Classic Christmas 80's Album

This Yuletide set from Sony/Legacy delivers 15 holiday cuts from the original neon decade. The selection features a mix of '80s star power and second-tier acts with artists like Whitney Houston ("Do You Hear What I Hear?") and Wham! ("Last Christmas") representing the former and the Waitresses ("Christmas Wrapping") and Fishbone ("Slick Nick, You Devil You") the latter. Three decades on, tracks like New Kids on the Block's schlocky "This One's for the Children" are best left on the shelf and the Bangles' cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Hazy Shade of Winter," while nicely done, isn't really a Christmas song. Overall, though, songs like Bob & Doug McKenzie's goofy "Twelve Days of Christmas" and Run-D.M.C.'s "Christmas in Hollis" are still entertaining enough to repackage for another generation. ~ Timothy Monger