Anybody else not liking the Holiday channels this year?

[macfanatic010]

I come from the Sirius side. Every year, I've enjoyed listening to Sirius Holiday and Sirius Classical Christmas. Sirius Holiday aired recent pop Christmas selections and Classical Christmas aired classical Christmas hits -- well-known carols, Handel's Messiah, classical interpretations of pop Christmas songs.

This year, post-merger, I think the playlists are too deep. I don't want to listen to Frank Sinatra or other oldies on Sirius XM Holly, that's what Holiday Traditions is for. And I don't want to listen to Gregorian chants about Christmas on Holiday Pops -- that's too medieval.

I've always heard that XM did a better job with Christmas programming compared to Sirius, but if this is what made it "better," then I'd have to disagree with the consensus.

 

[goreds2]

XM always had the Special Xmas channel but it is not being played this year.

3rd XM Bootcamp: Special XMas (Christmas Music) - XM 83

 

[Aaron]

I think Holly is doing a pretty good job mixing up the songs. But, I prefer the older stuff. Not too crazy about Destiny's Child, Faith Hill, etc.

I would like to see seperate channels for traditional and contemporary Christmas music, but as I understand, Holiday Traditions is only available on XM. I would like that one.

 

[DAB]

I like both Holly and Holiday Traditions. I am not much on Classical, so so I haven't really listen to Pops.

I really like the deeper playlist. The one thing that turned me off about Sirius's Holiday channels is that fact that they repeated music way, way too much. Last year if I had heard Andy Williams Happy Holidays one more time, I would have thrown my Sirius tuner out the window. They just played the same weak and lack luster playlist over and over.

I am much happier this year with the Holiday Channel! I also like the Holiday Channels on Slacker, but there is another thread for that.

 

[oncesir]

The one thing that turned me off about Sirius's Holiday channels is that fact that they repeated music way, way too much. Last year if I had heard Andy Williams Happy Holidays one more time, I would have thrown my Sirius tuner out the window. They just played the same weak and lack luster playlist over and over.

Thats the problem I have with most other channels. The same bands played over and over. How is it that this requires a dedicated music programmer when the same songs are played constantly? What is the programmer doing? Obviously they arent adding new songs daily. Imagine the revenue saved from no programmers. Just let the computer keep on shuffling the same songs from the day before. Having had Sirius, I can almost guarantee thats what happens.

 

[macfanatic010]

Thats the problem I have with most other channels. The same bands played over and over.

I agree to a certain extent, but right now, the Christmas playlists are way too loose and they should be tighter in my opinion. Not as tight as to play the same 50 songs over and over, but not so loose as to the point where they're playing B-sides that people don't enjoy.

 

[DAB]

Thats the problem I have with most other channels. The same bands played over and over.

Which particular channels are you referring to out of curiosity. I have found most of the channel now are much deeper in terms of the playlist.

I agree to a certain extent, but right now, the Christmas playlists are way too loose and they should be tighter in my opinion. Not as tight as to play the same 50 songs over and over, but not so loose as to the point where they're playing B-sides that people don't enjoy.

I've been listening to the holiday channels a great deal and I am certainly not hearing side B cuts. I am not sure where you are coming from on this? They are certainly playing a wider assortment of artist and songs, not just jingle bells and silent night by 40 different artist.

I guess it is one of those things where you just can't please everyone. If they play the same stale list over and over folks complain. If they go a bit wider, folks complain! It is almost impossible for them regardless of which way they go. When you think of Christmas Music there are only so many songs that aren't repeats of the same songs by different artist. I tried programming a holiday channel on Slacker and I was like darn, there really just isn't that many various songs.

 

[macfanatic010]

I've been listening to the holiday channels a great deal and I am certainly not hearing side B cuts. I am not sure where you are coming from on this? They are certainly playing a wider assortment of artist and songs, not just jingle bells and silent night by 40 different artist.

Alright, well maybe not B sides, but I think Holly's playlist is a bit too...dated...to be a contemporary Christmas hits channel. For example, Frank Sinatra, Darlene Love, Peggy Lee -- all those belong on Bing Crosby Christmas and Holiday Traditions -- not on Holly.

I know I will get flamed for this comment, but I liked Sirius' approach to Sirius Holiday: the same Christmas playlist that you'll find on your FM soft rock station, minus the commercials.

And I know I would be dead if I said this on XMFan, but what happened to the Christmas Shoes song by Newsong? I know there's a lot of people who thought it was overplayed, but I actually enjoyed it.

 

[DAB]

Alright, well maybe not B sides, but I think Holly's playlist is a bit too...dated...to be a contemporary Christmas hits channel. For example, Frank Sinatra, Darlene Love, Peggy Lee -- all those belong on Bing Crosby Christmas and Holiday Traditions -- not on Holly.

I know I will get flamed for this comment, but I liked Sirius' approach to Sirius Holiday: the same Christmas playlist that you'll find on your FM soft rock station, minus the commercials.

And I know I would be dead if I said this on XMFan, but what happened to the Christmas Shoes song by Newsong? I know there's a lot of people who thought it was overplayed, but I actually enjoyed it.

Well your thoughts on Holly are accurate, but unfortunately the Sirius side didn't get Holiday Traditions, so they are playing a bit of the traditional stuff on Holly too. So it's really a mix of contemporary and traditional overall. This is likely why the playlist are a bit larger.

I love Christmas Shoes by Newsong and I've heard it several times on my Slacker Holiday Channels.

 

[HecticArt]

So far so good.

The Mrs listens in mostly off of the web. I'll play it in the car when she's riding along.
Personally I can wait till closer to Xmas, but when she;s in the car, I like the selection on Holly.

 

[Chrissyb]

I'm enjoying Holly.. but only in small doses..

we went out for breakfast over the weekend (Dream Diner) they had Holly on..

 

[joe2k4]

I like Holly as well.. Why does XM get a holiday channel that Sirius doesn't? Just wondering if anyone knows.

 

[TacoKid]

I posted this in the Holly -- Walk The Dog thread:

"I've listened to Holly quite a bit and at times the playlist seems larger than at other times. It almost seems as we get closer to Xmas, it's starting to tighten up a bit.

Not a bad thing just an observation."

Also, I really wish the Sirius side would have gotten Holiday Traditions. I actually prefer the "classic" Xmas tunes myself.

 

[TulaneJeff]

I'm with those who think Holly is too eclectic and plays way too many classics.

Holly should be like the "SIRIUS Holiday" channel was, with more modern cuts and a bit more hip.

I love Christmas music, but this year sometimes you feel like you're in a time warp.

 

[VinnyM27]

I haven't listened to it as much as I would if Sirius was working in my car (something about listening to the Christmas music on headphones....doesn't make sense) but I heard some songs that were a bit different from the usual batch that my local station plays and I liked it. I also really like that Heart and Soul is mixing in Christmas tunes. So many R&B artists release Christmas CDs but their songs are ignored by "mainstream" Christmas stations, so this makes sense.

 

[DAB]

I'm with those who think Holly is too eclectic and plays way too many classics.

Holly should be like the "SIRIUS Holiday" channel was, with more modern cuts and a bit more hip.

I love Christmas music, but this year sometimes you feel like you're in a time warp.

Hey Jeff, good to see you posting!

This is what happens when you try to blend traditional with contemporary. I don't recall Holly playing traditional (classic) holiday music prior to this year. But this is because Sirius in their great wisdom didn't add a traditional channel to the Sirius side, thus the new blended Holly.

 

[TulaneJeff]

DAB,
A bit off topic, but did you get snow today too?

Everyone was down right giddy down here today.

 

[Aaron]

DAB,
A bit off topic, but did you get snow today too?

Everyone was down right giddy down here today.

I'm further down the coast and we didn't get much, but that was amazing.

A nice picture from New Orleans today...

 

[magleamin7]

I am really enjoying Holly this year, and can not wait to hear B. Crosby next week

 

[almaniac27]

And I know I would be dead if I said this on XMFan, but what happened to the Christmas Shoes song by Newsong? I know there's a lot of people who thought it was overplayed, but I actually enjoyed it.

Shouldn't Christmas songs be at least somewhat cheerful? That song is a real downer. Patton Oswalt has a great routine on it: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ysMpr8mNRM]YouTube - Patton Oswalt - Christmas Shoes[/ame] (not really safe for work-he likes to swear a lot).

As for the Christmas songs, coming from the XM side this year the playlists seem a little too deep. Christmas is a format where most people like to hear familiar favorites. Holly just played a song called "Cry out for Jesus" or something like that, which didn't seem like a Christmas song. Then Holiday Traditions played some weird song called "Christmas Bride". I got fed up and put Play Xmas UK on my Wifi radio.