Definitely cross generational. I remember going back to high school that Christmas break (I was a college freshman) and my English teacher was in near tears talking about it.

No.

I've always found Kanye wonderfully hilarious, too. Most of the time I don't get why people are so outraged by what he says. I think he's funny.

Um, "you" are not the only person we are discussing here. Just because MJ and Diana's deaths did nothing for you doesn't mean there wasn't massive cross-generational grief for both of them. There was.

Well Bowie did say: ""I'm an instant star. Just add water and stir." Sounds exactly like something Kanye would say.

I don't want to think about that.

That's really no different than the reaction to Lennon's death, or Diana's or even Michael Jackson's. I was a freshman in college when Lennon was murdered and I recall children and adults and grandparents mourning. I think the same will happen when McCartney and Springsteen pass away. If you go to their concerts, the…

Yep. And in fact, none of Lennon's solo albums sold in great numbers while he was alive. At least not compared with All Things Must Pass or any of Paul's 70s solo work. It was after he died that his solo albums sold in huge numbers.

I actually found it kind of depressing that the more conventionally Bowie behaved in recent years, the more popular he became. Settle down, get married, have a kid, dress how you're "supposed" to dress in your 60s, and the public love you. Odd.

Why? This same thing happens — and has happened — every time a celebrity dies. Lennon became Saint Lennon until people started shredding that myth. Diana's death caused massive weeping and wailing, and exaggerations about her reach/legacy. Same with Bowie. People like to mourn celebrities and artists.

I like McCartney's version. It's not his fault it was overplayed. People need to stop blaming the artist for a retail corporation's decision to have a limited playlist.

It's not McCartney's fault that your retail employer has a limited music selection on repeat at Christmas. If you put ANY song on repeat endlessly— no matter how much you loved the song — you'd come to hate it. The reaction, or should I say drama-queen overreaction, that some people have to Wonderful Christmastime, is…

Don't remind me.

No it doesn't. It's a Christmas song. It's supposed to be corny. It's supposed to stick in your head because you only hear it for a few weeks a year and then not again for another year. It's supposed to be the slightest bit irritating because so is everything about Christmas. Mission accomplished. Plus, even if you…

I do hate Little Drummer Boy. Except I just heard a great version of it (called "Funky Little Drummer Boy") on Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings new Christmas album. Actually redeems the song.

Which only goes to show that it's a good song. Some people just don't like the synths. But Christmas music SHOULD be cheesy and over the top. Unless you're in a church.

Yep. It's not like most people look to Christmas songs for lyrics with great depth. Witness: Frosty the Snowman with his jolly happy soul, and Deck the Halls with its fa la la la la la la la la, and Jingle Bell Rock with its snowin and blowin up bushels of fun.

That's OK, love. We hate you, too. And Chaos and Creation in the Backyard is a great album.

I don't know. I was simply having a wonderful Christmas time. The spirit was up, and that was enough. And then I saw the annual story that invites everyone to crab about poor Paul when all he tried to do was enjoy a few spliffs on Christmas with his synthesizer.

Whether are not you are being sincere, I agree with you. I like the song. I hear it no more than I hear any other Christmas song.