Christmas songs.

We all have our favorites, the ones that make us feel warm and fuzzy inside, and really love our families.

We all have ones that make us want to smash a snowball in the artist's face.

Here, with little fanfare, are some offerings of most loved, and most disliked, Christmas songs of The Press staff.

Feel free to sing along.

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Most Loved: The Bruce Springsteen version of "Merry Christmas Baby." Bruce hits all the notes, the E-Street Band is in fine form and Clarence Clemons kills it on the saxophone.

Most Hated: "Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer." This song was amusing the first couple of times, but it only gets worse with each additional playing. When I hear it now, I look for the nearest sharp object so I can jam it in my ear. Merry Christmas everybody!

- Glen Christmann, news editor

Favorite: Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride," symphonic version

Maybe the only non-Manhattan-Transfer orchestral song to survive as a Christmas staple.

The 1946 piece has a lively melody just springing with holiday cheer, especially with the percussion providing the steady "clop clop" of a horse's canter.

There's just something pure about this sweet melody and its lack of lyrics, untainted by the latest teen pop sensation remaking it for the hundredth time.

I love how even without words, the buoyant strings and plucky percussion capture the elation of a joy ride in the snow.

Most hated: "Where are You Christmas," by Faith Hill

This was the requisite pop song that accompanied Jim Carrey's atrocious Grinch movie. The melody isn't bad, but the lyrics are empty and meaningless, devoid of Christmas charm. And I can't stop associating the song with the disappointing movie remake and the seasonal commercialism it represents.

In short: It saps my Christmas spirit.

- Alecia Warren, reporter

My favorite Christmas song is "Joy to the World," played by the organist in church. My second favorite is "Drummer Boy" by Bob Seger. Usually, I feel sorry for pop artists who sing Christmas songs because I envision how angry they are inside, having to swallow their pride like that for a paycheck. There is no reason, for example, a man of dignity like Bing Crosby, an American Icon, should sing about Santa Claus. None.

- Tom Hasslinger, reporter

My favorite Christmas song is "Mary's Boy Child" recorded by Harry Belafonte in 1956. I have the album.

My best Christmas present was when my wife Mary said "yes" to an engagement ring I had put with "A froggy went a-courtin'" note in a small toy frog I gave her.

- Nils Rosdahl, columnist

Favorite Christmas song: "Frosting the Cookies," because husband and daughter made it up during cookie decoration (hijacking the tune to Frosty the Snowman) and it ends in "yellow snow" (yes, that's just what you think it is). We laugh so much it almost comes true.

How about a worst movie and song? "The Star Wars Holiday Special" featured Chewbacca's family. No storyline and lots of squeaky grunting. Excruciating and available on YouTube.

- Sholeh Patrick, columnist

I wouldn't say I am fond of any certain Christmas song, but I like Mariah Carey's version of "All I Want for Christmas is You." Hate is a strong word, but not strong enough to describe my thoughts on the dogs barking out "Jingle Bells." Anyone who has heard that a few times a day understands what I mean.

- Jerry Hitchcock, copy editor

Most Loved: "Winter Wonderland," because I like winter, snow and conspiring by the fire. The version by Michael McDonald is a particular favorite of The Press sports department.

Most Hated: "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney. If he had tried to write this for The Beatles, John Lennon would have destroyed that cheesy synthesizer with Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

- Joel Donofrio, copy editor

The most inspirational Christmas song, the one that uplifts, always brings a smile to my face and leads me to perform some type of toy solider dance in our living room, is "Stop the Calvary" by the Cory Band with the Gwalia Singers. I beg you, please listen to this one and feel the magic. I'll never forget the Christmas Eve it came on the radio as we were driving home from church, my wife and I and all five kids packed in the car. I cranked it up and we started swaying and singing along with the beat. Well, at least I did.

The song on my naughty list is the barking dog version of Jingle Bells, because it almost got me beat up. One night around Christmas, with my good friend Mike Mclean back in our single days, we were shooting pool in a biker-type bar, Windy's. I decided to play the barking dogs on the jukebox. Bad idea. One of the bikers started yelling, demanded to know who played it and looked around. We acted casual and cool. Who, us? He then beat on the jukebox until the song stopped. I refused Mike's bet that I play it again.

- Bill Buley, city editor

My favorite Christmas song race ended in a tie between "Little Drummer Boy" and "O Holy Night."

"Little Drummer Boy" was my favorite growing up - maybe simply because I was little myself. It's the one that I remember the most.

"O Holy Night" has rose to the top because it hits on the reason for the season and keeps the Christ in Christmas.

My least favorite - even though it brought a smile when I first heard it - is "Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer." Ouch. Poor grandma. And at Christmas of all times.

- Brian Walker, reporter

My favorite Christmas song isn't really about the song at all, but about the sweet memory it brings with it.

When I was a little girl, my dad used to play guitar and I would sing, a lot.

Our rendition of "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer," always made me particularly happy. My dad would play and I'd sing the lyrics. He would back me up by keeping time between the lines of the song with a hearty, "Ho-Ho-Ho."

I thought we were amazing, brilliant, headed for stardom. I thought that a lot as a child.

Today, whenever I hear that song, in my head, I hear my dad's voice filling in the gaps. I love that.

My most hated Christmas song is "Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey" by Lou Monte. This is not Nestor, the Christmas Donkey. Dominick is more of a jackass, and a goofy one at that. I'd rather hear about grandma getting run down by a reindeer. It's that bad.

- Maureen Dolan, reporter