The city of Philadelphia has looked forward to the Pierre Robert Christmas Eve Spectacular on WMMR for decades.

It has survived the test of time through countless obsolete mp3 devices. Recordings on old cassette tapes are still buried away in dusty boxes in old basements all over the Philadelphia area.

It’s the type of tradition that connects WMMR with its listeners each holiday season.

Pierre is “always tacky, never tasteful” with his studio decorations every year in anticipation of the big event. 

He’ll be spinning one day early this year from 10am-3pm on Saturday, Dec. 23. Of all the timeless holiday favorites he plays every year, 10 make the cut for the most anticipated songs of the Pierre Robert Christmas (*Eve*) Eve Spectacular.

• 10. "What do you want for Christmas, little boy?" (The Jaguar)

  The Pierre Robert Christmas Eve Spectacular can’t happen without a four-year-old boy asking Santa Claus for a jaguar.

  “I want an automobile… I want a, I want a JAGWA.”

  Four years old, eh?

• 9. "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses

  I don’t think it’s the best Christmas song, but it might be the catchiest.

• 8. "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Bruce Springsteen

  The Boss has captured the sentimental image of the Jersey Shore throughout his entire career, and he couldn’t help himself on one of the most commonly played holiday songs.

  “It’s all cold down along the beach, the wind’s whipping down the boardwalk“

• 7. "Christmas Is a Time to Say I Love You" by Billy Squier

  Billy Squier mixed in a Christmas classic while rising to fame in the early ’80s with “Christmas Is a Time to Say I Love You.”

• 6. "I Believe in Father Christmas" by Greg Lake

  Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer put his own twist on a more thought-provoking Christmas song about Father Christmas, the traditional English name for Santa Claus.

• 5. "2000 Miles" by the Pretenders

  Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders sings “It must be Christmas time!” with a soft feeling that reminds listeners what it’s like to travel back home during the holiday season. 

• 4. "Please Come Home for Christmas" by the Eagles

  The smooth sound of the Eagles is great for any time of the year. They covered Charles Brown’s “Please Come Home for Christmas” in 1978.

• 3. "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" by David Bowie and Bing Crosby

  The legacy of the two giants of the music industry will persist every Christmas because of this classic duet. The overlap of two opposite eras is best summarized by their exchange before the song. 

  David Bowie: “Mostly contemporary music. Do you like modern music?”

  Bing Crosby: “I think it’s marvelous, some of it really fine. Tell me, do you ever listen to any of the older fellas?”

  David Bowie: “Sure, like John Lennon. and the other one, Harry Nilsson…I’m not as young as I look.”

   

• 2. "Father Christmas" by the Kinks

  The Kinks encapsulated the holiday season in their own unique way with “Father Christmas.”

  The holiday spirit, the commentary about class inequality, and the defiant punk rock tone all come together for the final verse of the best classic rock Christmas song of all time.

  “Have yourself a merry merry Christmas/ Have yourself a good time/ But remember the kids who got nothin’/ While you’re drinkin’ down your wine“

• 1. "Christmas on the Block" by Alan Mann

  Local musician Alan Mann wrote “Christmas on the Block” with inspiration from a ride through the neighborhoods of West Philadelphia near the Overbrook School for the Blind. The song was only released on vinyl 45 during the 1980s, and by Pierre’s own admission, it’ very hard to find.

  However, “Christmas on the Block” has become a WMMR favorite every holiday season. The Hooters also covered it in 2008.

  “They can see all the colors that we cannot/And theirs is the most beautiful/Christmas on the block“

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