Ross, Dionya Marie, Divine Comedy, Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band, Dolly Parton, Donnie Fritts, Donny Osmond, Down East Boys, Dreams So Real, Echelons, Electric Mayhem Band,

Elise LeGrow, Elizabeth Chan, Ella Henderson, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Elysia Biro, Emmanuel, Engelbert Humperdinck, Episodes, Eric Benet, Eric Hutchinson, Erica Nicole, Evan Rachel Wood, Faith Hill, Fall Out Boy, Fans Of Jimmy Century, Fiction Family, Francesca Battistelli, Frank Sinatra, Freddie Jackson, Gabriel Latchin Trio, Gene Autry, George Lynch, George Thorogood, George Winston, Glee Cast, Gloria Estefan, Goo Goo Dolls,

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, Greg Luzitano, Gregory Porter, Gretchen Peters, Guster, Gwen Stefani, Hannah Waddingham, Harloe, Hayseed Dixie, Helix, Herb Alpert, Honeydrippers, Hooves, Hound + the Fox, Huey Lewis and the News, Hunter Brothers, Ingrid Andress, Jack Rabbit Slim, Jackson 5, Jake Shimabukuro, James Brown, James Robert Webb, Jami Smith, Jamra, Jane Lynch, JD McPherson, Jeff Goldblum, Jennifer Hudson, Jerry Clayton,

Jessie James Decker, Jethro Tull, Jewel, Jim Brickman, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Durante, Jimmy Junes and the Nuclear Soul System, Jingle Punx, Joe Bonamassa, John Lennon, John Williams, Johnny Cash, Johnny Mathis, Jon Anderson, Jonas Brothers, Jonathan Butler, Joni James, Jools Holland, Jordan Seigel, Jose Feliciano, Joseph James, Judith Owen, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, Julie Benko, June Christy, Justin Bieber, Karla Bonoff,

Kat Edmonson, Kate Hudson, Kathy Sledge, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Davies, Kenny G, Kenny Rogers, Kings Return, Klea Blackhurst, Kurt Russell, Larry Carlton, Lauren Daigle, Lauren Talley, Laurence Naismith, Laurie Berkner Band, Lea Salonga, LeAnn Rimes, Leroy Anderson, Les Sampou, Linda Imperial, Lindsey Stirling, Lisa Biales, Lisa Kessler, Lisa Leuschner, Little Big Town, Little Esther, Liz Kennedy, Lonestar, Lorrie Morgan, Lou Rawls,

Louis Colaiannia, Luanne Hunt, Lucas Hoge, Luke McMaster, Luminare Christmas!, Lydia Luce, Macy Gray, Mannheim Steamroller, Mantovani, Marc Martel, Mariah Carey, Marie Digby, Martina DaSilva, Marty Grace, Marty Robbins, Marv Meredith, Mary J. Blige, Matt Sanchez, Matthew West, McGuire Sisters, Meghan Trainor, Mellani Day, Michael Bolton, Michael Buble, Michael Grimm, Michael Landon, Michael Sinatra, Michelle Malone and the Hot Toddies,

Mick Jagger, Mickey Guyton, Mickey Thomas, Mona Rue, Mondo Quinn, Montgomery Cliffs, Murder By Death, 'N Sync, Nancy Lee, Nat King Cole, Natalie Grant, Neil Diamond, New Rules, Newton Faulkner, Next Level, Nicole Marie, NOLA Players, Offspring, Oh Hush!, Old Crow Medicine, Show, Oliva Rox, Orla Fallon, Osmonds, Otis Redding, Owen Rivera, Patrick Hawes, Paul and Paula, Paul Anka, Paul Kelly, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Payolas, Pentatonix,

Persuasions, Peter Cincotti, Peter Frampton, Petula Clark, Piano Guys, Pledge Drive, Podcast All Stars, Polyphonic Spree, Poppy, Posies, Pretty Reckless, Ramsey Lewis Trio, Raymond Scott and His New Orchestra, Reba McEntire, Remington Super 60, Renaissance Collective, REO Speedwagon, Reuel, Rich Little, Richard Marx, Rick Nelson, Robert Lund, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Spector, Rory McBrides, Rosie Darling, Roy Rogers, Russ Lorenson, Ryan Allay,

Ryanhood, Samara Joy, Sammy Davis Jr., Sara Evans, Sarah Partridge, Sarah Smith, Sarah Willis and the Sarahbanda, Scott and Mark Hoying, Seks Bomba, Shaggy, Shakin' Stevens, Shannon Kennedy, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Shelby Lynn, Shells, Sheryl Crow, Sixpence None The Richer, Smash Mouth, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Sofia Camara, Stan Kenton, Stella Cole, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Steve Mandile, Steve Martin, Steve Perry,

Straight No Chaser, Stryper, Sugar Chile Robinson, Superions, Supremes, Suzanne's Band, Suzi McNeil, Suzzy Roche, Swamp Coolers, Tammy Wynette, Taylor Swift, Teddy Pendergrass, Tenors, Teresa Brewer, Terry Bradshaw, Thelma and James, This Century, Thisbe Vos, Three Stooges, Throwing Muses, Tim Rushlow and His Big Band, Tina Lambert, Tokens, Tommy James, Tony Bennett, Tony Orlando and Dawn, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Trisha Yearwood,

Trouvere, Vonda Shepard, Waitresses, Wayne Newton, Wham, Whitney Houston, Will Ferrell, William Shatner, Willie Nelson, Wilson Pickett, Winterbrook, Yachtley Crew, Yule Logs and Zoe Bentley!

Whew!

Of course, that's not close to everything we'll be playing. Not by a longshot. But it gives you an idea of what we mean when we say, "The Sounds of Christmas plays the best variety of Christmas music!"

And if you don't see your favorites here, don't worry. This is just the line-up of artists that we played on one of the first days of this new season. There's a lot more to come!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for sharing this early part of the season with us!

May you always believe in Santa Claus!

Listen To The Sounds Of Christmas 2025

11/3/2025

The new season of the Sounds of Christmas has begun, and we're trying to make it as easy as we can to tune in!

There are three pretty simple ways to tune in.

First, simply click on the player on the front page of our website. This way, you can listen to us as long as you're on that page, even if you open other windows.

Second, you can click on the tree on our front page. That opens a pop-up player, so you can keep listening to us whether you stay on our website, or go to check your email, Facebook, etc. You can keep listening as long as you keep that pop-up player open.

You can also do either (or both) of these steps on the LISTEN NOW page.

And third, you can download our free app in the Google Play store (for your Android phone), and take us with you wherever you go!

I know there have been some issues with the app and Google, so you can also just CLICK HERE!

We get that you may not be ready for Christmas music, yet, but when you are, we're ready for you! We're playing the best variety of Christmas music, with all your favorite tunes and favorite artists, along with hundreds of brand new songs!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for listening!

May you always believe in Santa Claus!

Listen To The Sounds Of Halloween 2025

9/30/2025

The new season of the Sounds of Christmas starts November 1. While we get ready for that, we're playing all Halloween music throughout October. We're also trying to make it as easy as we can to listen to the Sounds of Christmas (and the Sounds of Halloween).

There are three pretty simple ways to tune in.

First, simply click on the player on the front page of our website, or on the LISTEN NOW page. This way, you can listen to us as long as you're on that page, even if you open other windows.

Second, you can click on the tree on our front page (between the embedded player and the News Headlines) or on our LISTEN NOW page. That opens a pop-up player, so you can keep listening to us whether you stay on our website, or go to check your email, Facebook, etc. You can keep listening as long as you keep that pop-up player open.

And third, you can download our free app in the Google Play store (for your Android phone), and take us with you wherever you go!

We'll keep the Halloween music going all the way through Halloween night! Then, on November 1, it's back to the best variety of Christmas music, with all your favorite tunes and artists, along with hundreds of brand new songs!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for listening!

May you always believe in Santa Claus! And the Great Pumpkin!

The Best Variety Of Halloween Music (2025 Edition)

9/30/2025

This is a variation of a blog I posted a couple years ago. I always say that the Sounds of Christmas plays the best variety of Christmas Music, and that's also true for the Sounds of Halloween. But I think the word "variety" has been so over-used these days that it no longer means anything.

So I thought I'd show you what I mean.

While I probably won't do this again until next year, here's a list of most of the artists we're playing (or we played, depending on when you see this) on the first day of October, when the Sounds of Halloween 2025 began.

4 Flops, 5 Seconds Of Summer, a-ha, AC/DC, Accent, Adam Sandler, Alan Parsons Project, Alana Davis, Alfie Boe, Alice Cooper, Alixandrea Corvyn, AdELA, Allman Joys, the allSTARS, Amanda Brown, Amanda Seyfried, Amber Pacific, Amy Wallace, Andrew Gold, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Andy Williams, the Animals, Anita Baker, Ann Wilson, Annie Lennox, Annie Marie, Aquabats, Archie King, Arnold McCuller, Arthur Brown, Ashleigh Murray, Ashton Gardner & Dyke,

Atlanta Rhythm Section, Aurelio Voltaire, Bacon Brothers, Bad Detectives, Baked A La Ska, Barefoot Movement, Barenaked Ladies, Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon, B.B. King, Benny Spellman, Best Coast, Bette Midler, Better Than Ezra, Betty Grable, Bettye LaVette, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Big Bopper, Bill Buchanan, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Billie Bust Up, Billy Cobb, Billy Sheehan, Billy Taylor, Bing Crosby, bird and the bee, Black Keys,

Black Oak Arkansas, Blenders, Blondie, Blood Sweet & Tears, Blue Öyster Cult, Blues Brothers, Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan, Bob Malone, Bobby Bare, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, Bobby Caldwell, Bobby Curtola, Bobby Please and the Pleasers, Bobby Rydell, Bobby Vee, Bobs, Bon Temps, Bonzo Dog Band, Boo Radleys, Booboo Stewart, Boots Walker, Bow Wow Wow, Bowling For Soup, Brandi Carlisle, Brave Combo, Broken Peach, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Ferry,

Buckwheat Zydeco, Buttondowns, Cab Calloway, Cage the Elephant, Canned Heat, Carl Bonafede, Carmen McRae, Cassandra Wilson, Cast of Sweeney Todd, Cast of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, Castle Kings, Chandler Kinney, Charlatans, Charlie Daniels Band, Charlie Musselwhite, Charlie Sexton, Chelsea Wolfe, Cher, Chet Baker, Chipmunks, Chris Isaak, Chuck Berry, Clarence Clemons, Classical Renaissance Symphony, Claypool Lennon Delirium,

Cliff Richard, Clovers, Coasters, Coco Montoya, Colm R. McGuiness, Combustible Nuts, Concrete Blonde, Conway, Cowboys Junkies, Cramps, Crash Test Dummies, Creed, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crypt Keeper, Danny Jacob, Dartmouth Aires, David Arkenstone, David Bowie, David Essex, David J, David Johnsen, DBone and the Remains, DCappella, Dead Milkmen, Del-Vikings, Delta Rae, Devo, Dick Cavett, Disney's Zombies Cast, DJ Jazzy Jeff,

Dokken, Dollyrots, Don Hinson, Donovan, Doors, Dorothy, Dove Cameron, Dr. Hook, Dr. John, Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band, Drugstore Cowboys, Duprees, Duran Duran, Eagles, Eddie Money, Elites, Ella Fitzgerald, Elmo, Elvis Costello, Elvis Presley, Emersons, Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Erutan, Ervinna and the Stylers, Extreme, Fans Of Jimmy Century, Fats Waller, Fawn, Feargal Sharkey, Five Man Electrical Band, Flat Five,

Florence + the Machine, Fred Hall, Fuzztones, Gary Brooker, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Gary Warren, Gene Vincent, Geoff Castellucci, George Thorogood, Gerald McCann, Gerard Way, Gil Scott-Heron, Glass Prism, GLEE Cast, Glenda and Glen, Gnarls Barkley, Golden Earring, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, Gordon Lightfoot, Gorillaz, Groovie Ghoulies, Groovy Ghoulies, Hairy Growlers, Hannah Gill, Happy Fangs, Harry Belafonte, Harry Gold, Harry Nilsson,

Hawthorne Heights, Hayseed Dixie, Helen Reddy, Helen Welch, Hellogoodbye, Henry Hall, Hipwaders, Hollies, Holly Cole, Home Free, Hoodoo Gurus, Hop Wilson, Hound + the Fox, Howlin' Wolf, Hozier, Hugh Cornwell, I The Mighty, Imelda May, Invader Zim, Invasions, Iris Has Friends, J. Geils Band, Jack and Jim, Jack Black, Jackson 5, Jan Edwards, Jeff Richmond, Jennifer Rush, Jeremy Messersmith, Jerry Reed, Jessica Lange, Jimmy Buffett, Jingle Punx,

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Joe Jackson, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, John Mayall and the Blues Breakers, Johnny Cash, Johnny Fever, Johnny Otis Show, Johnny Winter, Jonathan Coulton, JP Ashkar, Judas Priest, Junior Wells, Kai Jette, Kathryn Hahn, Katie Melua, Kay Starr, Keith David, Kenny Neal, Keytones, Kingston Trio, Kip Tyler and the Flips, Kords, Korn, Kris Kristofferson, Kristin Chenoweth, Krokus, Krystina Alabado, Kylie Cantrall,

Larkin Poe, Lathums, Laufey, Laurie Berkner Band, Lennon & Maisey, Lenny Bruce, Leslie West, Levi Stubbs, Lex Land, Little River Band, Liz Kennedy, Lone Justice, Lord Luther, Louis Armstrong, Lucinda Williams, LVCRFT, Lynda Carter, Magics, Marianne Faithful, MC Hammer, Men At Work, Michael Burks, Michael Jackson, Michael Schenker Group, Midnight Chimes, Milo Manheim, Misfits, Mitchell Hope, Molly Hatchet, Morris Day, Morrissey, Move, Munsters,

MST3k RiffTrax Guys, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Norma Tanega, North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative, Oingo Boingo, Ozzy Osbourne, Pat Godwin, Paul Roland, Paul Williams, Pete Best Combo, Peter Hollens, Philly Joe Jones, Piney Gir, Pixies, Plain White T's, Polyphonic Spree, Postmodern Jukebox, Raveonettes, Ready For The World, Red Buttons, Reel Big Fish, Reeve Carney, Rihanna, Robert Johnson, Roky Erickson, Rolling Stones, Rosemary Clooney,

Saint Chaos, Sci-Fi Romance, Screamin' Lord Sutch, Sesame Street Cast, Sharkey Todd and the Monsters, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Squirrel Nut Zippers, the Stephens, Sterling Holloway, Sting, Stonegarth, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Sweet, Swingin' Neckbreakers, Tag Team, Tigger, Tom Waits, Tommee Profitt, Tony's Monstrosities, Tracey Thorn, Tracy Stafford, Trisha Yearwood, the Tubes, Tuesday Knight, Turnpikes, Valerie Broussard, Vincent Price, Vista Blue,

Walter Murphy, Warren Zevon, Wayne Brady, White Zombie, Whitney Avalon, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Young Frankenstein Cast!

Whew!

Of course, that's not close to everything we'll be playing. Not by a longshot. But it gives you an idea of what we mean when we say we play the best variety of Halloween music!

And if you don't see your favorites here, don't worry. This is just the line-up of most of the artists that we're playing (or we played, depending on when you see this) on the first day of October. There's a lot more to come!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for sharing this early part of the Halloween season with us!

May you always believe in the Great Pumpkin!

Ken

The Sounds Of Halloween 2025

9/23/2025

The Sounds of Christmas station switches to Halloween music in October, which is now just around the corner.

I get questions about that a lot, and I've posted variations on this blog several times, and I've recorded similar podcasts episodes about it in the past, but since this is starting up next week, I thought it was time to talk about it again..

This is a tradition I started years ago, in the early days of the Sounds of Christmas station. I’m going to share this story once again - the how and why of the Sounds of Halloween, and how it happened in the first place.

Like most families, Halloween and Christmas have always been big at our house. Lisa and the kids are on the Halloween side, while I'm with Santa.

I learned long ago not to try and convert any of them. I think what happened at Disneyland once explains it best. In one of the studios at California Adventure, you can use this machine to determine which hero or villain you are.

I was Tarzan. All three of them were villains.

Oh, well. They love me, anyway.

So as we move toward October, I get super-busy working on the new season of the Sounds of Christmas. While the station stays on year-round, I had decided to make a change in October, turning the Sounds of Christmas into the Sounds of Halloween from October 1 through Halloween night.

I admit, mostly, this was just for my family, while I kicked the tires and otherwise make sure everything was set to go for the coming season, especially loading lots of new music.

But in doing this that first time, I found there are a lot of other people that love Halloween and Halloween music, too, so, year after year, I've expanded the playlist, finding more and more Halloween music.

With all that said, the other question I get a lot is - what exactly is Halloween music?

Some of it is pretty obvious. Monster Mash. Purple People Eater. Ghostbusters. Songs about things you associate with Halloween - ghosts, monsters, werewolves, vampires and witches. Some are scary stories, and some are about candy or trick-or-treating.

I also include songs from scary movies and TV shows. Some of those are pretty creepy. And some are funny. Many are in-between.

While there are some kids' songs (like The Count from Sesame Street), a few of the songs do have bad language. And some of the themes of some songs are straight out of horror movies, and those probably aren't for little kids, either. I only say that so you’ll know that, for the month of October, parental guidance is suggested.

And like the Sounds of Christmas, I add new stuff to the Sounds of Halloween every year - like the new song "Ghost" from Rob Thomas' new album, plus Fawn's new Halloween singles and Hannah Gill's new album Spooky Jazz Vol. 3.

On the Sounds of Christmas, I play many versions of many songs, so you won't just hear Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas". You'll hear lots of different singers and bands, old and new, offering their takes on that classic. And l do the same thing with the Halloween tunes. For example, I have over a dozen versions of "Bad Moon Rising", around thirty versions of "Ghost Riders In The Sky" and over three dozen different takes on “I Put A Spell On You” (though I may not get to all of them this year, as I try to separate songs and artists so you don't hear the same songs and same voices over and over).

During the Sounds of Halloween, you will hear from many of your favorite Christmas music singers and bands, including Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Mannheim Steamroller and even Bruce Springsteen!

There are songs about Killer Tomatoes, Black Magic Women and Haunted Houses. There are also songs about Alien Invasions, Invisible Men and over a dozen versions of “Monster Mash").

And I play lots of movie and TV songs, including animated classics, new releases and even at least half a dozen songs from Mystery Science Theater 3000.

As a further example, and to give you a better idea of what I mean by Halloween music, here are a dozen songs I randomly shuffled from the Sounds of Halloween library as I put this latest blog together and added it to the Sounds of Christmas website...

Buster Doss and His Arkansas Playboys “Graveyard Boogie"
Joe Louis Walker and Waddy Wachtel “Werewolves of London"
Say Hi "These Fangs"
Leon Russell “I Put A Spell On You"
Rob Zombie “They Are The Munsters"
King Luan “No Vampires Remain In Romania"
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band “Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes"
Delta Rae “Dance In The Graveyard"
Run DMC "Ghostbusters"
Otis Redding "Trick Or Treat"
Harry Gold and His Pieces Of Eight “The Ghost Of Ol' Man Mose”
Hoodoo Gurus "Death Ship"

You probably recognized some of those songs, and probably some of those artists, but maybe, at least in some cases, not both. And you might not have realized some of those artists had recorded a version of something, like Run DMC's version of "Ghostbusters". Now, I have a bunch of versions of "Ghostbusters", including the original by Ray Parker Jr. (of course), along with Run DMC's version, and others by Bowling For Soup, Pentatonix and Bruce Springsteen (among others), and I play all of those. Hope that makes sense.

One thing that is different this year, at least different than most previous years. The Sounds of Halloween will run until 6am (Eastern) on November 1. That way, the West Coast of the U.S. (and even Hawaii) will get a chance to finish celebrating Halloween, before the new season of the Sounds of Christmas begins.

I hope you enjoy this upcoming celebration of Halloween throughout October! And then the new season of the Sounds of Christmas will be here, starting on November 1!

May you always believe in Santa Claus (and also the Great Pumpkin)!

P.S. - To listen, just go to our home page (or click LISTEN NOW above) and click on the player. For some reason, the player isn't showing up on some browsers, so you can also just click on the tree which will give you a pop-up player. And you can search for us in the Google Play store and get our free app for your Android Phone and take us along with you!

The Myth Of Christmas Creep

9/10/2025

I’ve noticed the creeps are back again (actually noticed this weeks ago but was trying to ignore them). The creeps I’m talking about have nothing to do with Halloween, or with the podcast with that same name. It’s actually in reference to what some complaining people like to say, regarding any signs of Christmas that turn up before Thanksgiving (or even before October).

This is a topic I’ve talked about before, but since it now seems to include Halloween and all things fall-related, I thought it was worth bringing up again.

Since you're on this website, there’s a good chance you’re a fan of Christmas and Christmas music, and you’ve run across your share of these particular creeps yourself.

Once again, I’m coming across articles, blogs and posts complaining about what some refer to as “Christmas Creep”. This is supposed to mean that retailers are rushing the season, starting to put Christmas items out earlier and earlier every year (and people not in retail are starting to listen to Christmas music, or even post about Christmas).

I think of it more as a “Grinch Creep”. It’s really about the people who like to complain about Christmas music, lights, presents, etc. And, of course, some are just people who like to complain, period. Sadly, we all know the type.

I remember working in the receiving department of a large, box bookstore about thirty years ago. In early August, customers would start asking about Christmas books. This was not about books to give as gifts, possibly to someone overseas so it would take a long time to get there. This was about books that were about Christmas – decorating, cooking, etc.

And this was not just one or two customers, but multiple customers, asking daily when we would have our Christmas collections out.

I’m sure similar things happen at other retail stores. And while some Grinches like to complain about stores rushing the season, the truth is they’re simply trying to meet their customers’ demand. Seriously, if no one bought this stuff in August or September, would stores continue to give it the shelf space?

Despite these Grinches saying that Christmas is creeping into stores earlier and earlier every year, this is nothing new.

I remember when I was in college (and even high school), one of our local drug store chains always put out the first new batch of Bob’s Candy Canes on September 25. And that would have been back in the early 1980’s.

And it’s not just retail.

Remember the musical version of “Scrooge”? Albert Finney starred. It came out in 1970. A few days after Halloween.

Oh, sure, at least that’s November, right? Well, here are some things you can point out to any of these creeps that you come across, when they start complaining about you rushing the season.

Elvis Presley’s first Christmas album was released on October 15. And that was 1957. Some people at that time were upset that Elvis would dare perform these sacred songs in his rock and roll style. Irving Berlin himself tried to have the album banned from radio airplay.

No one complained that it was only October. That could be because Frank Sinatra released a Christmas album a month earlier. Go back to the previous decade, and you’ll find that Gene Autry released “Here Comes Santa Claus” on October 6. And that was 1947!

So over seventy-five years ago, no one complained that Gene Autry was rushing the season when his Christmas single hit store shelves in September. Kind of seems silly to be annoyed at Wal-Mart for promoting their new Layaway deals or Target for having a couple rows of Christmas lights (just past the aisles of Halloween costumes).

And remember, they wouldn’t do it if people weren’t buying it. They're in business to make money, not to cram some holiday down your throat.

And for those creating Christmas-related things, the season starts even earlier. Mel Tormé famously recorded “The Christmas Song” in the heat of summer, decorating the studio with Christmas lights to help get into the spirit. In the summer of 2021, Rob Thomas was working on his first Christmas album, and had a giant TV screen put in the studio, so he could watch Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel to help get into the spirit.

And on a recent episode of the Sounds of Christmas podcast, you can hear Suzanne from Suzanne’s Band talk about all that goes into the creation of their Christmas releases, and how early they have to start to have it ready in time.

They aren’t rushing the season. And neither is your local Michaels’ just because they have Christmas decorations on their shelves before Summer has officially ended.

The Sounds of Christmas launches its new season on November 1st. I don’t expect everyone to drop what they’re doing and start listening. Likewise, everyone doesn’t have to run to Macy’s for new ornaments just because they’ve been put on display before Thanksgiving, or before Halloween. Or before the first official day of Fall.

But if you want to, you can.

We all celebrate (or don’t celebrate) the season in different ways. And really, if someone wants to listen to Christmas music, or watch “Elf” or put up a decoration, how does that affect you?

It doesn’t. Unless it inspires you to do the same. But it has no actual impact at all on anyone else who doesn’t want to acknowledge Christmas until December (or at all).

Just before Labor Day, after Starbucks revealed, and made available, their Pumpkin Spice Lattes and other fall items, some people seemed to really get upset. I saw more than one person post on Facebook that it wasn’t even the first day of fall, so put down the pumpkin.

If I want one of their pumpkin flavored drinks (or one from somewhere else), why should that bother anyone? Likewise, if I want to pop into Spirit Halloween, or visit a pumpkin patch (whether or not I’m trying to determine how sincere it is), why does that bother anyone?

Seriously, no one complains about Valentines Day Creep, when items for that holiday start showing up on store shelves, sometimes before Christmas Day! Or Summer Creep when bathing suits and suntan lotion are all over the place in January. Or Super Bowl Creep, when commercials air in December teasing the Big Game (and more commercials) which won’t happen for months.

Some people just don’t seem to be happy unless they're criticizing others for celebrating something outside of some approved timeframe. Try not to let them get to you.

The Sounds of Christmas station flips to all-Halloween music on October 1st, and then back to Christmas on November 1st.

Now, the Sounds of Christmas station does have listeners on November 1, hopefully enjoying their favorite Christmas songs alongside new music from singers and bands they may or may not know. And while we haven’t always been on year-round, we have always started our new season on the first of November.

Like the bookstores, Bob’s Candy Canes and even Frank Sinatra, I’m not trying to rush the season, and I’m certainly not trying to force anyone to listen. I just love Christmas. And I love sharing the Christmas music that I also love. And if you aren’t ready for Christmas music the day after Halloween, that’s okay. We’ll be on, ready for you whenever you are. In fact, whenever you need a little musical Christmas spirit, we’re here for you!

The point of all this is that no one is rushing anything. Christmas is ready for you to embrace it whenever you want, and it has been that way for a very long time.

In “A Christmas Carol”, Charles Dickens wrote “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

Those last three words are ALL THE YEAR. Not just in December. Not just after Thanksgiving. Not just at any particular time someone else decides is appropriate for you.

All the year.

And those words were written in 1843.

That’s why, in the middle of September (which is when I’m posting this) you can watch Scrooged on Paramount+ right now. Or It’s A Wonderful Life on Amazon Prime. Or all three of Tim Allen’s Santa Clause movies on Disney Plus.

You don’t have to watch any of those, of course. But if you want to, you can.

No one’s making you buy Christmas decorations or candy canes, either.

So whether it’s December or September, if you feel like reveling in some Christmas spirit, you don’t need anyone’s permission. And you aren’t rushing anything.

It isn’t up to anyone else to determine when you are allowed to get into the Christmas Spirit. No matter what the creeps say.

May you always believe in Santa Claus!

The Sounds Of Christmas From A To Z (Year 3)

6/17/2025

Now that we’re more than halfway through June, that means Leon Day is just around the corner. That’s June 25th, six months until Christmas Day. And not to wish the days away, but just past that, it will be July - and for many Christmas podcasters (and Christmas fans in general), that means Christmas In July!

For the last two years, I’ve done something on the Sounds of Christmas I hadn’t done since I launched the station in 2007 - I played nearly every song in our library in alphabetical order.

I have added hundreds of songs since this time last year, to the point that I noticed that, this year, it will take 5 more hours just to get to Mariah Carey’s "All I Want For Christmas Is You"! Obviously, it’s safe to say that the Sounds of Christmas from A To Z will be a lot different, and much longer, than last year’s. And while it is a lot of work, it does seem to get such a nice response, it was a no-brainer to continue it this year, which, I guess, now makes it a tradition.

Starting on July 1st, at 6am Eastern, I’ll be giving you the Sounds of Christmas from A to Z, playing almost every song in our library in alphabetical order by song title. And, at this point, I honestly have no idea how long it will go on. Last year, it took over 15 hours just to get through all the songs that start with A (which is two hours longer than the year before). And this year it looks like it will be another six hours until the first songs that starts with B.

So, a couple things about this.

First, here’s how I came up with my list. I took my master library list and put it in a Google doc, then I set it to alphabetize all the entries by song title. For the most part, I think this worked okay. In some instances, punctuation in the song titles made it tricky. Sometimes, I was able to move those songs around where they made the most sense, but that probably wasn’t always the case. So you may hear a song that seems out of place, and that could be the reason.

Or it could be other things. Sometimes artists change the name of a song they’re covering. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" becomes, simply, "A Merry Little Christmas". "My Grown Up Christmas List" becomes just "Grown Up Christmas List". And "Run Rudolph Run" is sometimes listed as "Run Run Rudolph". I’m sure there are plenty of others, but those are the ones that leap to mind.

I tried to deal with that as best I could, but this was a huge undertaking. Another reason that, upon occasion, there may be a song that seems out of place. And while I tried to get all the versions of particular songs together, sometimes I just didn’t catch the differences in titles, so it’s possible the same song (by different artists) might pop up in two different places. Maybe even three.

That said, I’m not playing every different version of every single song. I did consider that in the beginning when I first started doing this, and I thought it might be interesting to hear so many different artists with their own interpretations of each song. Then I realized that, if I did that, there would be over nine hours of different versions of “Silver Bells”.

I like “Silver Bells". A lot. Maybe even more than most. But I don’t think even I would listen to nine hours of it.

So I went through and picked one particular version of songs which had multiple versions, to kind of represent the song. This year, for the most part, I went with the first version (or at least the oldest I could find). That didn’t always work, and it wasn’t even always the case. But that was my plan when I started putting this together this year, and I think that, most of the time, I stuck to it.

I didn’t include Chanukah, Kwanza or New Years songs. Or Thanksgiving or Halloween songs. However, Christmas songs that also included elements of Chanukah, Kwanzaa, New Years, Thanksgiving and/or Halloween are part of the A to Z event.

For songs that started with numbers, I simply spelled out the numbers, and you’ll find them accordingly. I also took out a lot of the the’s and a’s that started a song title. But not all. I made a lot of judgment calls on that, taking away the ones I thought were unnecessary, while leaving others I thought were important. Like “The Christmas Song”. That’s how everyone refers to it, not just “Christmas Song”, so that the stayed. And when I could, I tried to respect artists’ decisions on the titles of their songs, so some of those retained the a’s and the’s. You get the idea.

I included lots of medleys, and some of the songs included in those medleys will be found elsewhere in the entire A to Z event. I went back and forth on this, and finally decided that medleys are just more popular in Christmas music than in any other genre, so excluding them seemed wrong. That’s why you may hear "Let It Snow" followed by a medley of "Let It Snow" and "Winter Wonderland".

I may have made some mistakes. I probably did. As with the past two years, this was a much bigger thing to put together than I thought it would be. So some songs might come up in the wrong place. Some songs might play more than once. And some might not show up at all. None of that is on purpose. Just human error. My apologies if there’s a song you want to hear and somehow it doesn’t show up (or you miss it because it’s in the wrong place).

I also get that you may not agree with the choices I made as far as which version of a particular song gets played. In most cases, as I said, I tried to go with the first version, but a couple times I shook things up a little to pick something you might not expect.

I know that this isn’t for everybody. When some people listen to Christmas music, they want Bing’s “White Christmas”. They want Nat King Cole and Elvis. For others it’s Mariah Carey and Kelly Clarkson. And while all of those artists do appear, more than once, in the Sounds of Christmas from A to Z, it will take a while to get to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”. And if you miss Mariah’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” on that first day, you won’t get to hear it again for a long tine.

But, if you love Christmas music, all kinds of Christmas music, you’ll get a real taste of what I mean when I say the Sounds of Christmas plays the best variety of Christmas music. You’ll hear lots of songs you may never have heard before, and you’ll hear lots of artists that you may have never heard before, either. But I think you’re going to like it (at least I hope you do)!

I’ll probably send periodic updates through social media to let you know where we are as the month of July rolls on (and possibly August).

I’m set to kick this off on July 1st with Faith Hill’s “A Baby Changes Everything”, and then keep on going until at some point we get to “Zydeco Christmas” by C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. It seems like it took a couple weeks to do this last year, and there are a lot more songs this time around, so it should take, but since I’m still programming it all, I really don’t know. I guess we’ll find out together.

And lastly, I started this post mentioning that I’ve added hundreds of songs since I did this last year. Those weren’t all new songs from 2024. There were lots of old releases that came back into print, or were finally released for the first time (or in a slightly different configuration). So I also added a lot of songs that hadn’t been available for a long time (and in some cases, songs that had never been released in the first place). And I also came across a few surprises - songs I didn’t know existed, or rare songs that I hadn’t been able to find before.

Anyway, despite all the caveats and possible mistakes, I hope the whole thing is fun, and that, if you do tune in, you like what you hear.

Halfway to Halloween

4/28/2025

It’s still April, and we’re about halfway to Halloween. And while I’m a little late to the party, Halfway to Halloween has kind of become a thing, some even go so far as to say it’s like what Christmas In July is to Christmas. While I don’t think it’s gotten that popular, here’s what I have found out about Halfway To Halloween.

Halfway to Halloween, also known as Halfoween, is typically celebrated around April 30th or May 1st, marking six months before October 31st. This unofficial holiday is a way to start the spooky season early, with some communities even having festivals to mark the occasion, and some in the entertainment industry using it as a way to tease some of their movies, music, events, etc. that will be on the way later this year..

Last year, Spirit Halloween marked Halfway To Halloween with a teaser video on their YouTube channel, posted on April 29. They used the occasion to promote some of the new items that would be debuting in their stores the following Fall. They also did something similar the year before, and I imagine have something else similar on the way for this year.

The Disney Parks blog also did something similar last year, promoting some of the Halloween events that would be coming to the parks in the Fall, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be revisiting that shortly.

There is a Halfway To Halloween Festival that will take place in Riverside California on May 2-4.

There is also a Halfway To Halloween Expo in Ann Arbor Michigan on May 10.

Frightreads Book Festival is presented a Halfway To Halloween event in Glen Burnie, Maryland April 26 at a mall with at least 60 Halloween vendors!

Blumhouse is celebrating Halfway To Halloween this year by re-releasing Meagan, Annabelle and Ma in theaters, coming out one after the other beginning on April 30.

Shudder’s annual Halfway to Halloween celebration returned in early April with a month-long programming lineup celebrating the halfway point to their “favorite day of the year”. The 2025 lineup includes “a killer selection of new original films and series”.

I don’t know of any particular music-related events, at least not yet, though there are some themed concerts taking place all over the U.S., but no music festivals, at least, none I’m aware of. But as far as music goes, I can tell you that Jennifer Nettles and Kevin Bacon have released a soundtrack to his new Amazon Prime series The Bondsman: Hell and Back (some of which you’ll hear on the Sounds of Halloween this Fall).

This seems like a good time to talk a little about the Sounds of Halloween.

For those who don’t know, the Sounds of Christmas becomes the Sounds of Halloween for the month of October. For those thirty-one days, we give "White Christmas" a rest, and delve into our library of songs for the spooky season.

Some of it is pretty obvious. Monster Mash. Purple People Eater. Songs about things you associate with Halloween - ghosts, monsters, werewolves, vampires and witches. Some are scary stories, and some are about candy or trick-or-treating.

I also include songs from scary movies and TV shows. Some of those are pretty creepy. And some are funny. Many are in-between.

While there are some kids' songs (like The Count from Sesame Street), a few of the songs do have bad language. And some of the themes of some songs are straight out of horror movies, and those probably aren't for little kids, either. I only say that so you’ll know that, for the month of October, parental guidance is suggested.

On the Sounds of Christmas, I play many versions of many songs, so you won't just hear Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas". You'll hear lots of different singers and bands, old and new, offering their takes on that classic. And l do the same thing with the Halloween tunes. For example, I have around thirty versions of "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky" (though I may not get to all of them this year, as I try to separate songs and artists so you don't hear the same songs and same voices over and over).

During the Sounds of Halloween, you will hear from many of your favorite Christmas music singers and bands, including Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Mannheim Steamroller and even Bruce Springsteen!

There are songs about Killer Tomatoes, Black Magic Women and Haunted Houses. There are also songs about Alien Invasions, Invisible Men and over three dozen takes on "I Put A Spell On You" (I probably won't get to all of those, either).

And I play lots of Disney songs, from movie villains and from spooky shows on Disney Plus. I also have at least half a dozen songs from Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Since last October, I’ve added hundreds of new songs to the Sounds of Halloween library. And I’ve no doubt there will be more to come. There are lots of scary movies that will be coming out between now and then, and sometimes, not always but sometimes, those soundtracks usually have at least one or two spooky songs.

That’s not the only place to find new Halloween songs, of course, but that’s the only source that gives us particular release dates. Unlike Christmas music, there aren’t a lot of artists that put out Halloween themed albums (though last year we did get Spooky Jazz Volume 2 from Hannah Gill, and before that Danse Macabre from Duran Duran, and Voltaire’s latest The Last Halloween Party.

I should also mention that I haven’t just been adding new releases, to either the Halloween library or the Christmas library. I’ve discovered, and in some cases re-discovered, songs from seasons past.

For example, since we’re talking mostly about the Sounds of Halloween, I just recently came across covers of “I Put A Spell On You” from Cliff Beach and Judith Owens (not together).

I found covers of “Wicked Game” by four different artists, and three versions of “The Phantom of The Opera”, and covers of “I Want Candy”, I Want To Be Evil” and a version of “Ghostbusters” performed by Bruce Springsteen (no, really).

And it’s not just covers, I also came across Geoff Castelucci’s “The Loch Ness Monster”, “Halloween Face” from Widespread Panic and Gal Gadot’s song from the new Snow White movie.

And I also find new songs from some of the artists that are so kind as to advertise and support the Sounds of Christmas, like David Arkenstone’s “The Fog” and David Browning’s “Haunted Hearts”.

I’m sure there’s lots more to come.

Of course, your mileage may vary. Some of the songs I mentioned, and others from the movies or artists that I didn’t mention, might evoke that Halloween type of feeling for you. Or they might not.

And again, this is all my opinion. I run the Sounds of Christmas the same way. There are some songs I just don’t play, that just don’t feel like they fit - that they’re particularly Christmassy to me. Other people may not feel the same way about those same songs. And that’s okay. We all connect with different kinds of music in different kinds of ways. Similar to how we celebrate holidays.

As I mentioned, the Sounds of Halloween happens from October 1 through October 31, and the new season of the Sounds of Christmas begins on November 1. And this year, for the first time, in celebration of Halfway To Halloween, I’m mixing in some small samples of what you’ll hear in October when we switch to the Sounds of Halloween. Not a major change in programming, just once every hour or so, a little taste of Halloween music. That will happen all day on April 30 and May 1. I figured since I do have our annual Christmas In July event on the way, the Sounds of Christmas from A to Z, I should do a little something to celebrate Halfway To Halloween.

I’m really excited about the Sounds of Halloween coming in October and the new season of the Sounds of Christmas (which starts on November 1), and I hope you’ll be able to spend at least part of both of those seasons with us!

May you always believe in Santa Claus! And the Great Pumpkin!

Ken

Happy New Year!

12/31/2024

Happy New Year! And thank you for an amazing 2024!

I feel like I say thank you a lot, but I really want to convey how grateful I am that you continue to listen to the Sounds of Christmas station and podcast.

For the station, I don’t know that we broke any records this year. And, to be honest, with more people than ever listening on their phones, tablets and other devices, and with security improvements made to protect your privacy, we have the highest percentage ever of listeners in unknown areas.

In fact, unknown has more listeners than most - there are only five other countries with more listeners: United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom and India (and I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t hit the number one spot in the next couple years).

Afghanistan, Romania, Ukraine and Austalia round out the top ten.

I’m not bragging, and I hope it doesn’t sound like I am. Frankly, these days, when it’s easier than ever to make a Christmas music playlist, I am so grateful, and even humbled, that so many seem to return to the Sounds of Christmas, year after year (and, since the station is on all year long, that so many continue to listen long after the traditional season has wrapped up).

And, really, the geographic particulars aren’t that important, at least not to me. I started the Sounds of Christmas back in 2007, hoping to share my love of Christmas and Christmas music with any who might be interested. And it’s beyond gratifying to know that, as I wrap up the eighteenth season, people are still sharing at least part of the season with me. No matter what state, or what country, they’re in.

I’m writing this in the afternoon on New Year’s Eve in Florida. And while I’m doing that, I’m listening to a "Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones)" by Norah Jones (along with listeners in Houston TX, Hayward CA, Scranton PA, Toronto, Germany, Portugal and France). And I think that’s pretty cool. I’m just so appreciative of everyone that takes the time to spend even just a little of this very special season with me.

So, thank you for listening. And while traditional radio stations have already put away their Christmas music, the Sounds of Christmas is still on, playing the Best Variety of Christmas all year long (except, as you probably know, when October rolls around and we switch to Halloween music for the month).

I’m also grateful for the support you’ve given to the Sounds of Christmas podcast. I believe we just posted our 240th episode, as we near the end of our fourth year.

Like the Sounds of Christmas station, I wasn’t sure that anyone else would be interested in listening to me talk about Christmas music, but I thought I’d give it a shot. And I owe you a tremendous amount of thank you’s to you for listening to and downloading so many episodes. Especially during the past year.

Really, all I can say is Wow. And thank you.

Thanks so much for listening, helping me share some Christmas Spirit and for continuing to support the Sounds of Christmas station and podcast.

May you always believe in Santa Claus.