For many of us, music is a part of our everyday routine. I like to listen to songs and think, “This is what would be playing if I were to be dancing around a bonfire at sunset.” The holiday season is no different, as we want to inspire our friends and family to have an excellent time with an appropriate it’s-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year soundtrack.
Try different songs on for size
The completion of a “bangin’ playlist” stems from a lot of trial and error. If you like experimenting with building different playlists for any and all occasions, Rhapsody is perfect for this. You can stream the music you want to listen to online, and it lets you queue up the ones you want to save for later. Additionally, themed or genre-specific radio stations are a fantastic way to discover new songs.
So, try creating various holiday playlists. Dedicate one to classics, one to Christmas pop songs (Mariah Carey, anyone?), one to Christmas rock songs, and perhaps one to songs that simply remind you of winter. You can always take your favorites and merge them all together!
Tags, Tags, Tags
The great thing about using sites like SoundCloud, Hype Machine, and Last.fm for music discoveries is all the tags! Much like our own affiliate tags, users label different tracks or artists by genre or other relevant grouping. It’s a neat way to search purely for songs that would be suitable for a given playlist.
Variety
Variety is key, and is the best way to keep everyone interested and wondering what glorious tune will play next. Nobody wants to sit there listening to slow, traditional songs the whole time, so introduce some obscure tunes, whether it’s a remix or cover of something they already know, or something they might not have found on their own.
ShareASale recommends:
- Dave Matthews Band – Christmas Song
- Summer Camp – Christmas Wrapping
- The Killers – A Great Big Sled
- Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas
Guilty Pleasures
A little bit of shame will bring everyone together. Of course not all of us are bold enough to admit that we’ve exhausted NSYNC’s “Home For the Holidays” album (guilty), or that the Brady Bunch Christmas record (yes, record) is a component in their musical collective (sorry, Dad)… but just give it a minute or so until everyone starts belting out the lyrics to “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.” It typically starts out with silently mouthing the words to yourself, and by the time the chorus hits, everyone is roaring off-key. It’s actually quite magical.
ShareASale recommends:
- Savage Garden – Last Christmas
- Britney Spears – My Only Wish (This Year)
- TLC – Sleigh Ride
Some playlists are not meant to be shared, and may be for our own enjoyment. Thus for the solo-listeners, the symphonic journey gets better if you upgrade the sound quality. Luckily, DX has a plethora of headphones to choose from depending on your own style and preference.
So whether you’re putting together a soundtrack for a holiday party or for an evening of wrapping presents, I hope everyone has a wonderful season full of happy ears!
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