Good Hanukkah Music? It's a Miracle.

It's 12/3/10 and I'm adding this to the top of this post. Someone just sent me a very charming Hanukkah Country song.  It made my day! Spinning dreidels, Patsy Cline, Jimmy Rogers, and verklempt all in one song.  Dreidel's Day Out (Blue Dreidel No. 9) by Brigid Kaelin

I am going to start with the one country Hanukkah song I found online. Oy vey, y'all. Eight Candles Burning by Yoseph and Leah Urso.

It's hard to find good Hanukkah music. I think part of the problem is that our expectations for it are set by Christmas music. It's the same problem we have when comparing Hanukkah itself to Christmas. Christmas is one of Christianity's two most important holidays, both theologically and culturally.  Hanukkah just doesn't have the same weight in Jewish life. It's a lovely holiday so I don't want to diminish it, but it's not a holiday we travel to be with family for. Most of us don't attend special services. We don't take a day off. It has a nice ritual, a short story, and miracle. We have the dreidle game, latkes, sufganiyot, gelt and some gift giving (depending who you ask).

Really, the holiday Jewish musicians should be writing songs for is Pesach (Passover). I would love some good  Pesach music to clean the cabinets, cook and set the table to. Pesach has plenty of traditional songs to draw from as well as a nice long story and beautiful family traditions to inspire lyrics. (Of course, I'm not a songwriter or a musician, so what do I know?)

But, back to the subject at hand, Hanukkah music. I'm going to be listening to the list below. There isn't anything country on this list. I did find O'Chanukah by the Sinai Mountain Boys, a bluegrass band, but as much as I want to, I don't like it. I'll keep looking and will also continue to take suggestions and add to the list.

Miracle, Matisyahu A new one. People are saying it sounds like a Katy Perry song. The chorus does, but it doesn't bother me. My prediction is that my daughter will love it and listen to it endlessly.
Eran Baron Cohen Presents: Songs in the Key of Hanukkah This is absolutely the best Hanukkah album I've found. It's modern, original and interesting. Eran Baron Cohen did a really good job. Buy it on itunes it comes with a video. Amazon, no video. Links to both if you click.
Hanukkah Dance, Woody Guthrie I found just a blank video of this on YouTube. This was the only link I found for you to hear the whole song without having to give instructions like "click here, scroll down, click again." I bought it on itunes and then it grew on me. I prefer Guthrie's original to the Klezmatic's version. They have a whole album called Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah. Another Guthrie cover is the Indigo Girls', Happy Joyous Hanukkah.
Light One Candle, Peter, Paul and Mary Beautiful
Hanukkah, Adam Sandler is annoying as all get out, but it still makes me smile every time I hear it.
Or if you'd rather, Neil Diamond's cover of the same song.
Hanukkah Rocks, The LeeVees  I'm going to sound like I've got one foot in Florida, but my girlfriends and I listened to this the other day while playing Mahjong.  We were laughing so hard we had to turn it off so we could concentrate.
Maoz Tzur, Craig Taubman I'm on the fence on this, leaning toward liking it. Fast forward through the intro by Fran Drescher. 
Hanukkah Swings, Kenny Ellis Someone just pointed this album out to me and it sounds great. Love the swing! Traditional songs and a good voice. I am probably going to buy this one.

And now I muddy the water.
The Real Complete Happy Hanukkah Party So, this album has everything. Any Hanukkah song you ever had a hankering to sing is on here. Some of them are O.K.ish. They have a traditional yet slightly groovy (disco?) sound. I like their version of Sivivoni Yarutz. I dunno. Is it good? It has all the traditional songs and it's not cantorial.
Look up Mama Doni or The Macabeats  if you want to listen to or watch videos of popular songs remade into funny Hanukkah songs. I don't want to, but I know I have friends that do because they keep telling me about these two and sending me links. The Macabeats are an a capella group from Yeshiva U. They do have nice voices.
Eight Days of Hanukkah, Rasheeda Azar, written by Senator Orin Hatch and Madeline Stone. It's still odd.

Happy Hanukkah!