Zach's Important Christmas Album Reviews

Welcome to my monumentally useful collection of Christmas album reviews! This is a list of quick and simple reviews of Christmas albums that are mostly interesting/entertaining, and that you haven't already heard a million times.

I'm always looking to make interesting additions to my collection, so feel free to share any of your own recommendations with me.

I know a lot of people don't really care to "own" music anymore, so I have included information on whether each album is available on the leading streaming services (Spotify, Apple, and Amazon). Some of the weird stuff isn't available for streaming anywhere, in which case I have added links or info on how to purchase these.  When possible, I have provided a link to YouTube or another place where you can listen to the song I recommend for each album. If this is too much for you, I would suggest you check out my top picks for each category.

If you have a subscription to Apple Music, I've put together a playlist that includes most of the songs that I've recommended from each of the albums below: Zach's Important Christmas Playlist on Apple Music

The album review are sorted alphabetically within the categories described below.

A Little Off the Beaten Path: An album that would not be totally out of place at the family Christmas gathering, but it may be a really specific genre or something not terribly radio-friendly.  These can be fun, silly, or a little obnoxious.  I like this category.

Way Off the Beaten Path:  A lot of this type of music is more of a conversation piece than anything else, but there's some good stuff way out there.  This is my favorite category--when it still sounds like Christmas music--and I hope you give some of these a chance. 

Traditional/Classic: This is more noticeable than background music, and it's not going to earn any strange looks.  This tends to include the songs that everyone can sing/hum along to.

Background Music: Exactly what it sounds like.  Not particularly distinctive, which is perfectly fine for certain situations.

New Reviews for 2024

If you've actually read through this whole list in previous years, here are links that will take you to the new reviews I've added this year. The Marah album and the King Kazoo and the Reindeer Band EP are the selections I'd recommend here.

Lord Phobos: "A Very Phobos Christmas" (Way Off the Beaten Path)

Hiss Golden Messenger: "O Come All Ye Faithful" (Traditional/Classic)

Mirror Image: "Yuletide Disco" (A Little Off the Beaten Path)

The Photocopies: "Cheer Up, It's Christmas" (A Little Off the Beaten Path)

Marah: "A Christmas Kind of Town" (A Little Off the Beaten Path)

Jay Bragg: "King Kazoo and the Reindeer Band EP" (A Little Off the Beaten Path)

The Reviews

This album features very straightforward takes on 8 traditional Christmas songs (plus a non-Christmas song at the end) that are played in a relatively radio-friendly pop punk style. You will be frowned at if you put this album on at the office Christmas party or your aunt's Christmas Eve gathering, but there is nothing offensive or irreverent here. While this album may not be essential listening, it also doesn't have obvious flaws. I like it.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: These songs are all recognizable, and even though they're a punk rock band, Bad Religion is known for being melodic and not at all obnoxious.

Recommended song: "O Come All Ye Faithful"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I find it kind of interesting that The Beach Boys spent part of their career making children's music (right?) like "Surfin' USA," and then also did the highly-regarded "Pet Sounds" album.  Anyway, this album came out in 1964, and it has elements of the dorky California surf music and elements of their more sophisticated work... plus the weirdest version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" that you'll ever hear.  Everyone knows what The Beach Boys sound like, but it makes no sense in the context of Christmas music.  The best thing about this is that they didn't try to get it to make sense.  Most of this comes off as novelty music, and it's really not all that great as an album, but it's kinda fun when these songs come up in the mix with other Christmas music.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This has the unmistakable sound of the Beach Boys, which is so not-Christmasy that it makes for an amusing novelty.

Recommended song: "We Three Kings of Orient Are"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

While it sounds like it may be fairly irreverent, this is actually an album of songs that wouldn't be too out of place at grandma's house on Christmas day.  The Blackstone Valley Sinners are a country band featuring the great Slim Cessna (I realize that name doesn't come with a lot of recognition), and this is one of my favorite Christmas albums.  The songs are mostly covers of Christmas songs from older country artists, including two or three by Loretta Lynn, and there are a couple of originals that are pretty solid.  A few of the songs are funny without being goofy, which saves this from just being a novelty.  If you despise country music, avoid this one like the plague, but if you can appreciate country songs, even in an ironic way, this album is worth a listen.  The version of "Mary's Boy Child" contains some yodeling, which is the only example of a Christmas song with yodeling that I am familiar with.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This album craftily maintains a traditional Christmas sound while leaning toward the wacky side of country music.

Recommended song: "Gift of the Blues"

Available on YouTube for free, and CDs can be purchased from one of the guys in the band for $5 plus shipping.

This is an enjoyable 17-minute collection of Blue Man Group's take on Christmas songs. The overall style is mostly electronic with some unusual percussion instruments mixed in, although "Jingle Bones" is a straight-up rock song. I was strangely compelled when I saw this on a list of soon-to-be-released albums for 2023, and it delivered everything I was hoping for. I definitely recommend this oine.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This is a fun collection of whimsical instrumental Christmas songs.

Recommended song: The title track "Overjoy to the World" gives a pretty good idea of what this album sounds like.

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I discovered the existence of this album when searching for other versions of the song "Christmas is Coming," and this one intrigued me due to its specific genre and the fact that word booger is part of the artist's name. Sold!

Elsewhere on this page you'll find reviews for an album of shapenote Christmas songs and another one called Christmas Pickins: A Banjo Christmas. I don't really know much about what Appalachian music is supposed to be, but this album is kind of like a combination of the two aforementioned albums. I find it interesting how these Appalachian tunes sound southern without really being country music. There are elements of bluegrass, Celtic, spiritual, and shapenote music here, so the album does a great job of providing some varied sounds. There's also a good balance of widely-known songs and less-known carols. To be honest, I bought this as a novelty, but I was surprised at how good it is. This isn't an album that I think everyone needs to seek out, but the female lead vocals and traditional sound make this a very pleasant Christmas album.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This is a very pleasant album that mixes genres well enough to be an appropriate album for most Christmas settings.

Recommended song: "Cherry Tree Carol"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This was recommended by my Aunt Kris, but I don't think she has actually heard it.  Boxcar Willie was known for doing songs about hobos, trains, and truckers.  Perfect guy to do a Christmas album!  I like this album quite a bit.  It has a great 70s country sound with a whimsical feeling, and there's a good balance of original songs and some holiday classics.  The song "Hee Haw Honey" is pretty amusing and not entirely family-friendly (and that's okay by me), while "Timothy the Tow Truck" is kid-friendly enough that it has children singing/shouting the chorus (not okay by me; the sound of kids shouting does not belong in any song ever).  I could do without the 10-30 second spoken introduction to each song, but whatever.  Like most country Christmas albums, this has probably been released with 9 different album names, with nearly identical tracklists.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This is kinda silly, but it's a well-played set of light-hearted country Christmas songs.

Recommended Song: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

Available on CD and cassette only, apparently.  Even with all of the different versions of this album, I don't think it's available for purchase or streaming in a digital format.  There are karaoke versions of some of these songs on Spotify, so I guess you can listen to bad instrumental versions of these songs there.

I wouldn't consider myself a very funky dude, but this sounds more like soul to my ears.  That's fine, because this is a good album.  With the trademark scream/singing in places, these are definitely James Brown songs, and he doesn't rely on the classic/traditional Christmas songs.  The first few songs don't really sound all that Christmassy, but the rest of the album captures the sound of Christmas in an interesting way.  The only big criticism I have is that the album is really long (it's a compilation of songs from 3 albums), and a couple of songs drag on way longer than they need to.  The cover art is great, and the music is unique, kind of weird, and pretty solid.  Honestly, the only thing keeping this album out of my "Way Off the Beaten Path" category is that you can catch these songs on the radio once in a while.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This sounds very much like James Brown singing Christmas songs, which is weird in all the best ways.

Recommended Song: "Soulful Christmas"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

George Cessna: various Christmas EPs (2012-2014)

The son of Slim Cessna (see above) put out some Christmas EPs over the course of a few years, and I find them pretty enjoyable.  The music is country-ish, although a number of the songs are not.  Some Loretta Lynn (see below) covers are included, as are some goofy takes on traditional songs.  These EPs are pretty fun, and the songs range from irreverent to traditional.  "Baby What You Want," an original song, has become a December favorite in my house.

It appears that only the most recent installment is still available online, which is unfortunate.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: Because I say so.

Recommended song: "Baby What You Want"

May or may not be available at https://georgecessna.bandcamp.com/

"Whoa, Bootsy Collins recorded a Christmas album!" I said.  Then I bought it.  I thought that the funk bass legend would be delivering an album full of songs in the vein of his excellent "Bootzilla."  What I got was an album reminiscent of some obnoxious garbage you'd hear in a shopping mall.  Terrible.  There are some guest performers that don't add much, and most of the songs start with Bootsy or someone else talking about something vaguely Christmasy for 30 seconds.  A waste of time, outside of the one or two tolerable songs.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: Great cover art. Don't bother listening to it.

Recommended Song: "Boot-Off (The Funky Reindeer)"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is more or less the soundtrack to a Christmas special that played on network TV for a few years beginning in the late '70s.  I don't remember it.  It's not available to watch on Netflix or Amazon Prime, so it's pretty much non-existent as far as I'm concerned.  I did find it on YouTube, but the quality wasn't very good, and it didn't even keep William's attention.  This album is decent, but I'm not a John Denver fan and I wish the Muppets had a more frequent and more pronounced presence.  My favorites are the more Muppet-y tunes, but the song "A Baby Just Like You" features references to a baby named Zachary.  I really think more songs should have the line "Merry Christmas, little Zachary."  

Fun fact: this was the #1 selling Christmas album in 1979, which is the year I was born.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: I'm always open to hearing anything that has Kermit the Frog singing a Christmas song, but I can't recommend this album when the excellent "A Red and Green Christmas" by the Muppets exists.

Recommended Song: "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is a love-it-or-hate-it album, and the line may not depend on whether or not you like Bob Dylan.  I am somewhat appreciative of Bob Dylan, but I do not consider myself a fan.  However, I think this album is terrific.  It's probably less weird than the others I've listed in this category, but I don't even understand why this album exists.  His raspy vocals on "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and other traditional classics are almost so wrong that they're right.  But please don't take my recommendation on this.  Listen to it yourself and decide which camp you're in.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: The thought of Bob Dylan in his 1960s songwriting heyday eventually recording a straightforward, traditional Christmas album 40 years later is unimaginable, and in my opinion, it works!

Recommended Song: "Must Be Santa"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I debated about the category to put this in, but since the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has demonstrated that there is an American appetite for hard rock versions of Christmas songs, this album isn't really a unique concept. This probably wouldn't go over well at your grandma's Christmas party, but it's not as weird as the head-scratchers I've described elsewhere on this page.

This is actually a great album, and it's the second Christmas album that the Judas Priest frontman has released. I couldn't name a single Judas Priest song if a million dollars were on the line, but I know their heyday was in the era when heavy metal singers actually sang instead of the growly roaring that is more common now. This album has a few original songs and a lot of traditional songs, mostly religious classics at that.  The best part is that there is no irony or disrespect evident in any of this. There is a good balance of hard rock and slower tunes, and there aren't any bad songs. The faster songs are terrific, but I actually think I like the slower ones better since they reimagine the traditional melodies. This album could have been a joke that would have gotten old by the end of its 45-minute runtime, but it is surprisingly classy for what it is.

Also, let's not ignore the excellent cover art.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This somehow manages to balance a reverence for traditional Christmas music with a genre that isn't known for reverence.

Recommended Song: "Donner and Blitzen" is the hit here, but I also really like how he did "Away in a Manger"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

When I heard about this 4-song EP it was described as being heavy on kazoo and slide whistle. I gave it a listen as a goof, and I was surprised to find that it was way less annoying than it should be. It's actually a great set of 4 songs. There's a little bit of jazz and bluesy country going on, with enough kazoo, harmonica, and slide whistle to make it fun. 

The artist behind this EP is Jay Bragg, who it seems does some annual Christmas concerts and has released a full-length Christmas album that I might have to check out some time. 

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: It sounds like a total novelty, but it transcends the goofy instrumentation and is actually very enjoyable.

Recommended Song: "King Kazoo and the Reindeer Band" if you want to hear the way the weird instruments are presented tastefully, or "There's Never Been a Better TIme" if you want to see why this album isn't just silly. Honestly, there's only 4 songs on this, so you should spend 14 minutes listening to the whole thing.

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Quick history lesson on the Louvin Brothers: They were a country act that recorded numerous albums full of kinda dorky fire-and-brimstone gospel music that was spectacularly catchy due to their musical talent and their striking and unique use of vocal harmony.  It's the kind of music that people might listen to semi-ironically until they realize that the songs are actually pretty good.

This album offers zero surprises if you're familiar with the Louvin Brothers, but this will sound like something that came straight out of the backwoods to anyone that isn't familiar.  These are all straightforward takes on recognizable Christmas hymns, yet the bumpkin-like vocals are going to push this into novelty area for some.  While I do like this album, it is likely the worst Louvin Brothers album (I've heard like 2 of their other albums, so I think that gives us a pretty high confidence interval).  The harmonies and instrumentation are lazy, reflecting the typical lack of effort that musicians put into Christmas albums.  I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone who isn't already a fan of the Louvin Brothers.

Like most country Christmas albums, this has probably been released with 9 different album names, with nearly identical tracklists.  

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: I am a mild fan of the Louvin Brothers, so that's my reason, but this may also be the ticket for anyone who wants to spend the Christmas season laughing at Southerners.

Recommended Song: "The Friendly Beasts"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Elsewhere on this list I recommended the song from this band that was on a various artists album, and I liked the song enough to finally check out the full album that it came from. Apparently this album is a bit of a departure from the band's normal sound, but they put together a really great Christmas album. The song is mostly a wide range of secular Christmas classics played in a variety of genres, with a few interstitial skits and reprises of "Here We Come A-Wassailing" throughout. Highly recommended.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: It's a fun, light-hearted Christmas album that is cohesive. You could pick out a few songs, but really I recommend listening to this from start to finish.

Recommended Song: "New York is a Christmas Kind of Town" (But please don't just listen to the title track. The whole album is good.)

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I didn't have any disco Christmas music in my collection, so I figured this was worth a listen. It delivers on the theme, and it's kind of fun. Nothing stands out a whole lot, but when I've listened to this album in the morning I usually end up with a couple of these songs running through my head while I'm at work.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This would be good to play at a Christmas party.

Recommended Song: "White Christmas"

Available on Bandcamp and YouTube.

This album rules. Elsewhere on this page I have reviewed a terrible Sesame Street album and a so-so soundtrack to a Muppets and John Denver TV special, but this is the gold I was looking for. I'm not the only one who finds this compelling; it turns out this album won a Grammy in the children's music category.

Most of the songs are surprisingly fresh takes on traditional tunes, with some good originals thrown in. Fozzie Bear's "North Pole Comedy Club" features a catchy chorus and some funny heckling from Statler and Waldorf. Gonzo and Rizzo deliver an amusing version of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Even the cliche songs that are on too many Christmas albums are done well here. I never felt the need to hear yet another version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," but Kermit the Frog has proven me wrong.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This features a full range of Muppets characters, and I think this might actually appeal to adults more than to kids. Highly recommended.

Recommended Song: "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Gonzo and Rizzo

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This album is great, and I should probably check out the non-Christmas music from this band. The album rattles off 9 original Christmas songs in an indie-rock/Americana style, followed by Auld Lang Syne and 4 traditional Christmas songs. It's solid from start to finish, and I actually like the original songs way more than the traditional ones.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: I highly recommend this one. The songs are pleasant, fun, and/or energetic.

Recommended Song: "Gotta Love Being a Kid (Merry Christmas)"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I was on a big Buck Owens kick in 2020, so I figured I should check out one of his two Christmas albums. If you only know Buck Owens from Hee Haw, please be assured that he actually was a phenomenal musician. The only traditional song on this album is an instrumental version of "Jingle Bells," and most of the other songs are originals co-written by Buck Owens himself.

In the context of this being a Buck Owens album, it sounds exactly like anything else Buck Owens put out in the mid '60s. I happen to like that type of music, and this fits right in.

In the context of this being a Christmas album, it really doesn't sound all that Christmassy. I do appreciate the effort that goes into writing new Christmas songs, but it also can make the music less catchy.  Maybe after a couple more years of hearing this I'll appreciate it more.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: If you've never delved into the vast catalog of Buck Owens, there are better places you could start. But if you're looking for the convenience of checking him out and also listening to Christmas music, this isn't a bad shortcut.

Recommended Song: "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is a quick little EP in the indie-pop/rock genre. It's good enough that I wish it were actually a full album, so I suppose The Photocopies pulled off the "leave 'em wanting more" goal of entertainment. There are 3 originals (although depending on where you listen to this there might be only 2) and an instrumental version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. I like this.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: All four songs (three songs on some streaming services) are lively and pretty good, and this EP would be good to add to a playlist that gets played on shuffle.

Recommended Song: "Christmas Alone" (this is actually kind of a cute music video)

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is an album that I actually owned for a few years before I remembered to review it, so my opinion on this one is better informed than for other albums here.

This is a fun album with a full-throated approach to making a rockabilly Christmas sound. It features several instrumentals, covers of other country/rock Christmas songs (Elvis's "Santa Bring My Baby Back," Buck Owens' "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy," Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper," and Chuck Berry's "Run Run Rudolph"), a few carols, and one excellent song written by Reverend Horton Heat, "Santa on the Roof." 

I've seen Reverend Horton Heat live at least twice, and it has always been an energetic performance. This is a great example of an artist putting out a Christmas album that felt like some effort was put into making it fun for the listener. It's not solid gold throughout, but it does a good job of making rockabilly music sound like Christmas.

Also, if you still buy digital music, this album always seems to be among the "Holiday Albums at a Great Price" group for like $4.99 on iTunes each December.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: It's a specific genre, but the energy and occasional humor give this a broad appeal.

Recommended Song: "Frosty the Snowman"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I bought this when my son William was 1 year old and really liked Elmo.  This is some of the most hideously grating Christmas music I've ever heard.  Elmo's singing voice on this album is brutal, and you know what, neither of my kids have ever really enjoyed this.  Some other Sesame Street characters show up, and a lot of their songs are better than Elmo's jams.  This album is a pretty big disappointment because it really could've been halfway decent.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: Most of it isn't.

Recommended Song: "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow" (sung by The Count)

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

At first this didn't sound to me as much like a Christmas album as it did an Amanda Shires album. These are all original songs, and eventually I realized that several of the melodies and lyrics are subtly influenced by traditional Christmas songs. If you aren't familiar with her, Amanda Shires has a voice that is similar to Dolly Parton or Emmylou Harris. I like this album, but I still think it doesn't really sound like Christmas music.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: It takes a couple of listens to notice, but most of the songs are interesting twists on traditional Christmas songs.

Recommended Songs: "Let's Get Away"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Aside from the outstanding cover art, this album has a lot going for it: Jimmy Smith was a jazz musician specializing in the Hammond organ, so a lot of his songs sound like mid-90s Beastie Boys instrumentals. And the guy who plays the drums on most of these songs did percussion work on a number of pieces featured on the Twin Peaks soundtrack. Combining these sounds with traditional Christmas music ticks several boxes for me.

Here's the deal, though: The songs that feature a lot of fast riffing on the Hammond organ are awesome, but the more subdued songs have a little less going for them.  Still, this album doesn't sound dated even though it's well over 50 years old.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: There are plenty of instrumental Christmas albums by jazz musicians, but the organ work makes this stand out.

Recommended Songs: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "We Three Kings (of Orient are)," and "Greensleeves" will give you a good taste of this album's best moments

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I remember this band having one song that made it onto MTV in the mid '90s, but I was never all that interested.  In recent years there have a been a couple of people who recommended this to me, so I figured I'd check it out.

This is definitely an album that takes a few listens to appreciate, and that's because they took the bold step of avoiding traditional songs in favor of originals.  Most of it (not all of it) comes off as fairly clever, and the jazz/swing/lounge approach works well for Christmas music.  There is an instrumental version of "Sleigh Ride" that seems to be the most popular cut from this album, but I appreciate the effort that went into writing their own songs for this.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: A Christmas album played by a jazz group could end up being super predictable, but this goes in a unique and amusing direction. 

Recommended Song: "Hot Christmas"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Here's a lazy but efficient review: Imagine what it would sound like for Weezer to play straightforward versions of 6 traditional Christmas carols/hymns. Now that you know exactly what this sounds like, you also know whether or not you would like it.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This is actually pretty traditional, but it's so Weezery that it's kind of a novelty. I appreciate the fact that this is 6 songs instead of like 14.

Recommended Song: "O Come All Ye Faithful"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Home Alone is my favorite Christmas movie, and while a lot of this is typical movie-score music, there are plenty of holiday hits to liven up a playlist.  Plus, it's funny to hear non-Christmas music that reminds you of specific parts of the movie.  The song "Somewhere In My Memory" is the most memorable and probably best part of the original score, but my recommendation is the song that you hear at the very beginning of the movie.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: It will make you picture parts of the movie, which will make you want to watch it.  'Nuff said.

Recommended Song:  "The House"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I used to recommend this largely instrumental album when the 30 songs were available on Amazon for $4.00.  Now you can buy a download of this for $1.79, which is a steal.  This is sort of goofy, with twangy banjos and such, but it's not obnoxious.  It's well-played banjo (and plenty of mandolin and fiddle) music consisting of well-known Christmas songs.  A novelty, but in a good way.  This is a time-tested favorite in my household, becoming more endearing each year, and it tends to draw amused comments from visiting family members.  Even if you don't like country music, this is cheap and interesting.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: It's a novelty, but not obnoxious.  Great cover art.

Recommended Song: "The Holly and The Ivy" (no link, sorry)

Available on Amazon Music Unlimited and for purchase on Amazon at the average cost of 6 cents per song

Several years ago the Sounds Familyre record label out of Europe started posting free downloads each day during part of December of Christmas songs performed by artists on their label.  My initial interest was in getting the Wovenhand song, which turned out to be decent, but I found myself enjoying a lot of the songs.  To some degree this started my interest in collecting a lot of Christmas music to play each year.  Some of these songs are traditional, and some are originals.  And, like most various artists collection, some of the songs are unimpressive.  A lot of these songs have become favorites in my household, and I look forward to hearing them each year.  I think the label released 5 or 6 collections over the years, but I stopped with the first two.  Since this is a varied collection, I'll recommend a few songs.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: Nothing amazing going on here, but the variety is nice.

Recommended Songs: "Plant a Little Fir Tree" by Half-Handed Cloud; "I Wonder as I Wander" by Wovenhand; "When Christmas Came to Me" by The Singing Mechanic

Available at https://familyrechristmas.bandcamp.com/

A friend mentioned this when I asked for recommendations of oddball/niche Christmas albums.  It cost next to nothing to buy a used copy on Amazon, and it sounded like a perfect so-bad-it's-good album.  Honestly, the music isn't awful... which I guess is unfortunate for me.  This came out in the early 90s--well before autotune--yet there are only a couple of vocal performances that are duds.  I guess it's not surprising that vaguely memorable soap opera stars from that era had enough vocal talent to carry a Christmas tune.  Without knowing that these are soap opera people, this mostly comes off as a completely inconsequential lineup of insipid Christmas music.  The soap "stars" aren't even all that famous, but there is a poster inside the liner notes with their pictures.  There is one song toward the end in which they all introduce themselves, and that's where the price of this album pays off.  The rest of it will just be a reason to snicker when the album art shows up on my TV when one of these tracks comes up on random.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: Funny idea, boring songs, and I bet there are maybe 25-30 people on Earth who would think this is a really good album.  Maybe YOU are one of them!

Recommended Song: who cares?

Available on Amazon from third-party sellers for basically the price of shipping.

This one was recommended to me. Though jazz isn't my favorite genre, this features some pretty out-there versions of Christmas classics mixed in with some more straightforward takes. In addition to the recommended song linked below, the leadoff track "Cool Yule" by Kurt Elling is terrific, and "Be-Bop Santa Claus" by Sweet Daddy Lowe puts an interesting, dark take on the tired "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." 

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: Some of the songs are really calm, others are fun, and a couple are quite bizarre. 

Recommended Song: "Carol of the Bells" by Joe Lavano -- This is a super weird version of this song. Check it out!

Available on Spotify and iTunes.

I wanted to like this way more than I actually do. The draw for me was that Dumb Numbers had a song on here, but that song ended up being super boring. A lot of these songs are covers of non-traditional Christmas songs from other bands, so nothing really stands out other than the cover of Big Star's "Jesus Christ." I am hoping that some repeated listening makes this collection more endearing, but after a few listens I haven't found much to be excited about.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: Check back next year (it's been a couple years now, and I don't have anything new to say)

Recommended Song: Check back next year (nope)

Available at https://joyfulnoise.bandcamp.com/album/holiday-party-vol-1.

It's cool when the album title sums things up so precisely. This is a collection of songs that includes several rockabilly artists, with a few other genres represented.  I bought this because it has a song by the Legendary Shack Shakers, and I guess I'm pleased to say that their song is not my favorite on this album.  This is a surprisingly good album that doesn't rely too heavily on the traditional favorites, and I think I'll probably enjoy listening to this in the car more than I would on Christmas morning.  There are several humorous songs, including a couple of songs that are mildly inapproriate--which may or may not be your speed--but nothing is blatantly crude.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This is a surprisingly great collection of non-traditional Christmas songs by bands that you're probably not familiar with.

Recommended Song: "New York is a Christmas Kind of Town" by Marah

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I spotted this CD at the local library and thought it was worth checking out. I'm glad I did, even though I feel like I need to stop reviewing compilations.

Putomayo is a record label that I believe focuses on curating music from around the world, and I'm sure this isn't their only Christmas release. I actually like this album quite a bit, even though none of the songs really leap out. It provides some variety in sound while weaving in a mix of instrumentals and vocals in various languages. This might turn into a bit of a conversation piece if played at the family Christmas gathering, and it would be super appropriate to put this on at a slightly pretentious mid-December wine-and-cheese happy hour with your coworkers.

Category: A Little Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This is a solid collection of Christmas songs through the sounds of a variety of musical cultures.

Recommended Song: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Banks Soundtech Steel Orchestra

It appears this might not be available on any streaming services, but I'm sure any other Putomayo Christmas album would give you the same overall experience.

Yep, it's Christmas music in the style of Angelo Badalamenti's soundtrack to Twin Peaks. If you know, you know. (And to be fair, if you don't know then this probably won't be that enjoyable for you)

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: Great cover art and a pretty good effort at making instrumental Christmas songs sound like the distinctive music of Twin Peaks.

Recommended Song:  "O Holy Night"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

You are probably guessing what this sounds like based on the title, and you are completely wrong. Haunted House Party mostly does Halloween music that consists of hip-hop beats with spooky samples, and this is the same approach but with Christmas-related samples. This sounds completely unlike any Christmas music I've heard before. This is an album worth listening through a few times and then selecting a few of the tracks to spice up a Christmas music playlist.

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This is an interesting mix of hip-hop beats with samples from Christmas songs and movies.

Recommended Song:  "da$hing through tha $now"

Available for purchase on Bandcamp at https://hauntedhouseparty.bandcamp.com/album/a-very-haunted-christmas for $6.66.

Lower in this section is an excellent album of video game-style Christmas songs that I reviewed years ago, so even though this covers the same genre, I wanted to give this a shot since Super Mario World for Super Nintendo is my favorite video game of all time. These songs take the music from Super Mario World as a background layer, and then add or alter the main melody to be a Christmas song. Some of it works really well, and some of it doesn't. If you are familiar with the Super Mario World soundtrack, you'll get a kick out of how smoothly "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "The Little Drummer Boy," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "I Have a Little Dreidel" work. Some of the songs sound really forced though, like "All I Want for Christmas is You" over the castle theme (I really wanted to like this). I appreciate how most of the songs are in roughly the same order in which you'd encounter them while playing the game.

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: If you were a dweeb like me in the early '90s who has played Super Mario World again recently enough to know the music, you would definitely appreciate this.

Recommended Song:  "The Little Drummer Boy"

Available for purchase on Bandcamp, and the whole album is available on a single YouTube video.

I was pretty blown away when I learned that Christopher Lee, the famed British actor, had started releasing heavy metal albums while in his 90s.  This is purely a novelty in terms of Christmas music, and I might recommend it just for that.  Hearing the voice of Saruman sing "Little Drummer Boy" with grinding guitars is pretty amusing.  A lot of this is fairly irreverent, which I'm okay with, as this whole concept is bizarre.  In terms of actors releasing Christmas albums, this is way less listenable than what Andy Griffith recorded, but the weirdness is pretty endearing.

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: The existence of this is confusing, and it's pretty funny.

Recommended Song:  "Jingle Hell"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Truth be told, I might've sprung for this album based on the cover art. What I then found was a collection of 4 traditional Christmas songs with heavy electronic effects on the guitar and vocals. So, you know, right up my alley. I wouldn't describe this as essential listening, but it's amusing.

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: It's weird.

Recommended Song:  "All I Want for Christmas is U" (this isn't really the best song on here, but this is a funny version of this song)

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

While snickering at the Amazon page for Jimmy Buffett's Christmas album, this album was listed as a suggested link.  A horror-themed Christmas album?  Yes, please!  The reviews were great, and my curiosity was piqued, so I bought a download of this without so much as a second thought.  This is a terrific album from two guys that have apparently released a whole bunch of horror/Halloween music.  This could have easily been an over-the-top novelty, and I was halfway expecting a bunch of goblin voices singing some Christmas classics in a borderline irreverent manner.  Thankfully, this is a completely instrumental orchestral take on traditional Christmas music, but with a suspenseful/gothic approach that is occasionally evocative of a 70s/80s horror movie theme song.  This album is a novelty, but it's legitimately good music, so it gets a huge thumbs-up from me.

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This is Christmassy and respectful of the horror movie soundtrack genre.  Very well done and unique.

Recommended Song:  "Christmas at Midnight"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

There are two versions of this album: the original release in 2009 had 12 songs, and then it was re-released in 2018 with only 6 songs. I listened to the 6-song version, and I'm feeling like 6 songs is about all I need. I was never into MxPx, but I was a big fan of 90's pop punk back in the day. This is a collection of singles that were released on an annual basis, and it does suffer from not being very cohesive. Also, there are no traditional songs, so it doesn't sound very Christmassy. 

This isn't an album that you'd be able to play at grandma's house on Christmas Eve, but one or two of these songs could find their way into the playlist at a holiday gathering without creating too many waves. A couple of the songs dip into some irreverent themes, but MxPx began their careers as a slighty-edgy Christian rock act, so there is nothing completely inappropriate. I expect my kids to find some of these songs amusing in future years.

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: These songs were intended to be kind of fun, and it mostly works.

Recommended Song: "You're the One I Miss"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is an intricately produced collection of Christmas songs played in the style of old Nintendo music.  When this came out it was a unique idea, but there are several other recording artists who have done something similar since then.  

I never owned an original Nintendo Entertainment System (thanks, mom), but some of these songs sound like they might also incorporate elements of actual Nintendo game songs and noises.  One of the songs has some subtle sounds effects from Super Mario Bros. games, and another seems like it might be inspired by Castlevania.  I could be dead wrong, though.  Either way, these are really fun versions of traditional songs, and this gets my highest recommendation.  I will say that listening to the whole album from start to finish gets a little laborious, but this is a perfect album to include in a randomly-played playlist.

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: Very unique, intricately produced, and fun.

Recommended Song: "Gloria"

Available on Spotify, iTunes (maybe not streaming, though), and at https://rushcoil.bandcamp.com/album/8-bit-christmas for $3.99

Never heard of this dude, and I bet his volume of work goes well beyond this album.  A few years ago I saw this listed on some "Weirdest Christmas Albums" list, and I knew that this was one I needed.  The only other space-themed Christmas album I have is the Star Wars one right below this, and that one isn't all that spacey.  This one features a theremin (!), echoey technology sounds, a couple of original songs, and a bizarre story line in which two spaceship computers learn about the Christmas spirit.  I was honestly hoping for a little more theremin and spaced-out versions of the traditional songs, but this is actually more of a concept album that should be listened to from start to finish.  I'll still throw all of these tracks onto my randomly played Christmas playlist, but a lot of the songs are best not listened to in isolation.  

Even for an album called "Cosmic Christmas," this is a really weird album.  It walks a fine line between "this is kind of corny" and "I wonder what hallucinogenic drugs this guy recommends for this album."  I paid actual money for this, but this would be a GREAT one to listen to if you subscribe to a streaming service.  It's absolutely worth one or two listens, but it doesn't have a ton of replay value if you don't have a desire to annoy your family with these songs (hi, Janna!).

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: The concept is fairly unique, and even still this album takes it in a really strange direction. I recommend checking this out if you subscribe to a streaming music service.

Recommended Song:  "We Three Kings" for yule-tide theremin sounds, "What Will Become of Christmas?" for odd cosmic human vocals

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

In 1980, some guy was commissioned to record an album of Christmas songs with a Star Wars theme.  He didn't have a very strong knowledge of the Star Wars universe as it existed at that time, but this album is kind of fun in how ridiculous it is.  Plus, it was the top-selling Christmas album in the US in 1980.  Thankfully it has no connection to the infamously bad Star Wars Holiday Special that appeared on TV exactly once in the late '70s.  It also does not incorporate anything recognizable from the soundtracks of the Star Wars movies.  Anthony Daniels appears in most songs as the voice of C-3PO, and there are plenty of R2-D2 sound effects.  A pre-fame Jon Bon Jovi makes an appearance as well.  Janna couldn't stand this album the first year I dared to play it for her, but is has become pretty traditional in our house.  My kids will grow up thinking this is normal Christmas music.

As usual I am recommending one song, but I have some honorable mentions: "Bells, Bells, Bells," "Christmas in the Stars," and "What Can You Get a Wookie for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)?"

This gets re-released on CD every once in a while, but it's not on iTunes.  It must not be part of the Star Wars package that Disney acquired the rights to, because you'd be able to buy this at a gas station if it were.

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This is amusing, even if you don't care about Star Wars.

Recommended Song: "Sleigh Ride"

Available on Amazon Music under the artist name Meco(?).

I watched a great documentary about this style of singing a number of years ago, so I was interested to hear Christmas music in this vein.  These songs (with a lot of weird titles) are from shapenote hymnals from the early 1800s.  I'm not going to pretend that I am educated in matters of music theory, so I can't really explain what shapenote music is, but this is a capella choral music sung in really loud voices with harmonies that I can only describe as odd.  This type of music is still sung in "singings" at churches in parts of the South.  Check out the song I've linked to so you can hear the cacophonous, yet beautiful effect that this style of singing produces. It's striking, even if it doesn't always sound much like Christmas music.

Honestly, I felt like I was scraping the bottom of the barrel when I found this album on Amazon and decided I needed to get it, but I'm glad I did.  I like these songs even more than I thought I would.  The only downside is that this collection is almost 80 minutes long, so it suffers from being more of a historical exhibit of the genre rather than a well-constructed album.

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: These songs are interesting and well-performed, even if they don't immediately sound like Christmas songs.

Recommended Song:  "Sherburne"

Available on Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is a really interesting and weird album, with a handful of really good songs. This first came out in 1981, and there were a few re-releases with additional tunes. The one I listened to was the 2004 version. This might grow on me after some additional listening, but the strong early-80s New York hipster sound (fake English accents and whatnot) makes this not sound very Christmassy, and a few of the songs are rather inappropriate for Christmas. Overall it's good, but I actually feel like I would like this more if it weren't a Christmas album.

Category: Way Off the Beaten Path

Why this is worth listening to: This is like a museum display of indie new wave bands performing the most non-traditional Christmas songs they could come up with.

Recommended Song:  "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses is the hit song from this album, but "My Silent Night" by Lisi and "Christmas on Riverside Drive" by August Darnell are also good ones.

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

My Christmas music collection was definitely lacking in the sounds of the Caribbean, so I picked up Harry Belafonte's assemblage of Christmas songs hoping to hear the guy who did the "Day-O!" song from the Beetlejuice soundtrack bring some Calypso energy to my holiday listening experience.  The songs on the album were recorded throughout the 50s, and there are some classic versions of traditional songs here.  My favorites are the ones that sound the most island-like in nature, and unfortunately that doesn't describe most of the album.  His takes are perhaps a little too straightforward.  I was hoping that the King of Calypso would have done something a little more lively, but a lot of this is quiet enough to make someone fall asleep in their eggnog.  Good stuff overall, though, and the medleys of traditional songs are some of the highlights.  But if you're looking to bring the sound of the steelpan drum to your Christmas party, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: This is a very good, but slightly boring, Christmas album with a classic sound and some occasional Calypso twists.

Recommended Song: "Christmas is Coming"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I am a casual fan of this Kansas City-based singer/songwriter guy, and I thought that this album would be a pretty good listen since it consists of traditional songs.  Jeff Black's warm voice does well with Christmas tunes, and while I don't really like the 3 songs with his kids singing, my kids like them, so I guess there's something for the whole family.  I like this collection quite a bit, although someone not already familiar with him might think this sounds a little too much like live coffee shop music. It took me a few listens, but I'm really quite fond of this album.

One other note: Jeff Black's version of  "Auld Lang Syne," which I usually find to be a throwaway song tacked onto the end of too many Christmas albums, is WAY more listenable than most versions.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: If your Christmas collection is lacking in the acoustic singer/songwriter department, this is a worthy candidate to fill the slot.

Recommended song: "We Three Kings"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited. It's also been made available for free at Bandcamp in December some years.

Why on Earth am I reviewing this? This is one of the top-selling Christmas albums ever, and I figured I ought to include some mainstream things to balance out the obscurities.

I'm trying to frame this review in a way that isn't completely influenced by my distaste for '90s R&B music.  But still, I don't get why this album is so popular.  Even though this obviously clicked for a lot of people, I don't feel like this album accomplishes anything that hadn't been done before. For example, her version of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is exactly the same as what Darlene Love recorded 30 years prior, and other songs on this album feel like tepid recreations of something that was done earlier (and better) by others.  There are a couple of new songs that are fine, and people obviously like them.  The classic here is "All I Want for Christmas is You," and I'll admit that it's a good one.  None of this is bad, but it doesn't feel very unique and it's not my cup of tea.  Her takes on the traditional hymns do benefit from her excellent singing voice.  My favorite song is the one where she hilariously leaps into a mosquito-pitch octave at the very end.  I don't have any other Christmas songs that do that. 

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: I guess this album is why she now calls herself the Queen of Christmas. listen for yourself to see if her credentials check out.

Recommended Song: "O Holy Night"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

If you think this is going to sound anything like the gritty incarnation of Johnny Cash that recorded the live albums at San Quentin and Folson Prison, you're wrong.  Most people have forgotten--or aren't aware--that Johnny Cash recorded a bunch of really awkward songs during his career.  These Christmas songs were recorded and released over the course of a couple of decades.  A lot of this is forgettable, and 3 of the 16 songs feature him doing cornball narration over music (something he did a lot of over his career).  This album does have some good moments, though, as his takes on the traditional Christmas songs are pretty solid.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: It's Johnny Cash, and most people are okay with that.

Recommended Song: "That Christmasy Feeling"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is a classic, of course, and even though it doesn't bring a lot of excitement, this is what I would describe as very "classy" Christmas music. It brings back the feeling of being at my grandparents' house on Christmas Day (not sure if I ever heard it there, though), and sometimes that's exactly the feeling I want to have. My recommended song listed below is a pretty obvious choice, but please be aware that the less iconic songs on this album are also terrific.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: This is well-produced music that is appropriate for a lot of different situations.

Recommended Song: "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Dallas Frazier had a modestly-successful career as a country singer, but more notably as a songwriter. This EP was released when he was like 15 years old, when he had a youthful, energetic voice. The title sounds like something that would be a Christmas classic in the vein of Mamacita Donde Esta Santa Claus, but I don't think it ever caught on. This is a pretty decent set of 4 songs, but it's not terribly remarkable.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: The title track is clever, and young male vocals bring some charm to the two traditional songs.

Recommended Song: "My Birthday Comes on Christmas"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I don't know anything about this guy, and I'm not going to check his Wikipedia page so I can add a simplistic sentence to this review.  A friend of my wife lent this to us with the knowledge of my bizarre passion for Christmas music.

I would describe his music as new-agey mellow rock, with falsetto-ish vocals that remind me of something in between Dave Matthews and the Avett Brothers.  It took me a few listens to get into this album, but it has an impressive numbers of originals mixed in with some unique takes on the traditional songs.  I'm fairly certain this guy's main body of work is Christian rock, but I won't know that until I check his Wikipedia page to see if anything I've written here is accurate (I promise I won't edit this after I check). I don't have any Christmas music that sounds like this, so it's a welcome addition to my sprawling playlist.  

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: This is kind of a subdued take on Christmas music.  Very pleasant.

Recommended Song: "The Light Came Down"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I really enjoyed watching Matlock on syndication back in the '90s.  The cover of this album made me think this would be Matlock-y, but unfortunately Andy Griffith takes his musicianship a little too seriously.  I expected this to be kind of snicker-worthy; instead it's mostly sung in a shaky baritone voice as opposed to the nasally southern tone I had expected.  Plus, there are quite a few songs where he narrates a corny story over music.  It's worth putting onto a randomly played Christmas playlist as a bit of a goof, but it's just not a very good album.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: ...Still thinking...

Recommended Song: "Go Tell It On the Mountain"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I love 70s country, and it just so happens that country music works pretty well for traditional Christmas songs. The first half of this album (I'm assuming the A-side of the LP) consists of non-traditional songs that are surprisingly catchy.  The second half has a bunch of traditional songs that are similar to the versions on every other country artist's Christmas album.  This is a solid album, but nothing really stands out.  It's definitely worth checking out if you like Merle Haggard, and the songs are short and to the point.  Bonus points for the inadvertently funny cover art and for not including a version of "Blue Christmas."

Like most country Christmas albums, this has probably been released with 9 different album names, with nearly identical tracklists.  

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: The Hag busts out 10 classics in 26 minutes.  What else would you be doing for the next 26 minutes?

Recommended Song: "If We Make It Through December" (I don't think this link is the same version that's on the album, but I also think that no one will ever click on this link anyway so who cares.)

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I saw someone emphatically recommend this album on a Reddit group for Christmas music. The genre here is indie folk, which isn't a genre I'm all that into. There are some originals and some traditional songs. This is a good album, and I can definitely see why people are into it. The sound is soothing and pleasant, at the expense of being a bit of a snoozer overall. 

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: This is a mellow album that sounds Christmassy enough.

Recommended Song: "By the Lights of St. Stephen"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is a classic album that has brought a Motown presence to my illustrious Christmas collection.  The songs that feature Michael doing most of the singing are by far the best; the rest are decent.  Their version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is pretty much the definitive pop version of this song, and it gets a lot of play on Christmas pop radio/internet stations. This is a good, not great, album.

This was the top-selling Christmas album in the US in 1970 and 1972.  What took the crown in 1971, you may ask? A Partridge Family Christmas Card.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: This is pretty good, widely available, and can usually be found at Target for $5-ish.

Recommended Songs:  "Up on the House Top"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I figured the sound of George Jones's legendary voice being boxed into the constraints of well-known Christmas songs would be highly disappointing. It turns out most of the songs George has on this album are originals, and the traditional songs are mostly done by Tammy. The fast chorus George does on "Jingle Bells" is fun, and the straightforward take on "Joy to the World" still gives some glimpses of his vocal talent. Most of these 16 songs are sung by either George or Tammy, but the first and last tracks feature both of them. Although nothing on this album is bad, it comes off as a little boring.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: It's George Jones.

Recommended Songs:  "A New Baby for Christmas"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

After I discovered that some of my favorite songs from the Slim Cessna and George Cessna Christmas albums were Loretta Lynn covers, I thought this one was worth tracking down.  It must have been a well-played album in the Cessna household, and for good reason.  It's really good.  Some traditional religious songs, some traditional secular songs, and some good originals.  Like most country Christmas albums, this has probably been released with 9 different album names, with nearly identical tracklists.  

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: If your Christmas music collection is lacking  in the female classic country genre, any version of this Loretta Lynn album would get my recommendation.

Recommended Song: "To Heck With Ole Santa Claus"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I used to love these two albums when I was a kid.  I distinctly remember thinking that they transcended the genre and should be listened to throughout the year.  My parents had both of these albums, and I don't know which I liked better.  I am aware that there have been like 19 other releases since these first two.  I've never heard them, and I'm not really interested in any of it unless it also sounds kinda like Super Nintendo music like these first two albums do.

Anyway, this was pretty futuristic-sounding back when Chip Davis sat down at the best synthesizer that money could buy in the mid-1980s.  Since those years, the overly synth-y sound has become kind of snicker-worthy, in my opinion.  However, midi drum beats and synthesizers have possibly regained some retro status in recent years, and I figured these albums were worth another listen.  I actually find the dated sound kind of charming.  The boingy drum/bass beats and fake trumpet sounds on some of the songs are kind of funny, but these albums were so popular that these versions of the songs have become somewhat definitive.  Really this should be considered background music, but the popularity and the cutting edge (at the time) approach makes them stand out.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: These albums never went out of style for some people, but the late '80s synth sound has some retro appeal, and this is well-played music.

Recommended Song: "Good King Wenceslas" and "Carol of the Bells"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Willie Nelson is one of my favorite musicians, and a vinyl copy of the "Pretty Paper" album has been part of my collection since I snagged it from a pile of my aunt Janine's records that was being sold at my grandparents' estate auction 20 years ago.  I bought "The Classic Christmas Album" on CD more recently so I'd have options for listening without having to fire up the record player.  "The Classic Christmas Album" has all of the songs from "Pretty Paper," plus a few bonus jams (and worse album cover art).  This a good mix of secular and religious classics sung in Willie Nelson's comforting voice.  Even though the iconic sound of his voice is intrinsically linked to the genre of country music, the overall sound of this album is more soft jazz than country.  The only criticism I could voice is that this isn't particularly exciting music, but it certainly provides some balance to the oddball things I'm covering elsewhere in this list.

Either version of this album can be found on CD at Amazon for well under $10, and I highly recommend them.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: Because it's Willie Nelson.  It's also a solid album, if the previous sentence isn't enough for you.

Recommended Song: "Frosty the Snowman"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I am pretty indifferent to Elvis' entire recording career, but I think this is a pretty good album.  It's the best-selling Christmas album of all time, in fact, and that might be because non-Elvis people like me can enjoy it.  This album starts of with six secular songs, two religious songs, and then 4 non-Christmas gospel songs.  The Christmas stuff is good; the non-Christmas stuff doesn't belong here.  Anyway, one fun note about this album is that his version of "White Christmas" was banned from the radio for a few years because people thought the way he sang it was too perverse.  It sounds pretty tame these days.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: You're going to hear these songs at some point anyway, so just dive in and make yourself like them.

Recommended Song: "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is the hottest act in mainstream Christmas music in recent years, and I got this for Janna as a stocking-stuffer in 2018. This isn't really my cup of tea, so I've had a hard time giving it the type of listen that would allow me to write an informed review.  I will admit that some of these are fun versions of traditional Christmas songs, but they annoyingly include some non-Christmas songs, like How Great Thou Art (great hymn, but it's not a Christmas song).

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: I find a capella music to be a little dorkus malorkus, but these tunes can spice up a Christmas playlist that is mostly comprised of more traditional forms of music.

Recommended Song: "I'll Be Home for Christmas"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Here's another all-time classic, and your enjoyment of this likely depends on your opinion of Frank Sinatra. This album is fine, but it doesn't do a whole lot for me.  I found this in the Holiday section when looking at CDs at my local library, so I didn't purchase this (I hope the Sinatra estate doesn't suffer because of this). One thing I noticed is that some of the songs on Willie Nelson's Christmas album were clearly influenced by these versions.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: There is a lot of nostalgiac value in these songs, which is kind of what Christmas is all about.

Recommended Song: "The Christmas Waltz"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music Unlimited, and your local library.

This 5-disc set was purchased by Janna quite a few years ago.  I guess each disc had been released individually on an annual basis, and there have probably been more since then.  The songs are mostly religious traditional songs, with some originals mixed in, and it's all played in a pretty straight-forward acoustic/light-rock manner.  There are also some decidedly non-Christmas songs, such as "Amazing Grace," the inclusion of which I find confusing.  Overall this is a decent collection, and it's $7.99 on iTunes for 40-some songs.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: It's calm hipster music.  You decide.

Recommended Song: "O Holy Night"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is not really a compliment, but this album took me about 10 listens before I really liked it. And it is quite good. This is a pretty low-key Christmas album with about half traditional songs and the other half being co-written by Hank Thompson. The traditional songs actually are a bit dull and ultimately a detriment to this album, but the lesser-known songs are rather catchy and end up getting stuck in my head. I know this list didn't really need one more country album that came out before I was born, but there are some excellent songs on here that aren't well-known.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: This has a very classic sound to it. There are enough traditional songs to anchor this as a Christmas album, and then the original songs really shine through.

Recommended Song: "Mr and Mrs Snowman" and "I'd Like to Have an Elephant for Christmas" and "Gonna Wrap My Heart in Ribbons" are great examples

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

I have seen this album referred to as the greatest Christmas album of all time.  That's a tough call, but I'm not going to prepare a pointed disagreement with that opinion.  There are some pretty definitive, instantly-recognizable versions of the classics on here.  The only dud song is the last one with Phil Spector giving a lame egotistical spoken message over chords from "Silent Night."  Everything else is great, though.  Featured artists are Darlene Love, The Ronettes, Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans, and The Crystals, and they are NOT phoning it in on any of these songs. There's a reason why these songs have been mainstays on radio stations for many years.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: Great 60s rock takes on traditional Christmas classics.

Recommended Song: "Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This was recommended to me, and I was intrigued by the specificity of evaluating the 1996 collection. I guess back in the '90s Dillard's released annual Christmas collection albums of roughly 10 songs each, with proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House. The copy I found on eBay probably didn't fund any charitable causes, but it was cheap enough for me to bite.

I'm pretty sure all of the songs on here can be found on Christmas albums by the artists, and it includes Frank Sinatra, Dolly Parton, Nat King Cole, etc. There's a mix of traditional songs and originals. The Dolly Parton song ("Hard Candy Christmas") is decent non-traditional tune, and Amy Grant's "Santa's Reindeer Ride" is another good one. It kind of makes me appreciate how things in the '90s were a bit simpler. This wasn't intended to be new or interesting, it's just good with a lowercase g. So rush out to Dillard's right now and see if they still have the 1996 collection on the shelves.

Category: Traditional/Classic

Why this is worth listening to: Because Dillard's rocks the house!!

Recommended Song: I'm not going to pretend that whatever link I could put here would ever get clicked.

Available from online merchants that sell used stuff.

Black Label Society is a metal band with which I have no familiarity whatsoever. You may be wondering why such a band would appear in the Background Music section of this ridiculous list, and it's because this collection of three instrumental songs is apparently an extreme departure from their main body of work. This sounds kind of like a talented guitarist noodling his way through a few Christmas classics. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but it's not that exciting. Honestly when I hear these songs I picture someone playing these songs through a practice amp for tips on Fremont Street in Las Vegas... and I guess I would probably be inclined to tip the guy.

Category: Background Music

Why this is worth listening to: It's not bad, but I think the intended audience was fans of the band. 

Recommended Song: "I'll Be Home for Christmas"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

In 2018 found this in a pile of CDs that Janna had acquired before we got married.  She claims to have no memory of why or how she got this.  I was all set to write a review of this in which I would decry the minimal effort that most musicians need to put into making a Christmas album.  I'm sure the idea behind this album was to be the perfect sonic accompaniment to snuggling with your sweater-wearing significant other next to the fireplace on Christmas Eve.  I guess it does capture that mood, but I just don't feel this album breaks any new ground in the genre of instrumental piano Christmas music.  This all changed, however, when the last song, titled "Even Santa Fell in Love," kicked in.  Jim Brickman dares to sing on this cut, and the result is so incredibly sappy that it pushes the album over the top into an area of redemption (for me).  Sometimes it's just about finding the one song you like.

Category: Background Music

Why this is worth listening to: Tracks 1 through 11 are completely banal, and then track 12 brings the cringe.

Recommended Song: "Even Santa Fell in Love"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This guy plays the organ at my church, and he has been successful as a performing pianist all over the world and as a producer of some musical shows in Las Vegas and beyond.  Philip Fortenberry is a spectacularly talented musician, and this album, while landing squarely in the background music category, is a very nice addition to a Christmas music collection.  It's completely instrumental solo piano songs, and it mostly consists of traditional religious Christmas songs.

Category: Background Music

Recommended Song: [I don't typically recommend specific songs for background music]

Available at http://www.watchfiremusic.com/album.php?dcid=149

This album has had a pretty big hipster revival in recent years (available in several colors of vinyl, I'm sure).  Obviously the music brings to mind the classic TV special, but it's also very calm Christmas music that is hard to object to.  As a parent, I do kind of object to the TV special itself, since it comes off as a full hour of angry cartoon kids talking rudely to each other, but the soundtrack is great.  

I've seen lists that put this in the top 5 Christmas albums of all time.  I'm not sure I'm on board with that, but this is a solid album.  That said, I'm categorizing it as background music, because this isn't something that you're likely to crank up on the car stereo.

The 2012 re-release version includes two bonus songs from the other Charlie Brown holiday specials: "Great Pumpkin Waltz," which I added to my playlist of Halloween songs, plus "Thanksgiving Theme" which brings my total collection of Thanksgiving songs to 2.

Category: Background Music

Recommended Song: "Greensleeves"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

My mom lent this to me. I believe my dad might have performed with Camille Metoyer Moten at some point, or at least my parents knew her loosely.  Anyway, this album mostly contains straightforward light jazz versions of slower Christmas songs.  A couple of the songs spice things up a bit, but the album lives up to its title.

This probably belongs in my "Traditional/Classic" category, but it is subdued enough to seem like background music to me. This would work well during the dinner portion of your holiday party, but you'll switch to something else after dinner when everyone has had a few drinks and is ready to get wild.

Category: Background Music

Recommended Song: [I don't typically recommend specific songs for background music]

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This album became part of my collection when Janna and I exchanged vows (and no, I didn't just marry her for her 5 or 6 Christmas CDs).  It's background music, and it will fill the grandiose choir music void in your collection.  Not much else to say.

Category: Background Music

Recommended Song: [I don't typically recommend specific songs for background music]

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is a good idea for a concept album. As the title suggests, these are Christmas songs performed in the style of Mozart's sound. I'm not going to pretend that I really know what that means, but this does indeed sound like what I would normally recognize as the sound of Mozart. The sound quality of the recording is fantastic, and this is a little more interesting than most other albums of orchestral Christmas music. Plus it has terrific cover art.

Category: Background Music

Recommended Song: "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

This is a good example for why I should "shop around" before purchasing some things.  I have an appreciation for Cajun music, and this was one of the things that I came up when I searched for "Cajun Christmas" on Amazon.  Jo-El Sonnier is a revered player of the accordion, and this album had solid reviews, so I went for it.  Don't get me wrong, this is pretty good, but it would really benefit from some vocals.  In looking back, some of the other albums that came up on Amazon would have delivered a similar approach to Christmas tunes along with the French/Louisiana accent I was looking for.  Anyway, this was pretty cheap to buy, and these straightforward and energetic takes on recognizable Christmas carols are enjoyable to listen to.

Category: Background Music

Why this is worth listening to: These are fun Cajun versions of Christmas classics, with lots of proficiently-played accordion and fiddle.

Recommended Song: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

In an effort to boost my son's sense of music appreciation, I have twice taken him to see a free concert by northern Nevada's premier community handbell ensemble Tintabulations.  After the first performance that we attended, I noticed a Christmas album available for purchase at their merch table. Don't mind if I do!

Listening to a handbell choir isn't nearly as entertaining as watching one, but this makes for a good presentation of Christmas music.  I'm sure it's really difficult to mic a handbell choir for optimal recording, and the overall sound quality on this isn't perfect.  Now I feel bad for criticizing a community handbell ensemble for not having a huge recording budget.  This is a nice album, though, and now my multi-genre Christmas playlist includes some handbell music.

Category: Background Music

Recommended Song: [I don't typically recommend specific songs for background music]

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

Another contribution from Janna.  This was recorded in the '60s, and it's probably considered a definitive recording of The Nutcracker Suite.  I would never sit and listen to this straight through, but some of the songs are good to have mixed in with a larger Christmas playlist.

Category: Background Music

Recommended Song: [I don't typically recommend specific songs for background music]

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

There are probably about 85 albums called "Celtic Christmas," and I bet they all sound a lot like this one.  I was a little worried that it would sound too much like Santa's elves doing yoga at Stonehenge, but this is pretty restrained.  There's plenty of harp and pan-flute (or whatever) to help you get your Celtic jollies, and the vocals are pleasant.  I was stunned to see that "Auld Lang Syne" was not on the track list, but they tricked me: the last song subtly transitions into it.  

All in all, this album is just fine, but nothing really stands out.  It cost me $0.99, so I'm satisfied with getting what I paid for.

Category: Background Music

Why this is worth listening to: Although this album isn't a unique idea, it can be purchased via download for 99 cents.  That's got to be cheaper than the other options.

Recommended Song: [I don't typically recommend specific songs for background music]

Available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music Unlimited.

If you've made it this far, and you'd like to listen to some funny and cute Christmas songs I've recorded with my kids, you can download them from my Google Drive or stream on YouTube.