Larry Marano/REX/Shutterstock
By Andy Greene, Rolling Stone
The powerful voice behind the 1963 “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on the holiday classics she loves to sing most. Over the years the song became a holiday classic, helped in no small part by David Letterman bringing Love onto his show to sing it every Christmas for three decades.
The song has been a centerpiece of Darlene Love’s annual Christmas show for years. But all throughout this month she’ll be on the road singing her favorite Christmas songs along with her classic hits like “He’s a Rebel,” “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry” and “Wait ‘til My Bobby Gets Home.” As she geared up to hit the road, Love called up Rolling Stone to talk about her five favorite Christmas songs.
- “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
This is a big choir song we used to do in my father’s church. It’s all about spreading the news about Christ being born. - “Joy to the World”
“Joy to the World” is one of those kind of songs you can really make it gospel rather than a standard sing-along song. - “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
This is one of my favorite songs, since it’s all about our Christian beliefs and where Christ was born. I would say it was probably a cold winter night, although they say in the song it’s bright and it’s clear and the stars are shining bright. And then there is one particular star in the sky that’s shining brighter than any other light and it’s over where Jesus Christ was being born in Bethlehem. - “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
I will always have to include this song in my show. It’s one of my favorite songs and it really has become a traditional Christmas song now. - “Silent Night”
I’ve been singing this my whole life, but many years ago, I saw Barbra Streisand sing it in Central Park in the summer. I went “Wow, I’ve never thought about this song like this. You can sing the song any time of the year ’cause you’re just talking about a silent, white, holy night and that can be any night.”