Turn on the radio or enter a department store during the holiday season and you’d be hard-pressed to hear anything other than the same dozen versions of the same dozen Christmas songs. This can sour some people to the entire genre. However, brand new christmas songs are being written all the time, and alternate versions of the classics are always being recorded; alternate takes so sonically departed from the original they almost sound like different songs. These are the songs I’ve compiled here; songs that are fun, magical, moving, merry and bright.
Shouldn’t the most blessed and magical season of the year be accompanied by a unique and equally magical listening experience? I find this in songs where each person who listens may hear a different message or meaning. It’s surprisingly hard to find this charm of ambiguity in Christmas songs, but I’ve included a few of them here. Songs like Sia’s “Snowman” and “25th December” by the band Everything But The Girl. These tunes reveal different meanings upon every listen, which feels like magic in itself, going perfectly with the magic of the season.
There are many other newly written Christmas songs at the core of this playlist, but if you find charm in the classics, there are plenty of those here too. The Temptations take on “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” gives a funky and soulful twist to the well-known song. The a cappella renditions of “Mary, Did You Know” from Pentatonix and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” from Rascal Flatts are so moving, they could give even our “Christmas At The Beach” playlist the chills. Christmas tunes that have been around for a while but are often overlooked are also included. Songs like Joni Mitchell’s “River,” covered here by James Taylor; and Stevie Wonder’s “What Christmas Means To Me,” one of my personal favorites, classic or otherwise.
If you’re one of many who have grown weary of the same holiday music year after year, perhaps this playlist will be a rejuvenation of the genre. I hope these songs add some magic, joy, and light to your holiday season.
- Step Into Christmas – Elton John
- Santa Claus Santa Claus – Keb’ Mo’
- Snowman – Sia
- 25th December – Everything But The Girl
- Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer – The Temptations
- What Christmas Means To Me – Stevie Wonder
- Mistletoe – Justin Bieber
- Mary, Did You Know? – Pentatonix
- Pretty Paper – Dolly Parton (with Willie Nelson)
- River – James Taylor
- Winter Wonderland – Elvis Presley
- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – The Jackson 5
- Moonlight, Mistletoe & You – Keb’ Mo’
- I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Rascal Flatts
Merry Christmas and God Bless
Written and Curated by Anna Waggoner