What would Christmas-time be without the music? Like all of life’s formative moments and stories, the songs and albums that soundtrack our holiday traditions are as essential an ingredient to the entire season as the cookies, presents, decorations and television specials that help define this time of love and family. And like a youngster’s seemingly never ending Christmas list to Santa Claus, there’s a vast vault of musical selections to choose from. From the very infancy of popular music, Christmas-themed records have been an enormous genre all to themselves, and nearly every act of every era has at some point offered some sort of contribution to that catalog. Some of those selections are festive, while others are movingly spiritual. Some offer hope for the future, while others shed light on the loneliness that can cast a frost over the season. Some have become musical standards in the annals of American music, while others are just plain strange. Regardless, whatever this time of year means to you, you’re bound to find a record to represent that.
To celebrate the season here at The 706, I’ll be sharing with you my own holiday soundtrack with a two-part list of what I’ve deemed my essential seasonal albums. These selections are deeply rooted in the recordings of the traditional pop vocalists that helped blueprint the classic Christmas sound, then navigates through some pop and country classics and finally, throws in a few modern classics from the contemporary era. They are not “ranked”, but rather listed in chronological order. For the sake of variety and fairness, only one entry is allowed per artist.
Enjoy, and don’t hesitate to shout out your own favorites in the comments section. Merry Christmas!
Bing Crosby- Merry Christmas, 1945
Although actually a compilation of previously released tracks that was assembled to capitalize on the emerging long-player market, Bing Crosby’s 1945 classic is one of the first significant blueprints for all Christmas albums that followed. It remains as definitive of a Christmas collection as anything that has, or ever will, follow it. With his rich, deep baritone in all its glorious wonder, Crosby bestows the holiday with all of the reverence that it so deeply deserves. His renditions of “Silent Night”, “Adeste Fideles” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” are sung with all the dignified regality they call for, and his sterling vocal prowess is astutely accompanied by equally elegant arrangements and hair raising supporting voices. But for all his stately commitment to the true meaning of the season, Crosby’s not afraid to loosen up for some jauntier moments. His unions with The Andrews Sisters on entries like “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” are pure joy, but none greater than the positively gleeful “Mele Kalikimaka”.
Frank Sinatra- A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra, 1957
I love those J-I-N-G-L-E bells! Indeed we do, as well as everything else about this golden classic from Ol’ Blue Eyes. True to his personality’s iconic combination of boozy and brilliant, Frank Sinatra’s first Christmas album is as essential to his scope as an artist as any other definitive record in his discography. His sterling voice splendidly graces a wide array of staples ranging from “Have Yourself A Merry Christmas” to “The Christmas Song” to “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!”, but perhaps no performance is as magnificently majestic or moving as his peerlessly yearning rendition of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”. Elsewhere, he brings the unique magic of Christmas Eve to life with beguiling wonder on “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”, while his thrilling take on “Jingle Bells” will have you grabbing for the schnapps and singing along deliriously. The added magic provided by The Ralph Brewster Sisters and Gordon Jenkins’ orchestral arrangements prove just as essential in crafting this masterpiece as Sinatra himself. A special and dreamy listen, through and through.
Elvis Presley- Elvis’ Christmas Album, 1957
Well, of course. What would Christmas be without Elvis? The biggest selling holiday album of all time, Elvis’ Christmas Album is essentially where the season received its first full-blown rock & roll reincarnation. And what an electrifying and invigorating experience it is. Presley crystallizes the intoxicating and buzz-worthy elements of his still burgeoning hit-making style and reshapes the identity of multiple secular Christmas tunes, unleashes a few new standards of his own, and wraps up the album with a side of beautiful gospel-tinged spirituals. His boundless skill as a balladeer gets a prime showcase with gems like “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, “Silent Night” and his signature version of “There’ll Be Peace In the Valley”. Meanwhile, “Here Comes Santa Claus” is rockabilly Presley in all his glory. The definitive highlights will of course forever be the double-sided pair of singles the album produced. “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” remains a red-hot revelation, while the luscious “Blue Christmas” will forever be Presley’s ultimate holiday track. This record encapsulates everything that’s special about the season. Play Side A at your annual Christmas bash. Play Side B as you prepare to head to Christmas Eve mass.
Nat King Cole- The Christmas Song, 1960
An absolutely masterful album that immediately returns me to Christmas memories of my youth. It was tradition for my dad to play this record every Christmas Eve before we’d leave for the annual gathering at my grandparents’ house. The lush, sweeping strings. Cole’s powerfully superlative vocals that will make any listener melt. I can still close my eyes and see us listening in the glow of tree lights. There’s just such a liberating sense of peace and comfort that resides in each and every note of this beautiful body of performances. When the crass commercialism and manic hustle and bustle of the season starts to eat away at you, simply turn on this album. You’ll instantly reconnect with the true meaning of the season. Cole is a vocal genius and songs like “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)”, “The First Noel”, “Deck the Halls”, “O Tannenbaum”- hell- every single song on this record forever belongs first and foremost to Cole. Gorgeous and inspired, from beginning to end.
Ella Fitzgerald- Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas, 1960
A stupendous union of classic cosmopolitan sounds and unadulterated, swinging fun. Fitzgerald pulls no punches on this legendary performance. The supporting orchestra plays brilliantly. The backing vocalists are irresistible. And Ella herself gorgeously sings with all of the jazzy style, stunning clarity and infectious personality that has always defined her greatness. The blistering pace of opener “Jingle Bells” will immediately get you dancing with joy. She injects “Sleigh Ride” with a cooing sense of fun flirtation that no other version has ever possessed. And the medley of “We Three Kings of Orient Are/O Little Town of Bethlehem” is chillingly breathtaking. It’s best remembered however, and rightfully so, for the sultry one-two punch of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”. No other artist has ever cast a spell quite so magically on these tunes before, and no one ever will again.
Andy Williams, The Andy Williams Christmas Album, 1963
Andy Williams became one of many traditional vocalists from his era that became synonymous with the sound of the Christmas season. Case in point: this was the first of eight seasonal albums that he recorded over the course of his staggering career. While there’s plenty offered by those subsequent releases, particularly the 1965 sequel, there’s simply no topping the original. You’re immediately transfixed into a magical Christmas wonderland the instant that opener “White Christmas” unveils the spell-binding combination of the wintry production and his rich, pure vocals. And that hypnotic trance doesn’t let up for a moment for the duration of the album. His fabulous reads of tracks like “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)”, “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night” are the very essence of this magical sub-genre. Most entertaining however is his ability to balance such soul-stirring and emotional moments with the new classic, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, a booming burst of cheer that has yet to be matched nearly sixty years later.
Various Artists, A Christmas Gift For You From Philles Records, 1963
An incomparable benchmark for all Christmas albums that followed it, Phil Spector’s masterpiece initially suffered from critical and commercial backlashes while coinciding with the aforementioned Andy Williams release, not to mention the horrific distinction of being released on the day of President Kennedy’s assassination. Today, it’s impossible to think of it as anything but a definitive moment, not only in the lexicon of Christmas records, but in pop and R&B music in general. It’s arguably also the ultimate accomplishment in Spector’s entire Wall of Sound discography. His grandiose production preferences naturally lend themselves to the vividly imaginative identity of the season itself, while doubling as a magnificent showcase for the perfectly selected pairings of singers and songs throughout the album. The entire album is spectacular, but The Ronettes (“Sleigh Ride”, “Frosty the Snowman”, and”I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”) and Darlene Love (“White Christmas”, “Marshmallow World”, and her original and soon-to-be-standard “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”) are the undeniable centerpieces. It’s one of those dazzling records that is instantly recognizable, yet also fills you with the excitement of hearing it for the first time on each successive listen.
Vince Guaraldi Trio- A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965
An absolutely unparalleled treasure of a record. This gorgeously cozy piece of jazz magic doubles as both an flat-out entertaining musical experience, as well as an enchanting piece of nostalgic joy for generations with memories of watching the television special of the same name during childhood. The expert arrangements and performances are equally dignified and accessible. The blend of traditional Christmas tunes like “O Tannenbaum” and “What Child Is This” with classic Peanuts fare like “Linus and Lucy”, “Christmas Time Is Here”, “Christmas Is Coming” and “Skating” is brilliantly executed and fits together like a glove. If only one album on this list perfectly fits the idea of a soundtrack to the season, it’s unquestionably this one. Loaded with charming personality, palpable emotion and beautifully swinging musicianship, A Charlie Brown Christmas easily ranks among the most uniquely cherished albums ever recorded.
Buck Owens- Christmas with Buck Owens & The Buckaroos, 1965
Christmas gets a Bakersfield twist and, much like everything Buck Owens was recording during this peak run, it exudes red-hot twang and electricity. The Buckaroos’ signature template of Telecaster riffs, mournful steel guitars and one-of-a-kind harmonies colors this record as prominently as any other hit recording of theirs at the time, with their infectious instrumental reinvention of “Jingle Bells” being the prime example. That track also proves to be the only standard found here, with the remainder of the album fleshed out with mostly originals from Owens and his boys. Among those is of course, “Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy”, a rip-roaring good time that would deservedly become its own version of a standard in the honky tonk universe. Meanwhile, steel-drenched, somber moments like “Blue Christmas Lights”, “Christmas Ain’t Christmas” and “It’s Christmas Time for Everyone But Me” are as heart-wrenching as “Cryin’ Time” and any other sad country classic that helped define the 60s C&W landscape.
Stevie Wonder- Someday at Christmas, 1967
With its lush and dynamic production accompanying his magnificent voice, Wonder’s first Christmas LP powerfully captures the many layers and emotions of the season. It’s soulfully spiritual at times, bouncy and playful at others, and socially conscious right to the core as well. You may need to take a breather three tracks in to completely process his effortless balance of angelic drama with rustic beauty on a devastating read of “Ave Maria”. Once you’ve done that, you can seek warm and familiar comfort by indulging in his jazzy interpretation of “The Christmas Song”. The bulk of the album however is an introduction of new or unfamiliar Christmas compositions, and the two very best quickly etched themselves in the annals of holiday classics. The insatiable rhythm of “What Christmas Means To Me” is two and half minutes of brisk joy that absolutely never gets old no matter how many times you’ve heard it. It reconnects you with the magical wonder of the season that captivated you as a child. Then there’s “Someday at Christmas”, a profound war-time plea for peace and unity that is an untouchable masterpiece across all boundaries of popular music. Like so many of his legendary albums, Someday at Christmas captures the entire essence of Wonder as an all-around artist.
Listen on Apple Music: Twenty Essential Christmas Albums, Part I
Continue to Part II here.
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