The BEST and WORST Christmas Songs (w/ Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Podcast: The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast
Host: Ascension
Episode Date: December 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this festive episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz dives into his passionate opinions about both beloved and not-so-beloved Christmas (and Advent) songs. With his trademark humor and candor, Fr. Mike shares his top favorite songs and albums—sprinkling the discussion with personal memories and theological reflections—before launching into a fiery critique of his least favorite Christmas tunes. Throughout, he weaves in thoughtful faith perspectives, making this a rich and relatable listen for Catholics and Christmas music fans alike.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Fr. Mike’s All-Time Favorite Christmas & Advent Songs

The Power of Advent: "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"

• (01:00) Fr. Mike elevates "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" as an Advent essential, praising various renditions:
  • Casting Crowns: “It is so good. Just like cello, violin. It is so good.”
  • Stephen Curtis Chapman: “A little new rendition of it. So, so good.”
  • Mannheim Steamroller – Veni, Veni Emmanuel: “All three of those versions. So just…incredible, great. Love listening all of the time. I could listen probably to all three…all year round.”

Casting Crowns and the Message of Hope: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"

• (02:15) Fr. Mike is moved by this track’s theme of faith in the face of suffering:
  • “The declaration of faith in the midst of this broken world and suffering and violence and war and us hurting each other, that sense of death isn’t half the last word. And evil and sin don’t have the last word, but God has the last word.”
• He references making a whole video on this song’s deeper meaning.

Mary’s Perspective: "Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant

• (03:30) Fr. Mike cherishes this song for its focus on the Blessed Mother’s uncertainty and reliance on God:
  • “It’s so good. It’s a song from the perspective of Mary in this uncertainty…that sense of like, yeah, there would be an uncertainty. There would be so much, so many questions. And so this ‘God, be near me…Be with me now.’”
• Personal connection: He recalls praying with this song through high school, college, and beyond.

Other Notable Favorite Albums & Songs

• (04:35) Fr. Mike fondly names classic Christmas albums:
  • Stephen Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, the first two Amy Grant albums, Barbra Streisand (“My mom would play that all of the time in the days leading up to Christmas and beyond…”), Andy Williams, Bing Crosby.
• (05:20) He enjoys singing "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" whenever it snows in Minnesota—not just at Christmas.
• (05:40) "White Christmas" (Bing Crosby) is a family movie tradition.
• (06:00) Nostalgic memory: "Do They Know It’s Christmas?" (Band Aid) evokes both a call to global Christian charity and self-examination about putting faith into action, referencing Matthew 25.

Reflections on Classic Carols

• (07:00) Honors the traditional mainstays: "Silent Night," "O Holy Night." Fr. Mike gives nods to Josh Groban, Celine Dion, and others for their impressive performances while acknowledging both “great” and “funny, not great jobs” with these songs.

Fr. Mike’s Top Three Least Favorite Christmas Songs

(Where he gets “fiery” and has the most fun!)

#1: "Last Christmas" by Wham!/George Michael

• (07:30)
  • “Yes, I hate that song. Like, loathe that song. It is not only a horrible song, it also is not a Christmas song. It also is an earworm.”
  • Critique: “The only mention of Christmas is ‘last Christmas I gave you my heart…the very next day you gave it away.’ It’s a sad, breakupy kind of song. It’s not Christmas.”
  • Earworm warning: “It gets stuck in my head and you can’t get it out of your head.”
  • Sidebar: Die Hard Christmas Movie Debate
    • Q: “Father, are you saying if Last Christmas isn’t a Christmas song, does that mean Die Hard is not a Christmas movie?”
    • A: “Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. No, Die Hard is completely a Christmas movie….Clearly a Christmas movie and the Greatest Christmas Story Ever told. Die Hard.”

#2: "Christmas Shoes"

• (09:15)
  • “You know that song, ‘I’m going to buy these shoes for Mama, please?’ Here’s why I don’t like it: because it gives me this thing in my throat where I start getting choked up and it’s completely manipulative.”
  • Critique: “It is manipulative. It’s cruel. I don’t like it.”
    He details the plot—little boy, dying mom, shoes for her to meet Jesus—poking fun at the emotional pull.

#3: "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney

• (10:00)

  • “Paul McCartney. I get it, he was one of the Beatles. But Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time…I heard that…he wrote that song because he’s like, ‘I can write a Christmas classic. I can write a Christmas hit.’ And then he sat down and just churned out that pile of trash. Sorry.”
  • “It is…oh, it’s sing-songy. Okay, whatever. Trash.”

• (Throughout) Fr. Mike jokingly clarifies he means no ill-will to the artists:

  • “Of course, all these people who made these songs, they’re great. I’m sure the songs themselves are just fine. I’m just getting worked up.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On "O Come, O Come Emmanuel":

  • “All three of those versions. So just…incredible, great. Love listening all of the time. I could listen probably to all three…all year round.” (01:40)

• On “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”:

  • “The declaration of faith in the midst of this broken world and suffering and violence and war and us hurting each other, that sense of death isn’t half the last word…God has the last word.” (02:40)

• On “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”:

  • “It really pierced my heart…Real Christian life is faith in action.” (06:35)

• On “Last Christmas”:

  • “It’s not only a horrible song, it’s not a Christmas song. And it gets stuck in my head and you can’t get it out of your head. It’s the earworming, it takes lodge all…” (07:45)

• Die Hard Movie Side Tangent:

  • “Die Hard is completely a Christmas movie…Greatest Christmas Story Ever told. Die Hard.” (08:10)

• On “Christmas Shoes”:

  • “It gives me this thing in my throat where I start getting choked up and it’s completely manipulative…It’s cruel. I don’t like it.” (09:15)

• On “Wonderful Christmastime”:

  • “[Paul McCartney] sat down and just churned out that pile of trash. Sorry. Clearly, I’m getting very fiery and feisty and worked up about this.” (10:10)

Summary Table: Fr. Mike’s Christmas Song Rankings

| Category | Song/Album (Artist) | Timestamp | Notes | |----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|----------------|------------------------------------------------------| | Top Song (Advent) | “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” (Various) | 01:00–02:00 | Especially Casting Crowns, Stephen Curtis Chapman | | Album/Song | “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (Casting Crowns) | 02:15 | Theological depth, faith through suffering | | Song | “Breath of Heaven” (Amy Grant) | 03:30 | Mary’s perspective, faith, personal prayer | | Albums (Multiple) | Streisand, Crosby, Williams et al. | 04:35–05:40 | Fond family and seasonal memories | | Song | “White Christmas” (Bing Crosby) | 05:40 | Family tradition, movie | | Song | “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (Band Aid) | 06:00 | Faith in action, empathy vs. charity | | Least Favorite #1 | “Last Christmas” (Wham!/George Michael) | 07:30 | Earworm, not truly Christmas-themed | | Least Favorite #2 | “Christmas Shoes” | 09:15 | Emotional manipulation, sad narrative | | Least Favorite #3 | “Wonderful Christmastime” (Paul McCartney) | 10:00 | Perceived lack of substance, overly sing-songy |

Tone & Takeaways

Fr. Mike’s review is equal parts playful and profound, blending musical critique with faith reflections and personal anecdotes. Listeners come away both entertained—by his impassioned takes on Christmas music—and inspired to reflect more deeply on how music shapes the Advent and Christmas seasons.