All I Want For Christmas Is... a great music playlist

Let's face it, the number of good Christmas songs is a fairly low number. Whilst quality is not an issue, some of them are highly overplayed to the point of infuriation. Yes, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" isn't by definition a bad song, it just ages really badly on the several-hundredth listen.

The music video channels go wall-to-wall Christmas by the end of November(!), and so it soon become apparent which tunes age well, and which ones to steer clear of. Slade and Mariah Carey should be listened to in very small doses - ditto Wizzard and Elton John. Words defy me when it comes to Chris de Burgh, and the wonderful "Rock and Roll Christmas" now has the worst stigma attached to it thanks to the antics of the singer.

But there are some gems to watch out for on the music channels. Bo Selecta's "Proper Chrimbo" is incredibly catchy, and is at its best when heard alongside the "celebrity"-filled music video - in quotes because these were D-list celebrities back in 2003, so you'd have to take some time to think back and place some names to faces. The Flying Pickets' "Only You" is a simply wonderful accapella track, and Chris Rea's "Driving Home For Christmas" has become the soundtrack to many a long journey to various Christmas destinations.

But my favourite Christmas song was from 1981, back when music videos weren't considered obligatory for chart songs, and so is always overlooked by the music video channels. It's sad because so many people are missing out on the catchy anthem that is The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" - anthemic for those times when the whole year has been full-on and that Christmas week is the first break away from everything for a very long time. Spending Christmas by yourself isn't necessarily a bad thing if you just want to flop.

There are a few fan-made videos for the song on YouTube, but here's the one which I fell for immediately - probably due to my animation hobby. I grew up in the '80s with a Sinclair Spectrum - I'm astounded that you can build this sort of thing in a computer game these days. Enjoy...

All I Want For Christmas Is... a decent BBC Christmas ident

Christmas TV comes and goes, but one of the things which stick in your memory is the BBC Christmas ident - the little animation they play whilst introducing the next programme. In the early days, these were mechanical models featuring everything from snowflakes to rotating disembodied Santa heads. In the '80s these switched to animations, and then became ever more elaborate as computer technology improved.

The BBC's been slipping when it comes to Xmas idents recently, even repeating idents from one year to the next. If they repeat the BBC2 ident this year, it will be the fourth time it's been used - sadly it's a sign of corporatism and the rise of the bean-counters rather than any huge desire to please the viewer.

Anyway... here's a collection of BBC1 Christmas idents from the '70s to 2007: