Here's the rundown of the 1998 Christmas special.
LINK to 2001 and 2002 from last year.
The show opens with a spoof set to "Jump, Jive, An' Wail".
Hour 1Brian Setzer Orchestra "Jingle Bells" (1996)
'N Sync "The First Noel" (1998)
Celine Dion "Christmas Eve" (1998)
Mariah Carey "All I Want For Christmas is You" (1994)
Donna Lewis "Christmas Lights" (1995)
Babyface "I'll Be Home For Christmas" (1998)
Everything "Father Christmas" (1998)
Bing Crosby "White Christmas" (1942)
Boyz II Men & Brian McKnight "Let it Snow" (1993)
Bruce Springsteen "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" (1975)
Sheryl Crow "Blue Christmas" (1997)
Hour 2The Commodores "Angels We Have Heard on High" (1992)
Shawn Colvin "Christmas Time is Here" (1998)
Whitney Houston & the Georgia Mass Choir "Joy to the World" (1996)
Take 6 "Amen!" (1991)
Madonna "Santa Baby" (1987)
montage of themes from TV Christmas specials
Vanessa Williams "Star Bright" (1996)
Royal Crown Revue "Hey Santa" (1992)
Sting "Gabriel's Message" (1987)
'The Mystery Caroler' "Merry Christmas (Wherever You Are)" (1985)
Squirrel Nut Zippers "Carolina Christmas" (1998)
Celine Dion "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" (1998)
Hour 3'N Sync "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" (1998)
Carly Simon "The Night Before Christmas" (1992)
Everything But the Girl "25th December" (1995)
Hanson "Merry Christmas Baby" (1998)
Sarah McLachlan "Song For a Winter's Night" (1994)
Celine Dion/Jose Feliciano "Feliz Navidad" (1998/1970) - starts with Celine's version from
These Are Special Times, second half is Jose's original
Jewel "Hands" (1998) - is the original version off
Spirit (which was also #10 when the countdown stopped for the year)
Elvis Presley "Blue Christmas" (1957)
Steve Amerson "Is There a Place?" (1991)
U2 "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" (1987)
Mannheim Steamroller "Joy to the World" (1995)
The Carpenters "Merry Christmas Darling" (1970)
Hour 4Blues Traveler "Christmas" (1997)
Natalie Cole "Jingle Bells" (1994)
Nat King Cole "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" (1961)
Shania Twain "God Bless the Child" (1996)
Babyface "The Little Drummer Boy" (1998)
Amy Grant "Grown-Up Christmas List" (1992)
"Silent Night" montage (Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Enya, Shawn Colvin, Take 6, Babyface)
Celine Dion "The Magic of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)" (1998)
montage of Kevin Dees growing up - not an actual song, obviously, but this goes long enough to be song-length
'N Sync "O Holy Night" (1998)
Although Donna Lewis didn't hit until 1996, her contribution and Everything But the Girl's come from a compilation called
You Sleigh Me!, which apparently was released in 1995 from what I've been able to find. It was issued by their label Atlantic, for that matter.
What's interesting about "Let it Snow" is, when I was double-checking that one, I stumbled upon there being a re-recording that was in fact done in 1998 - it would in fact be issued on Brian McKnight's Christmas album
Bethlehem. Despite that and despite there being no shortage of songs that were new in 98, Rick stuck to the original from 1993 on this one. ("Let it Snow '98" doesn't start with singing right away, in fact one of the Boyz lets you know that it's '98 in the song's intro.)
The presence of the "Silent Night" montage proves that it was there before 2001, that Rick was in fact updating it along the way, and that Enya being in it was in fact not newly-done for 2001.
The crazy part about this year's special is just how different it is from even 2001 - about half the songs in this one would be gone by then.
And yet, one small piece that remains even through 2002, is a phone call he takes from "Chrissy in California" to her parents in Connecticut - which almost makes me wonder if it was there even in 96 or 97.