If you work in retail, Christmas will simultaneously be the best and the worst time of the year. While there’s something magical about helping somebody’s nan find the perfect gift for their grandkids, at times it’ll also be hideously busy, people will be unbelievably stressed, and you may shed a tear when somebody criticises your gift wrapping.
But there’s one thing that’ll hit you harder than ever, and that’s the music. While those festive tunes are a bit of a treat if you hear them every few days or so, in the build up to Christmas if you’re working in retail you may be put in the situation where you have to listen to the same songs over and over (and over and over…)
Recently film director Edgar Wright asked on Twitter what songs drove retail workers absolutely loopy whilst working – and the internet revealed which Christmas anthems they hate the most:
Question to people working in retail at this time of year: What Christmas song do you not mind hearing 100 times and which Christmas song sends you plunging into a psychotic abyss?
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) November 26, 2017
In short: people hated all of them. Not even the top tier of Christmas bangers came out unscathed:
Christmas Wrapping is hands down the worst Christmas song I've ever heard. It is ear rippingly irritating and I wish it didn't exist.
— andy (@andysniper) November 26, 2017
The one I hate the most is Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas", but put on anything by Burle Ives and I'm one happy camper
— Justin Nerd of the Monsters? (@jpomergranite) November 26, 2017
Some didn’t know the exact name, but the memories remain:
https://twitter.com/k_kwasniewska/status/934900751217852418
And some just hated them all:
They all plunge you into the abyss. I haven't worked retail in a decade and can only just now stand Christmas music again
— Sarah Manvel (@typewritersarah) November 26, 2017
Some got won over by the classics eventually:
When I was a minimum-wage warrior, the opening of Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” = psychotic abyss, but it would eventually win me over every dang time. https://t.co/WUixJkQaMs
— Giles Armstrong ?✍️?⌨️ (@_GilesArmstrong) November 26, 2017
Even if the general consensus was a low key hatred:
I haven't got the time to tot up all the votes, but at a glance, Macca doesn't seem to be doing so well with 'Wonderful Christmastime'.
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) November 26, 2017
While others kept on loving their favourites:
‘War is Over’ is my fave and I’ll never be bored of it https://t.co/tkhR6k2yb5
— shannon (@shannacat_) November 26, 2017
But whatever your thoughts on the Christmas classics, it’s time to prepare yourself, as the time for back to back festive bangers is almost here. Get ready – or at the very least, get yourself some noise cancelling headphones.