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Post by Dawn on Nov 17, 2009 23:12:03 GMT -5
Matt's comment on his FB page got me to thinking about this topic.
In years past, it was rare to hear Christmas music played in stores or on the radio earlier than the first of December, or Thanksgiving weekend at the very earliest. Even then, it wasn't exclusively holiday songs, but a mix, gradually adding in more of a percentage of Christmas tunes up until Christmas Eve, when it would go to exclusively holiday music.
Now, though, it seems the all-Christmas format is starting earlier and earlier. Some stations have already gone to playing it exclusively, with more to follow beginning this weekend. And, we are still a week away from Thanksgiving.
About five years ago, I was in a Barnes and Noble store in mid-October, and there was a Christmas CD playing over the PA. Mid-October! It was hard to get into a holiday mood when the leaves were still on the trees.
Now, I enjoy listening to Christmas music - at least, some of it. But in recent years, I'm finding that I'm growing tired of listening to it earlier and earlier, even before the actual holiday comes. This is the case even without listening to my own collection of Christmas music very much. That was never the case years ago.
I think that in playing Christmas music for longer periods of time, and especially an exclusive all-holiday format, that a lot of the special quality of it tends to be lost. No longer does it seem as much of a special treat, unique to the holiday season, but more of "Oh, there's "Winter Wonderland" again for the hundredth time" two weeks before Christmas occurs.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think holiday music has become too overexposed?
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Post by m c dornan on Nov 18, 2009 13:51:21 GMT -5
yeah, by the time Christmas Eve comes round, I don't even want to hear any Christmas music. I've noticed here, the stations play very little of the traditional songs or the older versions of songs, in favor of re-makes done in the last 10 years. I'm old and crotchety so I don't like this.  |
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Post by H2IZCOOL on Nov 18, 2009 16:09:45 GMT -5
I've always thought that they start Christmas music too early and play too much of it. But then again, I'm Jewish. ;D
While I do like many Christmas songs (even some religious ones; Oh Holy Night is a big favorite of mine!) I feel a little bit angered by being "forced" to listen constantly to music related to an event that I do not celebrate. I understand, however, how it's all related to getting people "in the mood" to go out and buy as many gifts and Christmas ornaments and whatever as possible. It's kinda like music playlists. If I can get more people to buy more product at the least cost to me by playing the same 15-20 songs over and over again that's what I'll do. If I can get more people to buy more merchandise by selling Christmas for four months rather than one or two, that's what I'll do.
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Post by Dawn on Nov 18, 2009 16:41:38 GMT -5
yeah, by the time Christmas Eve comes round, I don't even want to hear any Christmas music. I've noticed here, the stations play very little of the traditional songs or the older versions of songs, in favor of re-makes done in the last 10 years. I'm old and crotchety so I don't like this. I've noticed the same thing here about the traditional carols. You hear very little O Little Town of Bethlehem or It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, but lots of Winter Wonderland, Jingle Bell Rock and Let It Snow. I don't know if it's because they think people want to hear mainly modern songs and music styles, or are concentrating on the more secular songs. Even the older modern classics (kind of an oxymoron there) like Bing Crosby's White Christmas are being played less and less often in favor of newer versions. |
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Post by Dawn on Nov 18, 2009 16:48:22 GMT -5
I've always thought that they start Christmas music too early and play too much of it. But then again, I'm Jewish. ;D While I do like many Christmas songs (even some religious ones; Oh Holy Night is a big favorite of mine!) I feel a little bit angered by being "forced" to listen constantly to music related to an event that I do not celebrate. I understand, however, how it's all related to getting people "in the mood" to go out and buy as many gifts and Christmas ornaments and whatever as possible. It's kinda like music playlists. If I can get more people to buy more product at the least cost to me by playing the same 15-20 songs over and over again that's what I'll do. If I can get more people to buy more merchandise by selling Christmas for four months rather than one or two, that's what I'll do. I think you are right about commercialism being behind a lot of it, especially in recent years. What's interesting, though, is that their approach of saturating people with holiday music for months on end seems to be backfiring. It seems that there are fewer people who actually enjoy Christmas music anymore, or who aren't very tired of listening to it by the time the season ends. |
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Post by Jughead on Nov 18, 2009 17:27:30 GMT -5
YES! Yes I do! Yes 1000%!
You know, I used to LOVE Christmas music until I started working in retail. The first year I started (2004), we had some Christmas songs mixed in with actual real music (I was hired December 8, 2004, and we didn't go all Christmas until around December 12.)
Here it is...2009...and the Christmas music started the day after Remembrance/Veterans Day. AUGH!!!!!
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Post by jpkansas on Nov 19, 2009 3:31:32 GMT -5
I'd just like to use this thread to say that once again I will be doing my Christmas show this year.  |
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Post by cairnterrier on Nov 19, 2009 8:02:54 GMT -5
I have no problems with Christmas music...(as long as "Dominique the Donkey" is not played). But I too have to wonder why it has to be played starting in mid Fall. I've been hearing "I'll Be Home For Christmas" since Halloween played over the PA every time I've gone to a store. I just can't get into the mood until after Thanksgiving. Like what was said, alot of it is spurred on by the retail market....stores wanting to get a jump on the shopping season, and on the money side of the music thing, record companies wanting to get some sales out of holiday CD's. Just wait until the day after Christmas when the lights and trees in the malls come down, and the cupids and hearts go up.
On an interesting side note...people decorating their houses for holidays has become a race as well. On my street, there are three houses all close together...one with pumpkins, skeletons, and ghosts in the yard, another house with harvest corn and turkey decorations on the door and front steps, and a third home all decked out with lights, snowmen, and wreaths!
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Post by Dawn on Nov 19, 2009 12:21:29 GMT -5
I'd just like to use this thread to say that once again I will be doing my Christmas show this year. Glad to hear it, Joe...I had been wondering if you were going to host one this year. I do always enjoy listening to your shows, especially since you feature quite a few good tunes that aren't heard much on other stations. |
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Post by Dawn on Nov 19, 2009 12:24:54 GMT -5
YES! Yes I do! Yes 1000%! You know, I used to LOVE Christmas music until I started working in retail. The first year I started (2004), we had some Christmas songs mixed in with actual real music (I was hired December 8, 2004, and we didn't go all Christmas until around December 12.) Here it is...2009...and the Christmas music started the day after Remembrance/Veterans Day. AUGH!!!!! That's over six weeks of nonstop Christmas music...I can definitely see how that would get old fast, listening to it 8+ hours a day! |
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Post by Dawn on Nov 19, 2009 12:33:22 GMT -5
I have no problems with Christmas music...(as long as "Dominique the Donkey" is not played). But I too have to wonder why it has to be played starting in mid Fall. I've been hearing "I'll Be Home For Christmas" since Halloween played over the PA every time I've gone to a store. I just can't get into the mood until after Thanksgiving. Like what was said, alot of it is spurred on by the retail market....stores wanting to get a jump on the shopping season, and on the money side of the music thing, record companies wanting to get some sales out of holiday CD's. Just wait until the day after Christmas when the lights and trees in the malls come down, and the cupids and hearts go up. On an interesting side note...people decorating their houses for holidays has become a race as well. On my street, there are three houses all close together...one with pumpkins, skeletons, and ghosts in the yard, another house with harvest corn and turkey decorations on the door and front steps, and a third home all decked out with lights, snowmen, and wreaths! Matt, you are so right about the day after Christmas. I remember one year I was in a store about 10:00 AM the day after Christmas, and they were already tearing down what was left of the Christmas decoration displays and had the heart-shaped candy boxes and valentine-themed stuffed animals in carts ready to put out! LOL at the mix of holiday decorations! So far no one in my immediate neighborhood has any up, but I suspect some will go up this weekend. One thing that is kind of amusing here is when people decorate with a lot of "snow-themed" decorations - those big snowglobes with swirling "snow," standing snowmen, sleighs, etc. That looks really cool in areas with four-season climates, but next to palm trees and flowers in bloom, it looks kind of odd. |
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Post by H2IZCOOL on Nov 19, 2009 12:55:54 GMT -5
I'd just like to use this thread to say that once again I will be doing my Christmas show this year. Woo hoo! I'll be listening. It's always a treat to hear, and has become a Christmas Eve tradition for me. Of course, being Jewish, I don't have a lot of Christmas Eve traditions competing!  |
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Sith Penguin
Junior Member
Manufacturer of Delicious Pancakes
Posts: 50
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Post by Sith Penguin on Nov 20, 2009 10:42:19 GMT -5
oh yeah. for several years we would play christmas music exclusively in our store starting around late october. they finally got rid of the music system all together earlier this year due to budget cuts. (i liked the music system near the end when it finally had more songs and a shuffle feature, but before that it was the same cheesy pop-rock and r & b songs that would play in order for 2 and 1/2 hours before starting over again) it burned me out on christmas music pretty early on in those years.
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Post by gremashlo on Nov 20, 2009 10:44:33 GMT -5
I guess as long as some songs aren't flogged to death, such as the inevitable novelty songs, i can deal with them--of course, if they'd play nothing but Dean Martin's "Marshmallow World" 24/7, I'd be estatic!
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Post by Jughead on Nov 20, 2009 12:26:44 GMT -5
I guess as long as some songs aren't flogged to death, such as the inevitable novelty songs, i can deal with them--of course, if they'd play nothing but Dean Martin's "Marshmallow World" 24/7, I'd be estatic! Marshmallow World is one of those songs I haven't heard...YET. Though I do like Dean's version. There's another version by a Canadian singer named Kim Stockwood that's pretty good too. |
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