From now until Christmas Day we will feature the countdown of 10 of the most popular versions of the beloved Christmas carol, “Oh Holy Night.” To compare apples to apples, we chose 10 soloists, all female. Our staff members ranked the videos, and here are the results – from 10 to 1. Some comments from the judges are included (including my own two cents). How did we do? Please let us know – and, most of all, enjoy!
Jewel (Kilcher) managed a couple of very high scores by judges who thought she gave a respectful performance, making it more about the song than about herself. The majority of judges, though – including me – thought she was solid but not particularly spectacular. At #9 overall, Jewel finished leaps and bounds above Mariah Carey, but behind everyone else. Nonetheless, for a “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” with the Christmas tree lights twinkling in the background experience, this version is hard to top. What do you think?