First, Merry Christmas! I wasn’t going to post on Christmas Day, but I’ve had this song list languishing in my drafts folder for a while and it seemed like something that needed to go out on/before Christmas Day.
Let’s talk Christmas music, starting with a little refresher of my Top Five/Bottom Five songs.
TOP FIVE
- O Little Town of Bethlehem. This song feels like a lullaby. It’s calm, it’s peaceful – yet also haunting. I love it.
- White Christmas. Need I say more?
- Go Tell It on the Mountain. I think this song wins the award for the most interesting arrangements. It’s peppy and fun and a perennial favourite for me.
- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. Another haunting tune, especially when you know the tragic history behind the writing of this carol.
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Classic. Simple. Slightly melancholy, but in a hopeful and reflective way. (I might be overthinking this.)
I consider the majority of Christmas songs to be quite pleasant and/or neutral. While I don’t go out of my way to listen to It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year or Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, I’ll sing along and consider them festive. But there are a few songs I don’t generally enjoy listening to.
BOTTOM FIVE:
- Santa Baby. This song borders on being downright creepy.
- Last Christmas. Not my favourite.
- All I Want for Christmas Is You. Not a fan. (In general, I don’t enjoy listening to Mariah Carey sing anything.) But Belle LOVES this song, so I have come to appreciate it because of how much it means to her.
- Mary, Did You Know? I know I’ve said I enjoy minor songs, but this one I cannot stand. The message is lovely, but the tune grates on my nerves to an extreme degree.
- The 12 Days of Christmas. I know there are funny versions out there, but I am not up for listening to this much repetition. Maybe my introverted tendencies can’t handle the thought of all those partridges, drummers, ladies dancing, and lords a-leaping?
While I love listening to old classics, every year I tend to gravitate toward developing a new-to-me playlist that feels fresh and exciting.
ELISABETH’S 2024 PLAYLIST
Here’s what’s been on repeat for me this holiday season – literally. This is the complete list of songs on my go-to Christmas playlist for 2024.
Note: I have listened to both albums too many times but Ingrid Michaelson’s Songs for the Season and Sarah McLachlan Wintersong and Wonderland are brilliant! If you want something with an upbeat Irish flare, all of Rend Collective’s albums hit the mark nicely (Campfire Christmas; A Jolly Irish Christmas).
Classic songs with fun arrangements:
- Go Tell It on the Mountain – MercyMe
- Go Tell It on the Mountain – NEEDTOBREATH
- Go Tell It on the Mountain – Anthem Lights
- Mary’s Boy Child – TobyMac, Jamie Grace
- The First Noel – Crash Test Dummies
- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – Chris Tomlin
- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – The Civil Wars
- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – The Mayries
- Christmas Don’t Be Late – JJ Heller
- Happy Holiday (The Holiday Season) – JJ Heller
- Sleigh Ride – fun
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Ben Abraham, Atlantic Holiday, Missy Higgins
- Joy to the World – The Brilliance
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman – Lute & Lyre
- Away in a Manger – Lauren Daigle
- White Christmas – Lewis & Leigh
*Can you tell I gravitate toward Go Tell It on the Mountain and I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.
Modern songs:
- Christmas Dreamin’ – Leanna Crawford
- Christmas With You – Cochren & Co.
- All I Need For Christmas – Toby Mac, Terrian
- You Make It Feel Like Christmas – Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton
- Christmas All Over Again – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- The More the Merrier – JJ Heller
- Like It’s Christmas – Jonas Brothers
- Christmas Lights – Coldplay
Modern songs (faith-based):
- Hallelujah – Chris Tomlin, Blessing Offor
- Thorn and Thistle – The Gettys
- Welcome to Our World – JJ Heller
- Christmas Must Be Tonight – Bahamas
- Light of the World (Behold) – Lauren Daigle
- Sounding Joy – Ellie Holcomb
- Angels We Have Heard on High – Ordinary Time [Doesn’t have traditional lyrics]
- Hope Is Alive – Ellie Holocomb
Modern songs (melancholy):
- Christmas Night With You – Little Big Town
- old fashioned christmas – Lyn Lapid
- Snow in LA – PJ Harding, Noah Cyrus (For the record, I don’t agree with two of the last three lines.)
Your turn.
- What are you listening to this Christmas? Any new songs you’re particularly enjoying – maybe for the first time?
- Top Five/Bottom Five favourite Christmas songs?
Header photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
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mbmom11
My daughter has a YouTube Playlist of classic carols she’s played on repeat. And it’s not bad. Better than the modern radio stations. The newer one to me is “On Jordan’s Bank” . Otherwise, my own Playlist consists of mildly depressing yet catchy country music, Enya, Loreena McKennit, and George Winston’s December. I will change radio stations in the car hoping for Carol of the Bells or “Linus and lucy” – preferably instrumental.
And I’m adding the Rend Collective to my list – it sounds right up my alley.
Have a blessed day!
Mia
Christmas songs that I consider classic to me that I enjoy every year: Silent Night, O Come, O Ye Faithful, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, and so many more religious Christmas songs, including traditional Greek Christmas carols (known as kalanta in Greece). A lot of the fun, peppy Christmas songs such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, are dear to me because of my own children and having taught preschool for a number of years.
I recently discovered Pentatonix and really enjoyed their Christmas songs. We also like listening to Claire Crosby, who has many Christmas songs. She has a beautiful, sweet voice for such a young child (YouTube videos show her at about 3–4 years old).
Jenny
I’m with you- I’ll happily listen to just about any Christmas song. Two of your bottoms are also in my bottoms- Last Christmas (sorry Nicole!) and All I Want for Christmas is You. I don’t hate those songs- they’re just not my favorites and you hear them EVERYWHERE. The only song I refuse to ever, ever listen to is the Christmas Shoes song, where the little boy’s mother is DYING (what in the world- whoever wrote that song should be arrested.)
Right now (Christmas morning) we’re listening to Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, and up next is Handel’s Messiah! I like classical on Christmas Day.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!!! <3 <3 <3
Jacquie
For me Christmas is music. The albums I play first always remind of my childhood Christmases:
(There’s No Place Like)Home For the Holidays – Perry Como
Happy Holiday/Holiday Season – Andy Williams
Christmas with Waldo de Los Rios – instrumental by Argentine composer
Charlie Brown Christmas – Vince Guaraldi
I enjoy most Christmas music, but don’t care for novelty tunes like the Chipmunks singing Christmas Don’t Be Late, but I do like that song sung by Norah Jones and the Good Lovelies. I do not like rock stars singing Christmas tunes i.e. Bruce Springsteen SCREAMING Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Paul McCartney singing Wonderful Christmas Time does not make me feel wonderful!
I’m always looking for new Christmas tunes and came across Glen Campbell singing Christmas is for Children, and Ella Fitzgerald singing The Secret of Christmas. While I said I don’t usually like novelty songs, I do enjoy Ana Gasteyer’s (from SNL) Christmas album. If you want a little sass in your Christmas music she’s got you covered with such ditties as Sugar and Booze and a duet with Maya Randolph called Secret Santa.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas!
sarah
I DO NOT enjoy The Little Drummer Boy, but I am otherwise happy to have just about anything else on the background.
Merry Christmas 🙂
Central Calif Artist Jana
Christmas makes me melancholy and the fake (non-Jesus) version makes me cringe. I stopped liking Christmas music after my dad died, but since that has been almost 25 years, it might be good to recalibrate. (Why does it take so dang long to grow up??)
TOP: All by Casting Crowns, the Carpenters, Amy Grant, Mannheim Steamroller
MAKES MY EARS BLEED: Rocking around the Christmas Tree, Jingle Bell Rock, Feliz Navidad, and any true Christmas carol that has been bastardized into a commercial jingle
After reading your (Elisabeth’s) top, I would probably enjoy MercyMe Christmas music because Bart Millard is a genius musician, and Lauren Daigle because she is truly unique.
A final non-musical thought: My dad gave me an opinion piece from the Wall St. Journal positing that Christmas should be divided into 2 holidays: Excessmas and Nativity. All the traditions could fit into either one or the other. Then, we could celebrate one or both, as it suited us. (See why I miss my dad?)