Prog's Advent Calendar - Day Twenty Four with Greg Lake

It's the penultimate day. Christmas Eve. And we've just one day to go. Join Prog Magazine as we celebrate December and Christmas by drawing on the genre's rich association with festive music, bringing you a proggy treat each day.

Today the late, great Greg Lake takes centre stage with one of the Christmas season's greatest ever songs, I Believe In Father Christmas. A number two hit for Lake when he released it in 1975, the songs hard-hitting lyrics (from Pete Sinfield) lambasting the commercialisation of the seasonal period, the loss of innocence and childhood belief have struck a chord with listeners over the years, while the use of a part of Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé (at the suggestion of Keith Emerson) adds to the songs memorable melody. It remains a timeless classic.

So enjoy. And remember, this isn’t a “best of” list. We're not adhering to any numerical order. These are just 25 great seasonal songs for you to enjoy. It’s as simple as that. Season's greetings.

You can catch up with our previous Advent choices here.

Day Twenty Three - Marillion

Day Twenty Two - Jade Warrior

Day Twenty One - Chris Squire & Alan White

Day Twenty - Mike Oldfield

Day Nineteen - Kate Bush

Day Eighteen - Can

Day Seventeen - Jethro Tull

Day Sixteen - Big Big Train

Day Fifteen - Keith Emerson

Day Fourteen - King Crimson

Day Thirteen - Alex Lifeson

Day Twelve - Rick Wakeman

Day Eleven - Nightwish

Day Ten - Genesis

Day Nine - John Wetton

Day Eight - Camel

Day Seven - Heather Findlay

Day Six - Steeleye Span

Day Five - Procol Harum

Day Four - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Day Three - Moody Blues

Day Two - Gandalf's Fist

Day One - Jon Anderson

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.