'It always brings back memories': Radio DJs on their favourite Christmas song

The Christmas song has evolved over the years and for most of us they offer comfort and give us a timely reminder that the most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching.

“I love Christmas songs,” says Newstalk’s Tom Dunne. 

“I think it might be an age thing. As you get on in life you see them as a reassurance. 

"I think the first one I ever noticed, and it still gets to me, was Silver Bells by Dean Martin and then John Lennon’s Merry Christmas that blew me away as I was a huge Lennon fan.” 

“Under Pressure by Bowie and Queen is another one. It reminds me of Christmas purely because it was number one in November 1981 when I was studying Mechanical Drawing at UCD. 

"I was terrible at it and I remember realising this little dream wasn’t working out. The only thing keeping me going was that song playing in the background. For me, that’s a Christmas song. The lyrics are about coping and asking a good friend to help you out. 

I think Christmas, that’s when the cracks can appear. It can bring out the best and the worst in people.

Of course, as a songwriter, Tom has tried his hand at a Christmas tune. Inspiration came to him while on a long walk with his dog during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was wondering if I’d see my musician friends again,” recalls the Something Happens singer. “And this idea popped into my head so I recorded it on my phone.” 

The result was Raise Your Glass It’s Christmas, a song he has managed to play with those musician friends he missed so much during COVID. 

With some Christmas concerts lined up with his new collaborators Fiachna Ó Braonáin and Alan Connor, it’s more than likely fans will be treated to a rendition of what might well become a Christmas classic.

“It’s a lovely song. I’m very happy with it,” says Tom. “It might be a little too Tom Waitsy for commercial success but it has a lovely chorus. Then again who thought Fairytale of New York would be such a success.” 

Ah, yes, the drunken staple of any Christmas party crescendo, Fairytale, like Ronaldo and Messi, only needs one name and indeed its opening piano chord to be instantly recognised.

“As much as I love Fairytale of New York, and singing it badly arm in arm with people on a Christmas night out, I think my absolute favourite is Shakin Stevens’ Merry Christmas Everyone,” says Cork 96 FM’s Simon Murdoch. 

“There's something about that hook that I love and over the years when I’ve DJ’d at Christmas, it always got a brilliant reaction on the dancefloor. I’d also give a special mention to Andy Williams’s It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and Feliz Navidad. They always get turned up when they come on.” 

As a radio DJ, Simon spends hours a day spinning the same festive numbers over December. This year, the season kicked off earlier than usual. Does he not get sick of them?

“We started playing Christmas tunes this year on November 22nd,” he says. “That’s the earliest we’ve done it as far as I know. We’ll play one an hour for a week or two, then they will ramp up once we are in mid-December. It’s funny, we get messages from listeners delighted to be hearing Christmas songs on the radio and others that are so furious their comments wouldn’t be suitable for print.” 

“I don’t think I hate any Christmas songs,” he says. “But in my job, I do hear them a lot this time of year and with some of them I am happy that I don’t need to hear them for a year once Christmas is over. I’d say Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody is one of those.” 

Over at Red FM, they like to make a festive fuss around their Christmas playlist.

“We have a wonderful switch on for Christmas,” says the station’s afternoon host, Ciara Revins.

 “It usually kicks off around November 28th and we get a school in Cork to count us down to playing the first Christmas song on the station. As we get closer to Santa we ramp it up and play them until Christmas Day.” 

For Ciara, Christmas kicks in when those opening tinkles of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You make their first tentative steps across our airwaves.

“It’s joyous, fun and playful,” says the presenter, “and it always brings back memories. From being small, hearing it on the radio to nights out with friends and more recently blasting it in the car with my little girl in the back seat. 

It’s an integral part of my Christmas and the memories around this time of year. It’s always the first Christmas song I want to play on the radio.

“I absolutely love Christmas – getting the tree, putting up the lights, going to see Santa, going to the panto, taking a trip on the Ferris Wheel on Grand Parade and rolling out my collection of Christmas jumpers and jammies. 

"The songs are a big part of that and I love all of them, to be honest. That said, the chatty bit in Mel and Kim’s Rocking Around the Christmas Tree can sometimes drive me cracked.” 

As presenter of The Alternative on RTÉ 2FM, it’s no surprise that some of DJ Dan Hegarty’s choices are a little more eclectic.

“Eels’ Christmas is Going To The Dogs and Pugwash & Friends’ Tinsel & Marzipan are two fine Christmas tunes from more recent years but I have to say Do They Know It’s Christmas? is probably my favourite. 

"It brings me back to being a kid. It was fascinating to see all these famous people coming together and making something for such an important cause. It’s amazing that 40 years on, it’s still so iconic.” 

Again poor old Slade also land in Dan’s humbug stocking alongside Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas (sorry Ciara).

“They tend to get on my nerves quickly,” says the Dubliner. “But it’s probably a case that I’ve heard them way too much over the years more than anything else.” 

While there are no doubt some who Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day, there are others who by the time we get to December 25th will have had their fill of Mistletoe and Wine. Whichever camp you’re in, it’s hard not to get caught up in the joy and craic of a good Christmas tune. Merry Christmas Everyone.