A Very Special Christmas (various artists)
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This came out in 1987. I was aware of it at the time, but I didn't listen to it until 2021. (I have a later printing of the album, which has some changes from the original.) It's the first in a long line of "Very Special Christmas" albums, most of which I won't be getting. But I do have a few. The series is a benefit for the Special Olympics, which I think is a good cause. Though the liner notes for this album include the phrase "mental retardation" twice, and I found it cringey both times.

1. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", by The Pointer Sisters: It's okay.

2. "Winter Wonderland", by Eurythmics: It begins with some lyrics that are practically spoken rather than sung, and I don't think they're actually from this song. But then the song starts, and it's nice enough. Not as good or as different as I would have expected from this group, but still decent.

3. "Do You Hear What I Hear?", by Whitney Houston: Sounds like a mix of pop and gospel, which is a decent idea, but this isn't one of my favorite renditions. It's not bad, though.

4. "Merry Christmas Baby", by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band: This was recorded at a concert, so you can hear the audience, which is something I don't always care for. I guess it's not too distracting here, but this still isn't one of my favorite renditions. It is good, though. Actually, it might even be a bit better than average.

5. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", by The Pretenders: When I think of the Pretenders at Christmastime, it's usually "2000 Miles", but it's nice to hear something different. I'd say their rendition is pretty much average, for the song. Which is to say, good, but nothing special.

6. "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", by John Cougar Mellencamp: This has never been one of my favorite songs, but this rendition is alright. Sounds to me like a mix of rock and bluegrass or something like that, which is interesting.

7. "Gabriel's Message", by Sting: It has a slightly Renaissance sound to it, but sung in modern English, so I can understand the lyrics. It's quite nice.

8. "Christmas In Hollis", by Run-D.M.C.: This is one of only two original songs on the album. It's also the most memorable song and the highlight of the album. Seriously, it's a modern classic. I just wish it were longer than three minutes. I'm going to give my overall rating of the album an extra half smiley for this alone, lifting it up from just two.

9. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", by U2: It's a decent cover, but it can't touch the original by Darlene Love.

10. "Santa Baby", by Madonna: She sounds like Betty Boop. It's an interesting choice, but... I know the song is always supposed to be funny, but it's also supposed to be kind of sexy. I'd say the rendition does well on the first count, but not so much the second. I mean, it sounds like the kind of "sexy" where a woman is trying to sound almost childlike, which is actually a turnoff.

11. "The Little Drummer Boy", by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band: Not one of my favorite songs, and this is a fairly standard rendition.

12. "Run Rudolph Run", by Bryan Adams: This song always rocks, with few if any exceptions, so it's good. That said, this is a pretty standard rendition.

13. "I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas", by Bon Jovi: (On the original printing of the album, Bon Jovi sang "Back Door Santa". I don't think I would have cared for that song, so I'm kind of grateful to have this one instead. However, a different version of that song was later included on "A Very Special Christmas 5".) As far as I can tell with my Googling, this is an original song. It's not bad, but not something I find super memorable. (A little memorable, maybe.)

14. "The Coventry Carol", by Alison Moyet: She's the only artist on the album that I've never heard of. Sounds rather classical (with maybe a bit of synth), not something I'd expect to be on an album like this. But I like it.

15. "Silent Night", by Stevie Nicks: Yup, it sounds like Stevie Nicks, alright. And that's a good thing.