To get you through the madness of the holiday season [...] we are bringing you the ultimate holiday playlist: 33 songs composing a carefully-tested medley perfect to blast at a Christmas party, or directly into your ears during any activities this month. -- Declan McMahon
The holiday season has come again, and with it, every speaker imaginable is blaring timeless classics, such as “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” and “Let It Snow.” To get you through the madness of the holiday season and the jumble of all the Christmas songs playing on top of each other, we are bringing you the ultimate holiday playlist: 33 songs composing a carefully-tested medley perfect to blast at a Christmas party, or directly into your ears during any activities this month. These are in no particular ranked order. (If you are too impatient to read all of this superb writing, the link to the Spotify playlist is at the end.) Enjoy!
1. Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
No Christmas playlist would be complete without this legendary crooner sending good Christmas wishes to you.
2. Last Christmas - Wham!
This song by the relatively short-lived English pop duo Wham! was released in 1984. While not reaching the top of the US charts until 2017, this Christmas pop song has touched the hearts of many for years.
3. It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas - Bing Crosby
You’ve heard it while making eggnog, decorating the tree, opening your presents, and baking gingerbread cookies. This definitive Christmas classic is present whenever a Christmas tradition is, and it is guaranteed to make you feel cozy on any occasion.
4. So This is Christmas/Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon
This revolutionary pop song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono was written as a protest song against the Vietnam war, but also as a Christmas song to the popular English ballad, “Skewball.”
5. Let It Snow - Frank Sinatra, B. Swanson Quartet
This ballad about a snowy day by my personal favorite crooner, Frank Sinatra, is the epitome of a Christmas classic. No Christmas song list would be complete without it.
6. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
This feel-good romantic Christmas carol is basically Eartha Kitt very passionately singing her extravagant wish list.
7. Baby It’s Cold Outside - Dean Martin
This carol covered by many people and sung by Christmas-lovers all through December, deserves a place on this list. A crooner singing about how he doesn’t want his girlfriend to leave, this song has been criticized for good reason in the 21st century and the era of the MeToo movement. John Legend has revised it to have more supportive lyrics, but we put this on the list because it’s the original. We don’t support the misogynistic message of this song, but we put it on the list for pure nostalgia and feel-good vibes.
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Burl Ives
The song to the timeless movie of the same name is a classic, a story of two misfits banding together on an adventure. I won’t spoil too much. Go watch it yourself now for some Christmas inner warmth
9. Santa’s Coming For Us - Sia
While not one of Sia’s most critically received songs or albums, this astronomical-feeling pop carol is sure to liven up the party.
10. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
This Christmas song is, for many people the best Christmas song of all time. It’s one of the rare Christmas songs that can be played any time of year without sounding too out of place, and to add to it’s fame, it recently hit number one for the first time in 25 years!.
11. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Jackson 5
I really did, I swear! This fun, original Christmas song by the Jackson 5 has messages for people of all ages, and is sure to pluck your heartstrings and hit the nostalgia nerve.
12. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams
It’s true. The most wonderful time of the year is not full without this essential, snug, cozy, assurance of a song.
13. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
This old-timey dance song is present in all of your Christmas memories, I’m sure, which is why it most definitely deserves a place on the list
14. Christmas Time Is Here! - Vince Guaraldi Trio
This very mellow choir song from A Charlie Brown Christmas is sure to bring you warmth and joy as if you’re curled up with hot cocoa and a good book, no matter where you are.
15. I’ll Be Home For Christmas - Bing Crosby
This slightly less known, romance-oriented ballad features a sorrowful lover who can’t make it home for Christmas, contrary to the title. It has a little bit of everything: Sadness, crooning, Christmas, and romance.
16. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love
This soulful belter of a song is sure to put you in a good, and definitely Christmas-y mood.
17. Jingle Bells - Frank Sinatra
The. Most. Classic. Christmas carol. Hands-down, and I think anyone would agree. A VERY popular (for good reason) song, again by my personal favorite crooner, Jingle Bells will have you singing/dancing within the first minute;
18. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
This song definitely has us all dreaming of a white Christmas. Just listening to this amazing song calms you down.
19. Santa Tell Me - Ariana Grande
In this poppy dance carol Ariana Grande pleads with Santa to give her a loyal man, trying to avoid a repeat of the past.
20. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer! - Elmo & Patsy
With a twinge of a Southern accent, the melody of Jingle Bells and an artist name like Elmo & Patsy, you know it’s going to be a good one. This comedic song is sure to have everybody laughing and/or dancing.
21. Feliz Navidad - José Feliciano
A song wishing you Merry Christmas in Spanish and English with a guitar backing track can’t be that bad, right? And so it isn’t, in fact, it’s amazing, fun and good for a party (like me ;)
22. Hallelujah - Pentatonix
A soft take on a Leonard Cohen song by Pentatonix is sure to make you pause, stop and appreciate, just for a second, what you have, or even just the music.
23. You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Thurl Ravenscroft
A classic song about the fuzzy green monster that stars in multiple Disney movies, originally from a Dr. Seuss, this catchy, throaty, comedic song is sure to transport you back to childhood.
24. Frosty the Snowman - Jimmy Durante
The retelling of how a snowman came to life, this is both a fun movie and song, that will make you feel good on the inside and remember your childhood.
25. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
Another very classic carol, this song is sure to bring good vibes and dancing to any event, even a commute to work.
26. Carol of the Bells - John Williams, Mykola Dmtrovych Leontovych
Original song from Home Alone, a classic Christmas movie, this fast-paced, short choir track gets everybody quieter and calmer
27. O Come All Ye Faithful - Pentatonix
A modern take on a timeless classic, this amazing carol will have everybody who is listening tune in and dance.
28. Christmas Tree Farm - Taylor Swift
The most recent song on this list, Taylor Swift’s new song “Christmas Tree Farm” is a pop carol reminiscing about simpler times, using the (perhaps quite literal) metaphor of a Christmas tree farm, and it’s very good. Give it a listen.
29. My Favorite Things - Julie Andrews
Not originally a Christmas song, this song from the soundtrack of the movie Sound of Music is perfect for the holidays, cozy feeling, old and warm.
30. Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby
One of Bing Crosby’s most, er, different songs is the classic Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas in Hawaiian), telling you the thing to say on a bright, Hawaiian Christmas day.
31. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - The Jackson
Another classic by the Jackson 5, this great, albeit slightly childish carol is great for Christmas Eve.
32. Run Rudolph Run - Chuck Berry
Santa’s gotta make it to town!
33. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
A throaty, feel-good classic by the one and only Elvis is sure to be recognizable by almost anyone, even if they don’t know how or from where (like me).
>> Listen to the playlist here! <<
1. Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
No Christmas playlist would be complete without this legendary crooner sending good Christmas wishes to you.
2. Last Christmas - Wham!
This song by the relatively short-lived English pop duo Wham! was released in 1984. While not reaching the top of the US charts until 2017, this Christmas pop song has touched the hearts of many for years.
3. It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas - Bing Crosby
You’ve heard it while making eggnog, decorating the tree, opening your presents, and baking gingerbread cookies. This definitive Christmas classic is present whenever a Christmas tradition is, and it is guaranteed to make you feel cozy on any occasion.
4. So This is Christmas/Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon
This revolutionary pop song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono was written as a protest song against the Vietnam war, but also as a Christmas song to the popular English ballad, “Skewball.”
5. Let It Snow - Frank Sinatra, B. Swanson Quartet
This ballad about a snowy day by my personal favorite crooner, Frank Sinatra, is the epitome of a Christmas classic. No Christmas song list would be complete without it.
6. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
This feel-good romantic Christmas carol is basically Eartha Kitt very passionately singing her extravagant wish list.
7. Baby It’s Cold Outside - Dean Martin
This carol covered by many people and sung by Christmas-lovers all through December, deserves a place on this list. A crooner singing about how he doesn’t want his girlfriend to leave, this song has been criticized for good reason in the 21st century and the era of the MeToo movement. John Legend has revised it to have more supportive lyrics, but we put this on the list because it’s the original. We don’t support the misogynistic message of this song, but we put it on the list for pure nostalgia and feel-good vibes.
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Burl Ives
The song to the timeless movie of the same name is a classic, a story of two misfits banding together on an adventure. I won’t spoil too much. Go watch it yourself now for some Christmas inner warmth
9. Santa’s Coming For Us - Sia
While not one of Sia’s most critically received songs or albums, this astronomical-feeling pop carol is sure to liven up the party.
10. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
This Christmas song is, for many people the best Christmas song of all time. It’s one of the rare Christmas songs that can be played any time of year without sounding too out of place, and to add to it’s fame, it recently hit number one for the first time in 25 years!.
11. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Jackson 5
I really did, I swear! This fun, original Christmas song by the Jackson 5 has messages for people of all ages, and is sure to pluck your heartstrings and hit the nostalgia nerve.
12. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams
It’s true. The most wonderful time of the year is not full without this essential, snug, cozy, assurance of a song.
13. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
This old-timey dance song is present in all of your Christmas memories, I’m sure, which is why it most definitely deserves a place on the list
14. Christmas Time Is Here! - Vince Guaraldi Trio
This very mellow choir song from A Charlie Brown Christmas is sure to bring you warmth and joy as if you’re curled up with hot cocoa and a good book, no matter where you are.
15. I’ll Be Home For Christmas - Bing Crosby
This slightly less known, romance-oriented ballad features a sorrowful lover who can’t make it home for Christmas, contrary to the title. It has a little bit of everything: Sadness, crooning, Christmas, and romance.
16. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love
This soulful belter of a song is sure to put you in a good, and definitely Christmas-y mood.
17. Jingle Bells - Frank Sinatra
The. Most. Classic. Christmas carol. Hands-down, and I think anyone would agree. A VERY popular (for good reason) song, again by my personal favorite crooner, Jingle Bells will have you singing/dancing within the first minute;
18. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
This song definitely has us all dreaming of a white Christmas. Just listening to this amazing song calms you down.
19. Santa Tell Me - Ariana Grande
In this poppy dance carol Ariana Grande pleads with Santa to give her a loyal man, trying to avoid a repeat of the past.
20. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer! - Elmo & Patsy
With a twinge of a Southern accent, the melody of Jingle Bells and an artist name like Elmo & Patsy, you know it’s going to be a good one. This comedic song is sure to have everybody laughing and/or dancing.
21. Feliz Navidad - José Feliciano
A song wishing you Merry Christmas in Spanish and English with a guitar backing track can’t be that bad, right? And so it isn’t, in fact, it’s amazing, fun and good for a party (like me ;)
22. Hallelujah - Pentatonix
A soft take on a Leonard Cohen song by Pentatonix is sure to make you pause, stop and appreciate, just for a second, what you have, or even just the music.
23. You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Thurl Ravenscroft
A classic song about the fuzzy green monster that stars in multiple Disney movies, originally from a Dr. Seuss, this catchy, throaty, comedic song is sure to transport you back to childhood.
24. Frosty the Snowman - Jimmy Durante
The retelling of how a snowman came to life, this is both a fun movie and song, that will make you feel good on the inside and remember your childhood.
25. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
Another very classic carol, this song is sure to bring good vibes and dancing to any event, even a commute to work.
26. Carol of the Bells - John Williams, Mykola Dmtrovych Leontovych
Original song from Home Alone, a classic Christmas movie, this fast-paced, short choir track gets everybody quieter and calmer
27. O Come All Ye Faithful - Pentatonix
A modern take on a timeless classic, this amazing carol will have everybody who is listening tune in and dance.
28. Christmas Tree Farm - Taylor Swift
The most recent song on this list, Taylor Swift’s new song “Christmas Tree Farm” is a pop carol reminiscing about simpler times, using the (perhaps quite literal) metaphor of a Christmas tree farm, and it’s very good. Give it a listen.
29. My Favorite Things - Julie Andrews
Not originally a Christmas song, this song from the soundtrack of the movie Sound of Music is perfect for the holidays, cozy feeling, old and warm.
30. Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby
One of Bing Crosby’s most, er, different songs is the classic Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas in Hawaiian), telling you the thing to say on a bright, Hawaiian Christmas day.
31. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - The Jackson
Another classic by the Jackson 5, this great, albeit slightly childish carol is great for Christmas Eve.
32. Run Rudolph Run - Chuck Berry
Santa’s gotta make it to town!
33. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
A throaty, feel-good classic by the one and only Elvis is sure to be recognizable by almost anyone, even if they don’t know how or from where (like me).
>> Listen to the playlist here! <<
