30 essential Christmas albums
From Elvis and Ella to Dolly and Dylan, these yuletide classics will have you rockin' around the Christmas tree
Music Features christmas
It seems as if every artist has done a holiday record at some point in their career. Each year brings a new batch of Christmas albums, some recorded to cash in on a hot new fad, some crafted with posterity in mind. The great, and maddening, thing about Christmas albums is that there are no strict rules about what constitutes a successful holiday album. Records ignored upon their initial release turn into enduring seasonal classics, novelties become beloved perennials and blockbusters become the bond that ties together generations. What follows is a list of albums The A.V. Club feels have become embedded into the fabric of the Christmas season, spiked with a couple of recent records that already show signs of being modern classics that will stand the test of time.
87 Comments
Very fair ranking, which sums up reading who made it 🙂 The number one is totally deserved.As a note, the songs album of “Home Alone 2″ is my personal favourite Christmas album.
Home Alone and Home Alone 2, yes!
Absolutely! The soundtracks and scores for the first two Home Alone movies are excellent Christmas albums.
No King Diamond, no deal!
My favorite “lost Christmas album” (and there’s a listicle for you to do) is “Hark, The Herald Angels Swing” by “The World’s Greatest Jazz Band of Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart” It is straightforward, big-band swing covers.
Thanks for the recommendation. My go-to Christmas album is the Ramsey Lewis Trio “Sound of Christmas” which was just reissued. I’ll give this one a spin as well!
The following albums are on my list – A Motown Christmas, and the Jackson 5 Christmas and yes, the Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas song.
I have the Bing Crosby one, but I have to ask since you have current artists listed-No She & Him? They have a few if not at least one Christmas albums?
A Christmas Gift for You has always been my favorite. Glad to see it at the number one spot. I have to admit whenever I’m feeling a bit hipsterish I put on A Very She & Him Christmas.
Very few Christmas albums actually rock
Herb Alpert’s “Christmas Album” is my perennial favorite.
I just picked up a copy of this the other week from our local used record shop and we listened to it about 5x over the weekend, its really good.
Still missing from this year’s list. See you next year!
added it to my playlist so thanks!
This is the best Christmas/holiday album
The only thing it needs is Binky Griptite’s “Stone Soul Christmas” to be perfect.
I’ll have to check that out!
No shortage of Christmas music out there, but the 2 She & Him Christmas Albums are absolutely great. So is Sufjan Steven’s Songs for Christmas.
I’m agnostic, and yet I love somber religious Christmas songs. Sufjan Stevens’s renditions of O Come O Come Emmanuel and Oh Holy Night are fantastic.
She & Him’s first Christmas album is the first Holiday album that I actually bought. I bought it out of curiosity at a STARBUCKS (ah, 2011!).
It’s still one of my favorite Christmas albums ever!
This is great! I’m going to run through some of these and probably add to my neverending Christmas playlist.
Concerning lack of John Denver & The Muppets
I came here to say this.
Or the Muppets Christmas Carol and Emmet Otter soundtracks! Paul Williams really did some of his best work with the Muppets!
I only checked this to see if John Denver & the Muppets was here. It fills me with Christmas spirit to see that others recognized the travesty of not appreciating this holiday masterpiece.
No love for The Venture’s Christmas album? Bah humbug!
No Bad Religion?
Go to Spotify, and search for Aquarium Drunkard Christmas. AD is hands down my favorite music nerd site, with interviews, long form thought pieces, and by far the greatest collection of mix tapes. The Christmas collection is something for everyone – funk, soul, old country, indie rock. Highly recommended.
Squirrel Nut Zippers’ “Christmas Caravan” includes the definitive version of “Sleigh Ride” in my book.Over the Rhine’s “Darkest Night of the Year” — haunting, dusky, raspy cello and piano for a candlelit room
I was hoping someone else would mention Over the Rhine, though I prefer Blood Oranges in the Snow.Ingrid Michaelson’s Songs for the Season is really lovely, as are both of Leslie Odom Jr.’s Christmas records.
Seriously, no A John Waters Christmas?
I gotta bump one album every year, since it is both phenomenal and incredibly under-listened, but the BWC Christmas Orchestra (not a real orchestra) put out the best Heavy Metal Christmas album of all time…https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ka6_08C8XOKDW-y3MgZfC3IA4klRAlSRoAnd I know wat you’re thinking… “But what about Trans-Siberian Orchestra?” And sure, they can be okay (much better in concert than in the studio) but their bread and butter is basically just Carol of the Bells. Meanwhile, the BWC Christmas Orchestra re-invented pretty much every major Christmas song you can think of, kept the lyrics and melodies well intact, and maintained the feel of a joyful Christmas incredibly well. The album isn’t very long, but it’s a banger! I highly recommend it to everyone (even non-metal heads) since I’m sure it will surprise you. IMO, no one’s done a better cover of Little Drummer Boy than the BWC Christmas Orchestra.
Well, you got the Bing and Nat ones, but you left out
Andy Williams, the red one
Annie Lennox (seriously, how could you leave that one out, it’s freaking awesome!)
John Denver & the Muppets
yes to all those. As an “old” I’d also add in Ray Conniff Jr to the list and if only bc of Gremlins Johnny Mathis
I’d argue the Roches’ “We Three Kings” belongs up there.
“Wawkin’ in a Winta Wondaland!”
Throw in at #31 your favorite recording of The Nutcracker.
While not on an album of Christmas songs, there’s no better Christmas tune than “364 Days” by the Murder City Devils. (Best played at the end of Christmas, whiskey in hand.)
If you’d like something dope and you can find it. Thank me later!Jonwayne – Yuletide Bangerzhttps://authorsrecording.bandcamp.com/album/yuletide-bangerz
N*Sync!
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Ukefink, Lump of Coal (1998)https://ukefink.bandcamp.com/album/lump-of-coalTrack 4, “Another Silent Night”, is the standout.
‘A John Prine Christmas’ needs to be on here if only for ‘Christmas in Prison.’
It’s something of a crime that none of Sufjan Stevens’s Christmas albums are on this list. “Christmas Unicorn”, “Get Behind Me, Santa!”, “Did I Make You Cry On Christmas? (Well, You Deserved It)”, “Put The Lights On The Tree”, “Star of Wonder”, so many modern classics interspersed amongst new takes on old classics.
I can confirm from the perspective of a die hard, lifelong Dylan fan that Christmas In the Heart is mostly unlistenable and shouldn’t be on this list. Must Be Santa and its video are delights, but you don’t need to go further. I do appreciate the reminder that Nick Lowe’s album exists and am listening to it now with enjoyment. That guy’s always good.
I love Christmas music and I think the Dylan Christmas album is awful
It’s just not a matter of opinion. If people like it, good for them, but by any actual evaluation with any standards says that shit is at best an odd misfire with the charm coming from the oddness.
great song collections for christmas these are the best collectionshttps://garamgatha.com/jaya-kishori-biography/
There is no such thing as an “essential Xmas album.” If Xmas music were to never be played again, it would be a net gain.
It’s a big lump of coal for you for that bit of humbuggery!
Christmas albums seem to be a very american thing . There’s a weird fact that in the US , most Christmas music played on radio comes mostly from the 50s and 60s , Which is maybe why artists knocking together albums of covers of very old songs is pretty acceptable(and cheap),?In the UK and Ireland , on the other hand , most Christmas airplay is songs from the 70s and 80s ,and maybe its a cultural thing , but whole Christmas themed albums aren’t really a thing over here??
I love the very Canadian Mary Margaret O’Hara’s Christmas EP
Hey, where is “Fairytale of New York” on that U.K. list?
Second from the top on the 1980s list.
Second from the top.
Despite being an American, I think most of my Christmas music tastes are from the 80’s, I reckon because a)I’m a Gen Xer that B) grew up on the Dr Demento show, and the 80’s produced LOTS of novelty Christmas music and then in my 20’s I C) worked at the Virgin Megastore, which tended to eschew classic Christmas playlists in favor of newer britpop Christmas songs.
That being said, I think there are actually some really great newer Christmas albums! Ingrid Michaelson and She & Him’s Christmas albums are some of my favorite ever!
I feel like they are a cheap way for artists to fulfill their record contracts. Super cheap to produce since they mostly only have a few new songs and the covers are probably public domain. Much the way a greatest hits album is also super cheap way to fulfill a contract is just an instant money maker since no or hardly any new material has to into them.Plus, on a personal note, most new Christmas music stinks. There’s a reason the last gigantic Christmas song was released 30 years ago. But then again I never understand people, like my mother, that can listen to 24 hour Christmas music from November straight through until New Years. I can take it in really small doses.
I will never, ever voluntarily play Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas.” I’d rather insert a Glock pistol up my asshole and pull the trigger.
You don’t have to voluntarily play it; just go to any fucking store and wait a minute
And Billy Idol’s Christmas album is where, exactly?
Putting Mariah Carey on the list with the likes of Nat King Cole, and Bing Crosby just feels wrong. At this point I think she’s more of a meme than actually liked. Hearing her in a Christmas music rotation is a low point for me.
I would add Sia (Everyday is Christmas) and Annie Lennox (A Christmas Cornucopia) both are awesome holiday albums. I always want to play Sia’s before the holidays, it’s that good. Thanks for all the great recommendations. My playlist has great new additions thanks to y’all! Happy holidays!
Burl Ives?!?!?!? He squealed like a rat during the McCarthy era Red Scare. Snitches get stitches!!!! Also, Huey Piano Smith and the Clowns have a nice Christmas record
While a decent list, the absence of JD McPherson’s “Socks” album is unforgiveable. Give a listen, won’t you?
JD McPherson is amazing all around and this album is awesome!! Great call to post this!
This list is missing both ‘John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together’ and ‘Christmas with the California Raisins,’ and is thus wrong.
The Kelly Clarkson erasure, far too much.
I’m trying to find an appropriate spot here to complain about the lack of coverage of this year’s Hanukkah Sessions.
Sia has one of the most unChristmas like songs ever with this track. It just seems like a typical Sia song and she happens to be talking about Christmas things. Even the title, Sunshine doesn’t seem like a Christmas song.
“Santa Dog,” over and over and over and over again
Let’s not forget a more recent favorite.
Sia deserves credit for making an album of nearly 100% original Christmas music in the 21st century, and almost all of it being great, which pretty much nobody else has done. And the only cover on it is a pretty obscure one I’ve never heard before.
Sia’s Christmas album is pretty much a classic from start to finish. I also love that her habit of ‘party-sounding songs that have kind of depressing lyrics that no one pays attention to’ means that ‘Ho Ho Ho’ is used in a bunch of commercials from ad execs that don’t know better.
“Buy cozy winter fashions at Target!”
::BRING THEM ALL TO THEIR KNEES – HOHO!::
You will be hearing from Michael Bublé’s lawyers.
Only came to complain, long time lurker. CeeLo’s Magic Moment is an absolute banger (this coming from a guy who pretty much owns the list here on vinyl I love Christmas music )
Wow, I thought it was more popular (but clearly not, given that neither the list nor the commenters have mentioned it), but a family favourite is the Boney M Christmas Album.
Umm, no Andy Williams Christmas album and no John Denver & the Muppets?For shame.
How dare you uncultured monsters not include Percy McTinsel-bud’s Tinsel Machine!
Just because I listen to a lot of novelty music… a few of my favoritesChiron Beta Prime – Jonathan Coulton
Christmas at Ground Zero – Weird Al YankovicMy First Christmas (As A Woman) – The VandalsChristmas in Las Vegas – Richard CheeseThere are probably several more, but can’t think of them at the moment.
After the Peanuts, my fave is Amanda Shires’ For Christmas. All originals, no stale covers.
Barenaked for the Holidays from BNL is very good. Not all the songs are for Christmas either. There are a few Channukah songs too. Christmas in the Stars , A Star wars Christmas album needs at least mention too
Thanks for adding Sinatra.
Great list here and in comments. I’ll add the Squirrel Nut Zippers’ album Christmas Caravan. Some real bangers on there.
bing crosby > frank sinatra
This is a suprisingly old and classics list from the AV Club, which I thought would be a bit more hip and indie. I’m personally all about my aging hipster Christmas albums like “Christmas” by Low, featuring “Just Like Christmas,” such a modern holiday classic and a fantastic Silent Night that’s actually been used in a lot of media. Also love Sufjan Stevens “Songs for Christmas,” and Tracy Thorne’s “Joy.” Monkees? Cheap Trick? Red Simpson? I’ll take your work for it.
I only own two Christmas albums: A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack and Christmas Songs by Bad Religion. I think I’m batting two for two.
Where is the Harry Belafonte?