BEST CHRISTMAS ALBUM OF THE YEAR, EVERY YEAR
I haven’t reviewed every Christmas album that has ever existed, that would be a tedious journey into Christmas hell. But because of my prior occupation as a DJ and my relentless study of all genres of music, I’m somewhat of an expert. I have spent a significant amount of time listening to Christmas recordings, way more than the average person. In fact, I have a fairly eccentric holiday music collection of the best Christmas albums (in my expert opinion) from every year since 1942. Therefore, this makes me qualified each year to announce the “Best Christmas Album of the Year” award. So for all of you Christmas music lovers, here is a deep dive into the most comprehensive list of Christmas albums ever assembled. To view the list without the commentary, click here. You can also click below to view by decade.
1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020
1942
’Twas the Night Before Christmas, Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians (Decca)
(reissued in 1955 featuring additional songs)
To the best of my knowledge, this is the earliest full-length Christmas album ever released, which was later reissued in 1947 and 1955 featuring additional tracks. Fred Waring, who was often referred to as “The Man Who Taught America How To Swing”, assembled The Pennsylvanians vocal group while attending Penn State University in 1918. Between 1929–1950, Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians became regulars on the radio airwaves and were frequently featured in movies and television. The band had over 50 chart toppers, but the release of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas is their most memorable recording today. The 1955 arrangements of “Jingle Bells“ and “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” in particular really stand out. “Jingle Bells” consists of multiple key and tempo changes and feature a variety of rhythmic styles, while “Rudolph” is quite possibly the silliest and most absurd Christmas song ever recorded.
1945
Merry Christmas, Bing Crosby (Decca)
(reissued in 1995 titled, White Christmas)
After Fred Waring’s ’Twas the Night Before Christmas in 1942, the world would have to wait three more years before another full-length Christmas album would be released. In 1945 Bing Crosby debuted Merry Christmas, which to this day is still one of the most popular holiday albums ever to be released and features the biggest selling single of all-time, “White Christmas”. The nickname, “The Voice of Christmas” was bestowed upon Crosby following the massive success of the album (and many more to come), and would catapult Christmas albums into an annual holiday event. The album was not only the top-selling record of 1945, but also of 1946–1950. It currently ranks 24th in the top-selling holiday albums of all time.
1946
Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music, Perry Como (RCA)
❄️runner-up: Christmas Hymns and Carols Volume 1, Robert Shawn Chorale
The first of four Perry Como Christmas albums ranging from 1946–1968, all ranking among the best-selling Christmas albums of all time. Como’s 1946 album was re-released in 1947 (which was the only full-length holiday album released that year), 1951, and 1956, with each release changing the order of the songs as well as adding and replacing others. Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music came at a time when the “crooning” craze was at its peak in the mid-1940's.
1948
Christmas Songs by Sinatra, Frank Sinatra (Columbia)
(reissued in 1957 titled, Christmas Dreaming, and then again in 1966 titled, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas)
Following in the footsteps of Waring, Crosby, and Como, Sinatra gets us in the Christmas spirit with his smooth vocal deliveries and classic warm baritone sound. His rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” was the best it had ever sounded since it was first introduced by Judy Garland in 1944. Listen on Spotify
1949
Christmas Greetings, Bing Crosby (Decca)
Bing was back with another holiday release, off the heals of his still #1 top-selling Christmas Album (Merry Christmas) from 1945. Christmas Greetings was a relatively fresh renewal to the holiday music season, featuring a playful collaboration with the Andrew Sisters on “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Twelve Days of Christmas”, while also introducing a new song, “You’re All I Want For Christmas”. Despite the promising new record, Crosby, who had already cornered the holiday music market, still failed to outsell his predecessor album, that was released four years prior.
1950
Christmas Cheer, The Andrew Sisters, Dick Haymes, Danny Kaye, and Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (Decca)
Christmas Cheer, a compilation album featuring some of the Decca label’s top entertainers, was the only full-length Christmas record released in 1950. Its memorable highlights consisted of the lovely vocal blend of the Andrew Sisters and the fairly annoying “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” by Danny Kaye.
1951
Christmas with Patti Page (Mercury)
(reissued in 1955 with additional songs)
Not to be confused with the 1965 Columbia Records album of the same name, Christmas with Patti Page (from Mercury Records) came out when Page was in her best vocal years at the young age of 24. The album wonderfully characterizes her heartwarming vocal style. Its record sales placed second behind Mario Lanza Sings Christmas Songs, by popular opera singer and Hollywood film star, Mario Lanza. Christmas with Patti Page has more of a 1950s nostalgic quality to it, making it a more impressionable listening experience.
1952
Christmas Hymns and Carols volume 2, The Robert Shaw Chorale (RCA)
(only available on CD and Vinyl, Currently not available for streaming, )
A protégé of Fred Waring in the 1940s, Robert Shaw became one of the most famous conductors in America, most notably for his high-quality recording production standards and his insistence on his choirs being racially integrated. Christmas Hymns and Carols volume 2, is the sequel to volume 1, which was recorded in 1946. Both volumes rank among the greatest Christmas choral records ever made.
1953
Christmas with Arthur Godfrey and All The Little Godfreys, Arthur Godfrey (Columbia)
❄️runner-up: Around The Christmas Tree, Perry Como
There was stiff competition from Perry Como’s Around The Christmas Tree in 1953, but radio and television broadcaster Arthur Godfrey released a more entertaining record with the addition of guest vocalists Julius La Rosa, The Maguire Sisters, and Haleloke Kahauolopua. Christmas with Arthur Godfrey and All The Little Godfreys was the top-selling Christmas album in 1953, just before a sharp decline in Godfrey’s popularity as his notorious on-air firings damaged his everyday family man reputation. Listen on Spotify
1954
A Cool Yuletide, Urbie Green and his All-Stars (X)
❄️runner-up: Selection’s from Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Peggy Lee
A Cool Yuletide is a bit of a treasure, as it just recently became available for download following the passing of trombone jazz veteran, Urbie Green. Before then, the only way to hear this great Christmas jazz was from the original 1954 first vinyl pressing. Urbie Green is accompanied by his band of “All-Stars”; the group name is not an exaggeration. These guys are the real deal, including Milt Hinton, one of the greatest bass players of all time. Together they showcase their great improvisational skills and put together a respectable record.
1955
Happy Holiday, Jo Stafford (Columbia)
(songs from the 1955 album are included on the 1999 compilation album, Happy Holidays — I Love The Winter Weather)
One of the absolute most classic and recognizable voices during the WW2 Big Band era, Jo Stafford was given the nickname “G.I. Jo” by U.S. soldiers whom she regularly performed for during the war. According to music historian and author Gene Lees, the Japanese military would often play Stafford’s music over loudspeakers in an attempt to make American soldiers feel homesick and surrender. Stafford’s Happy Holiday was well received and became the top-selling Christmas album of 1955. Sadly, much of Stafford’s material is out of print today and was never transferred over to the digital era due to a fire at Universal Studios where the master recordings were stored and destroyed.
1956
Merry Christmas from Lawrence Welk and His Champagne Music, Lawrence Welk (Coral)
❄️runner-up: A Christmas Sing with Bing Around the Wold, Bing Crosby
During a time when American society was rapidly changing in the 1950s and 60s, you could always depend on bandleader and variety television show host Lawrence Welk to keep things familiar, and extra corny. That high level of musical cheeseball is what Welk’s liked to call “champagne music”. His 1956 Christmas record was consistent with the television show’s overtly happy tone. The album reached no. 8 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, and was the highest selling Christmas album of the year.
1957
Elvis’ Christmas Album, Elvis Presley (RCA)
(re-released in 1976 titled, Blue Christmas, and again in 1985 titled, It’s Christmas Time, and finally re-released yet again in 1995 going back to its original 1957 title)
❄️runner-up: A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra
Most people are quite familiar with Elvis’ Christmas Album, which spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and was Presley’s first record to receive Diamond certification status (10 million+ copies sold). The album introduced two new Christmas songs, “Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me”, and the blues-based “Santa Claus Is Back in Town”. Presley’s rock and blues-based Christmas album broke the mostly jazz and crooner-based traditions that predated Elvis. Not everyone was a fan, nor were they happy about breaking tradition. Irving Berlin, the composer of “White Christmas”, despised Presley’s version and campaigned to have the song banned from radio airplay. Berlin’s request was largely ignored, and the record went on to become the greatest selling Christmas album of all time, with more than 20 million copies sold.
1958
To Wish You a Merry Christmas, Harry Belafonte (RCA)
❄️runner-up: Merry Christmas, Johnny Mathis
Jamaican-American pop star Harry Belafonte goes mostly sacred with traditional carols like “Silent Night” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”, but also offers a more spirituals-like setlist with songs such as the beautifully mournful, “A Star in the East”, and “Mary’s Boy Child”.
1959
A Winter Romance, Dean Martin (Capitol)
❄️runner-up: Christmas Dance Party, Lester Lanin
Dean Martin’s only Christmas release for Capitol Records, A Winter Romance veers back to the familiar Christmas formula of the crooner-style songs with not much new to offer stylistically, but still a pleasant listening experience. It’s quite common today to hear Martin’s renditions of “Let It Snow” and “Winter Wonderland” while out shopping in December. The cover art is pretty legendary, as it illustrates a picture of Martin at a ski resort, embracing a young woman while simultaneously flirting with another.
1960
The Magic of Christmas, Nat King Cole (Capitol)
(re-issued in 1962 titled, The Christmas Song)
❄️runner-up: Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas, Ella Fitzgerald
Undoubtedly, the greatest year for Christmas music was in the year 1960. Duke Ellington, Pegy Lee, Odetta, Bobby Darin, The Kingston Trio, and Shorty Rogers all released popular Christmas records that year, but it was Ella Fitzgerald’s Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas and Nat King Cole’s The Magic of Christmas, that both are among the 10 greatest Christmas albums of all time. Between the two, it’s kind of impossible to rank, they are both amazing. Ella’s Swinging Christmas is more fun, upbeat, and jazzy, but for most people, Cole’s Magic of Christmas has more sentimental value as it offers more nostalgic fireside Christmas feelings. When it comes to a Christmas carol sing-off, it’s gonna be pretty tough to beat Nat King Cole. The Magic of Christmas was the best-selling Christmas album of the decade, selling over 6 million copies.
1961
Sound of Christmas, Ramsey Lewis Trio (Argo)
❄️runner-up: This Time of Year, June Christy
An instrumental jazz album that really gets cookin’, particularly on blues-based tracks like “Merry Christmas Baby”, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, and a song composed by Lewis, “Christmas Blues”. The album is well arranged and, for the most part has a really nice groove.
1962
I Wish You A Merry Christmas, Bing Crosby (Warner Bros.)
(reissued in 1977 titled, Bing Crosby’s Christmas Classics, and again in 1998 entitled, Winter Wonderland)
❄️runner-up: The Glorious Sound of Christmas, Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra
1962 delivered the magnificent classical Christmas album from Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, The Glorious Sound of Christmas, but as glorious as it sounds, it’s tough to surpass the Christmas perennial all-star, Bing Crosby. Crosby’s voice was 59 years old and sounded just as merry and Christmassy as ever. At the time, nobody could capitalize on the holidays like Bing Crosby.
1963
The Joy of Christmas, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Columbia)
❄️runner-up: A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector, Darlene Love, The Ronettes, The Crystals, Bob B. Soxx, The Blue Jeans
It’s another classical Christmas recording with orchestra and choir, but each song is so uniquely arranged that it has to be recognized on this list. This might be a slightly controversial pick to all of those Andy Williams and Smokey Robinson fans out there, who both released Christmas albums in 1963, including William’s giant hit “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year”. However, Bernstein’s Joy of Christmas is too good to come in 2nd as it really captures the essence of the Christmas occasion. It’s one of the rare classical Christmas albums to reach Gold certification status.
1964
Holiday Soul, Bobby Timmons (Prestige)
❄️runner-up: The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album
The Beach Boys, Doris Day, Fred Waring, Sinatra, Crosby…it’s a long list of Christmas heavy hitters in 1964, but it is jazz great Bobby Timmons who really brought it that year. Timmons, whose life ended short at the age of 38, is severely underrated as a jazz performer as well as an undervalued jazz composer. He’s one of the early contributors to the sub-genre, “soul jazz”, which incorporates flavors of blues, soul, and gospel. When mixed together with Christmas, the outcome is an album with delicious jazz arrangements. It might be hard to find a more satisfying version of Timmon’s samba-like “Deck the Halls”…it’s undoubtedly the most soulful, as is the rest of the album.
1965
A Charlie Brown Christmas (soundtrack), Vince Guaraldi (Fantasy)
❄️runner-up: Merry Christmas, The Supremes
One of the most influential jazz records to date. For many jazz musicians, A Charlie Brown Christmas was their very first exposure to jazz. It regularly appears in every music publication’s Christmas Top 10 Albums list, and for many it’s considered to be the greatest and most beloved Christmas album ever made. Guaraldi introduced four original compositions on the album, “Linus and Lucy”, “Skating”, “Christmas is Coming”, and “Christmas Time Is Here”, with the latter becoming a Christmas standard. It also features five Christmas carols that were all creatively arranged by Guaraldi in his tender sounding cool-jazz style. A Charlie Brown Christmas went on to go quadruple platinum, becoming the 10th best-selling holiday album of all time.
1966
A Christmas Treasure (RCA.), Julie Andrews with The Orchestra, Harpsichord & André Previn.
(re-issued in 1999 titled, Greatest Christmas Songs)
❄️runner-up: James Brown Sings Christmas Songs, James Brown
James Brown had the most groundbreaking Christmas album of 1966, with an exciting record full of terrific funky originals. But a Christmas album featuring Julie Andrews, coming fresh off of two classic movie musicals (Mary Poppins, 1964, The Sound of Music, 1965), is just too good to pass up. This is in large part thanks to conductor and song arranger, André Previn. A Christmas Treasure does not disappoint. The arrangements are sublime. In “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”, the strings are dancing around Andrew’s beautifully clear voice. “Jingle Bells”, sounds like a sweeping whirlwind of brass and strings. It’s a joyous occasion on a grandiose scale.
1967
A Christmas Album, Barbra Streisand (Columbia)
❄️runner-up: Ella Fitzgerald’s Christmas
An absolute classic. A Christmas Album was not only the top-selling Christmas record of 1967 (outselling the superb Someday At Christmas by Stevie Wonder), but it was one of Streisand’s best-selling albums of her career. It is also one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time, selling more than 5 million copies. Streisand’s version of “Jingle Bells”, with the unorthodox tempo changes and ultra-fun vibe, is perhaps the most memorable version of Jingle Bells ever produced.
1968
A Soulful Christmas, James Brown (King Records)
❄️runner-up: Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album
The “Godfather of Soul” returns with his second Christmas album and again does not disappoint. It was not as big of a commercial success as Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album, but Brown again delivers on another record full of originals, including the title track “Soulful Christmas”, the unforgettable “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto”, and the uplifting “Let’s Unite the Whole World At Christmas”.
1969
Merry Ole Soul, Duke Pearson (Blue Note)
Following in the footsteps of pianists Ramsey Lewis and Bobby Timmons, Blue Note Records veteran Duke Pearson released a gem of a Christmas jazz album. All songs were arranged by Pearson, featuring the most unique renditions of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, and “Wassail Song”. After considering all the great jazz pianists who have done a Christmas album, (Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, Vince Guaraldi, Oscar Peterson, Ramsey Lewis, Bobby Timmons, Cyrus Chestnut, Ellis Marsalis, Eddie Higgins, Geri Allen), Merry Ole Soul is the quintessential Christmas jazz piano album to get.
1970
Christmas Album, The Jackson 5 (Motown)
(re-released in 2003 as part of their 20th Century Masters: The Christmas Collection series, and again in 2009 with the title of Ultimate Christmas Collection)
❄️runner-up: Hey America, James Brown. Asalto Navideño, Willie Colón & Héctor Lavoe
Coming off the heels of 3 hugely successful records, the time was ripe for a Jackson 5 Christmas album. Christmas Album was the top-selling Christmas record of 1970, and went on to sell more than 3.5 million copies. “Someday At Christmas”, “Give Love On Christmas Day”, and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town“ highlighted young Michael Jackson’s dynamic voice, and to this day the songs continue to get heavy airplay during the holiday season.
1971
Christmas Festival, Renata Tebaldi (London Records)
❄️runner-up: Elvis sings The Wonderful World of Christmas, Elvis Presley
While Renata Tebaldi is one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century, unfortunately we do not get to hear her in her prime on this recording, as her voice is a bit darker sounding. With that said, her performance is still majestic and is accompanied beautifully by the New Philharmonia Orchestra. The power and artistry of her voice is prevalent, especially on “O Holy Night”, “Panis Angelicus”, and both Gounod and Schubert’s “Ave Maria”.
1972
Pop Goes Christmas, Arthur Fiedler and The Boston Pops (RCA)
(re-issued in 1987 with the changed title, A Christmas Festival (RCA)
❄️runner-up: The Johnny Cash Family Christmas
For many people, the Boston Pops orchestra is the epitome of how Christmas should sound. Arthur Fiedler conducts a heartwarming performance that resonates with even the snobbiest of classical music lovers. Pop Goes Christmas is a bit of a guilty pleasure, and as cheesy as it can be at times, it’s still an enjoyable listening experience.
1973
Asalto Navideño: Vol. 2, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, & Yomo Toro (Fania Records)
❄️runner-up: A Motown Christmas
Asalto Navideño: Vol. 2 is the sequel to the groundbreaking Volume 1 salsa classic from 1970, by trombonist, Willie Colón. It is the best-selling Christmas salsa album of all-time that combines great talent with classic Puerto Rican Christmas songs. The 1973 sequel is just as fun, and over time evolved into another classic. A re-issue was later released, featuring volumes 1 & 2.
1974
Christmas at St. John’s, Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge / George Guest (Argo)
❄️runner-up: Christmas Present, Andy Williams
With over 100 recordings published, the Choir of St. John’s College in Cambridge is considered to be one of the best collegiate choirs in the world. Christmas at St. John’s features a boys choir that sounds very clean and really shines when singing Christmas carols, as well as the beautiful lullaby-sounding, “Suo Gân”.
1975
Merry Christmas from Sesame Street (Children’s Television Workshop)
❄️runner-up: Rocky Mountain Christmas, John Denver
The album features a nice mashup song between ”We Wish You A Merry Christmas” and the “Sesame Street Theme Song”. There’s also a lovely duet with Bert & Earnie on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, and an amusing angry solo from Oscar the Grouch (“I Hate Christmas”), among other favorites. The brightest spot on the album is the traditional Puerto Rican Christmas song, “Saludo”, performed by Maria and Luis, which is so good that if you were to ever randomly hear it on the radio and out of context, you’d never believe the song came from a Sesame Street record.
1976
Cantate Domino, Oscars Motettkör & Torsten Nilsson (Proprius)
❄️runner-up: Nueva Navidad, Ednita Nazario
A favorite among audiophiles, Cantate Domino is widely regarded as one of the greatest audiophile masterpieces ever recorded. The album was recorded by legendary sound engineer Bertil Alving in 1976, and set a new standard in sound engineering. Because it is so perfectly mixed, it gives you the feeling that you are in the actual space where it was recorded while listening. The choir’s remarkable performance of Stille Nacht (Silent Night) and Cantique de Noël (O Holy Night), along with its incredible clarity, will leave you with goosebumps.
1977
Merry Christmas Baby, Charles Brown (Big Town)
(currently out of print and not available for streaming)
The 1947 R&B classic, “Merry Christmas Baby”, by Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers featuring vocals and piano by Charles Brown, is one of the greatest Christmas singles to date. Thirty years later, Brown was back with a re-recording, essentially covering his own material. This time he gives it a 70’s electric blues flavor, which sounds relatively fresh in some cases, but for the most part, the departure from organic instruments to the more 70s electronic-based sounds can become quite fatiguing to the ear. The title track, “Merry Christmas Baby”, is Brown’s signature song, and it sounds great regardless of what decade he re-records it in (he did it again in the 90s).
1978
Natty Christmas, Jacob Miller & Ray I (Top Ranking International)
❄️runner-up: Christmas with the Vienna Choir Boys, Hermann Prey and the Vienna Choir Boys
It’s a bit of a cult classic among reggae fans and weed enthusiasts. Natty Christmas is one of the very first reggae Christmas records to be released globally, featuring Inner Circle lead singer Jacob Miller, and one of the hottest DJ’s coming out of Jamaica during the 1970s, Ray I. It’s a fun Christmas album that’s not meant to be taken seriously, which is a good reason to love it. If you like obscure Christmas albums, then this one is a must-have for your collection. The cover art alone is worth the price of purchase, as it is certain to be a nice conversation starter.
1979
Britten: A Ceremony of Carols & Seven English Carols, Vienna Choir Boys & Osian Ellis (RCA)
(re-released in 1995 and 2007 with the title, Christmas Angels)
A beautiful world-class recording from the critically acclaimed Vienna Choir Boys, featuring harp player, Osian Ellis, performing the lesser-known carols of Benjamin Britton, as well as seven traditional English carols. Ellis, a longtime associate of Benjamin Britton, was one of the top virtuoso’s of his instrument in the 20th century. Ellis also composed the arrangements of the English carols, which is featured on the second half of the album. In comparison to the many other Christmas albums featuring a boys choir, this is the one to get because of its unique and beautiful relationship between the treble voices and harp, which was intended by Britton, as well as masterfully arranged by Ellis.
1980
Christmas In The Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album, Meco (RSO Records)
(currently out of print and not available for streaming)
❄️runner-up: Give Love at Christmas, The Temptations
It’s the mother of all Christmas cult classics, and one of the most outlandish Christmas albums ever made. It was produced by Star Wars super fan Meco Monardo, who three years prior produced an insanely awesome Star Wars disco album (Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk). Star Wars Christmas features vocals from John Bongiovi (AKA Jon Bon Jovi in his fist ever recordings), as well as R2D2, Chewbacca, and C-3PO (performed by Anthony Daniels). Furthermore, it should be noted however that as breathtaking as Christmas In The Stars is, it is not universally loved by Star Wars fans. The title alone breaks all the rules in the Star Wars universe, because of course Christmas does not exist in Star Wars-land. There is no baby Jesus, Santa Claus, Jingle Bells, or even a planet earth, yet somehow Meco convinced George Lucas that it would be a good idea to record songs about what to give a wookie for Christmas, or why the son of Santa Claus is helping out around the galaxy (because the galaxy is too big for just one Santa Claus). Despite all the ill-advised crossover technicalities, you can’t help but marvel at the fact that this album was somehow published. It really is a Christmas miracle!
1981
A Christmas Record, Various Artists (Ze Records)
❄️runner-up: Christmas Album, Boney M.
Compilation albums are sort of against the rules when creating a list such as this, but 1981 was not a great year for Christmas. A Christmas Record, however, deserves some recognition for being the first ever alternative-rock Christmas album, featuring the greatest Christmas alt-rock single ever, “Christmas Wrapping”, by the post-punk/new wave band, The Waitresses. The album has some nice 80s new wave nostalgia and just the right amount of that alt-rock attitude. It may not be the greatest pick on the list, but it’s not like it was facing any stiff competition (Kenny Rogers, Celine Dion, Anne Murray, etc.)
1982
Feliz Navidad, Menudo (Profono International, Inc.)
(reissued in 1983 with an extra four bonus tracks)
A Christmas record from one of the most popular latin boy bands of all time! Feliz Navidad compiles the best bits from their previous two Christmas albums, Felicidades and Es Navidad. It’s a ton of fun and impossible to sit through without wanting to get up and dance. As good as Feliz Navidad is, it’s now become a bit of a rare find as it is no longer in print.
1983
Messiah (Händel), John Eliot Gardiner with The English Baroque Soloists & The Monteverdi Choir (Philips)
❄️runner-up: Feels Like Christmas, Al Green
With over 45 recordings to choose from, there’s no doubt that Handel’s Messiah is perhaps the most beloved choral music ever written. It was an instant hit when it debuted in 1742, and still resonates with audiences today. Messiah is the dramatic retelling of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ redeemer. It is an astounding baroque masterpiece, with eloquent arias and riveting choruses. There is great debate however on how it should be performed among the many prestigious conductors that have showcased their own interpretations. There are many excellent recordings of Messiah, but one of the most satisfyingly different is the recording of John Eliot Gardiner’s, which was released onto vinyl in 1983 (recorded in 1982). The best way to summarize this is by quoting Gardiner himself, “The delight in all of this lies in combining the agile adult voices with the transparency and expressive range of period instruments. Their combined technical virtuosity serves not as an end, but as a means of ridding Messiah of its Victorian sanctimonious pomp. In this way the Handelian yoke is made easy and his burden light.”
1984
O Come All Ye Faithful: Favourite Christmas Carols, King’s College Choir/Stephen Cleobury (Argo)
(currently out of print)
The Choir of King’s College in Cambridge, is just about as synonymous with Christmas as Bring Crosby. The choir is one of the most accomplished and celebrated in the world. It has quite the track record, as the choir was created in 1441 by King Henry VI to provide daily singing in his chapel, which continues to happen to this day. King’s College Choir is most famous for its annual worldwide broadcast on Christmas Eve for the “Service of Nine Lessons and Carols”. The choir has made numerous Christmas carol albums, and this collection of carols from 1984 is considered to be their best.
1985
The Spirit of Christmas, Ray Charles (Tangerine Records)
It’s rare when a really good new Christmas song is introduced, but Ray Charles did just that in 1985 with the song, The Spirit of Christmas. It didn’t really become a hit until 1989 when the song was featured in the holiday film classic, Christmas Vacation. His version of “Winter Wonderland” is the other most recognized song from the album.
1986
A Christmas Celebration, Kathleen Battle (EMI)
One of the most beautiful and pure voices in the history of mankind. Kathleen Battle has the voice of an angel, and is blessed beyond belief. Her list of accolades is long: she is the recipient of 5 Grammy’s, an Emmy, Laurence Olivier Award, NAACP Image Award, NAACP Hall of Fame Award, and much more. Obviously, we can expect great things from a Kathleen Battle Christmas album. Her brilliant presentation of traditional carols and spirituals are accompanied by Leonard Slatkin and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, as well as the magnificent Boys Choir of Harlem. There is no finer singer of spirituals, and her performance of “O Holy Night”, “Gesù Bambino”, “Away In A Manger”, “Silent Night”, both “Ave Maria’s”, and “Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming”, is second to none.
1987
Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity, The Cambridge Singers/John Rutter (Colleguim Records)
It may seem like the standard classical Christmas album with orchestra and choir. However Christmas Night is somewhat unique in that almost all of the 22 carols presented were composed multiple centuries ago, making the listening experience sort of like a history lesson. The performance by Rutter and choir is flawless, and the carols are crafted beautifully.
1988
Christmas Island, Leon Redbone (August Records, Inc.)
In case you’re not familiar with jazz/blues man Leon Redbone, well, he’s kind of awesome. For some he’s a bit of an acquired taste, but if he’s good enough to be featured on one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, Elf, well then he’s good enough for this list. Although he doesn’t really leave the Redbone stamp on the material as you’d expect, Christmas Island is still a nice effort. You hear that Redbone flavor in a few songs like “Frosty the Snowman” (with Dr. John), the Caribbean style “Christmas Cats’ Christmas”, and the bluesy Redbone original, “Christmas Ball Blues”. Overall, if Christmas Island is your first exposure to Leon Redbone, be sure to check out his other recordings, as his Christmas album is not the best representation of his distinct sound.
1989
Crescent City Christmas Card, Wynton Marsalis (Columbia)
I don’t think Wynton Marsalis had the casual jazz audience in mind when making Crescent City Christmas Card. It’s really not the merriest of records, and is quite avant-garde for a Christmas album. “Lacking in spirit” is a fair criticism. If you’re looking for a Marsalis album that sounds more….well, Christmasy, then check out his 2009 Christmas Jazz Jam. But if a darker sound with lots of minor chords, dissonance, and atonality is what you like or interests you, then this album is for you. There are many listeners who do appreciate something as different as Crescent City Christmas Card.
1990
Home Alone (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), John Williams (CBS)
❄️runner-up: That Holiday Feelin’, Joe Williams
Home Alone, the beloved holiday film classic, plus John Williams, the beloved film composer, is a match made in Christmas heaven! This question is probably asked about every film that John Williams is involved with, but could you imagine Home Alone without his magical film score? Steven Spielberg said it best about the impact Williams has on a movie, “without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes. There is no Force, dinosaurs do not walk the Earth, we do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe.” Without Williams in Home Alone, we don’t laugh as hard, we don’t feel those tearjerker reactions to the many touching scenes, and we don’t feel as Christmasy.
1991
He Is Christmas, Take 6 (Reprise)
Critically acclaimed a cappella/jazz/gospel sextet group, Take 6, won a Grammy Award (Best Jazz Vocal Performance) for their first Christmas album, He Is Christmas. It’s full of dazzling arrangements, juicy jazz chords, and a whole lot of soul. “Sweet Little Jesus Boy”, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, and “Away In a Manger” are like a little slice of heaven. But the song that really steals the show is their rendition of the super smoothed-out “Amen”, which is so good that it’s just as enjoyable in July as it is in December, which you can very rarely say about any other Christmas song.
1992
A Carnegie Hall Christmas, Kathleen Battle, Fredericka con Stade, Wynton Marsalis, and André Previn (Sony Classics)
❄️runner-up: Our Heart’s Joy: A Chanticleer Christmas. Home For Christmas, Amy Grant
From the 90-minute television film, A Carnegie Hall Christmas was first aired on PBS in 1991 as part of their Great Performances series. A year later it was released to DVD and CD. It features a classical star-studded cast with two hall of fame opera singers (Kathleen Battle and Fredericka con Stade), and one of the most prominent musicians of the modern jazz era (Wynton Marsalis). The arrangements and conducting from André Previn is glorious. It’s a bit reminiscent of the 1966 Julie Andrews classic, A Christmas Treasure (which also was conducted and arranged by Previn) in scope and scale. It’s a remarkable performance from the entire cast. A Carnegie Hall Christmas is among the greatest classical Christmas recordings.
1993
When My Heart Finds Christmas, Harry Connick Jr. (Columbia)
Many people forget what a monumental success Harry Connick Jr is. He has seven top 20 albums, and ten number-one jazz albums, which is more than any other jazz artist in United States history. His first Christmas album, When My Heart Finds Christmas, was the top-selling holiday album of 1993 and ranks 12th all time. Part of the reason for the album’s success was because of a growing resurgence of interest in big band jazz and swing that took place in the early to mid-90s, which was reminiscent of Connick’s music. He naturally has the traditional crooner-style Christmas sound (although he’s proven to be much more than just a “crooner”, which is a term that most crooners reject). Connick also composed four new songs for the album, which were all a success.
1994
Merry Christmas, Mariah Carey (Columbia)
❄️runner-up: Holly & Ivy, Natalie Cole
It is extremely rare for a contemporary artist to release an original song that becomes a Christmas standard, but Mariah Carey was able to pull that off with the instant classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. With over 16 million copies sold, it ranks among the best-selling singles of all time, and it is the second-highest selling Christmas single of all time (behind Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”, which also tops the non-Christmas category of best-selling singles, with 50 million singles sold.). Merry Christmas has sold 15 million copies worldwide, ranking among the best-selling Christmas albums, and remains the best-selling of all time by a woman. Aside from the top-selling hit, the singles, “Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)” and “Jesus Born on This Day”, were also popular among listeners. All three songs were co-written by Carey. The rest of the album consisted of traditional carols and hymns, and brilliantly accentuated her pop-gospel sound.
1995
An Oscar Peterson Christmas, Oscar Pearson (Telarc)
❄️runner-up: Christmas Songs, Barbara Hendricks
Remember that scene in La La Land, when the Ryan Gosling jazz character is playing the piano in the crowded restaurant, and becomes frustrated because he’s exclusively confined to playing Christmas songs? Well, if he could have just played like the way jazz great Oscar Peterson does on An Oscar Peterson Christmas, Ryan Gosling would have been totally fine. It’s Christmas jazz piano at its finest. Some might find the violins, marimba, and flugelhorn to be a bit sappy on a few tracks, but overall, it’s a good listening experience and Peterson plays beautifully. It’s a great record to kick back and relax to.
1996
Angels’ Glory, Kathleen Battle & Christopher Parkening (Sony)
❄️runner-up: A Dave Brubeck Christmas
A strikingly beautiful and intimate performance between voice and guitar. It’s an interesting mix of sacred classical choral works and African-American spirituals that only Kathleen Battle could segue as elegantly as she does. Despite the stark contrast musically and culturally between the repertoire of the European Middle Ages/Early Modern Era hymns that were often commissioned by kings, and the African-American spirituals that were often written by slaves, Kathleen Battle’s distinct voice and performance forge all of these revered pieces into songs that are interchangeable and consecrated.
1997
A Robert Shaw Christmas: Angels On High, Robert Shaw/Robert Shaw Chamber Singers (Telarc)
❄️runner-up: The Christmas Album, Roberta Flack
Another Robert Shaw classic. This collection of mostly lesser known carols and oratorios features Norman Mackenzie on the organ and harpist Elisabeth Remy, who are both brilliant, but it’s the a cappella songs that really seem to describe the nature of the album, which is to be free from disturbance, experience inner tranquility, and rejoice in the “grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s son, in truth and love.”
1998
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (EP), Diana Krall (Impulse Records)
(currently out of print and not available for streaming)
In the year of 1998, some of the most notable albums are from Amy Grant, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Babyface, Brian McKnight, Celine Dion, Chicago, Cyndi Lauper, Kenny Rogers, Martina McBride, Michael W. Smith, and NSYNC. While most of these albums have their good moments, they are still not satisfying enough to carry the title of “Best Christmas Album of the Year”. However, there was an EP that year that is worthy of consideration (which for all of you non-music nerds, stands for “extended play” record: a recording that contains more tracks than a single but not enough for a full-length album). Diana Krall’s, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, is indeed short, but still better than the rest. Along with peanut butter, James Naismith, and courtesy, she’s one of the best things to come from Canada.
1999
Christmas Songs with The Ray Brown Trio, Ray Brown (Telarc)
❄️runner-up: We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Take 6
Not much can go wrong when you got jazz legend Ray Brown on bass playing along a star-studded cast like Dee Dee Bridgewater, Diana Krall, Kevin Mahogany, Etta Jones, Russell Malone, Marlena Shaw, and more. Among the all-star lineup though it’s Ray Brown who still steals the show, and I think we would all benefit from some more bass and less vocals. Great arrangements with some great bass grooves, particularly in “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”, and it has one of the best arrangements and recordings of “Away in a Manger” from this genre, or any other genre.
2000
A Charlie Brown Christmas, Cyrus Chestnut & Friends (Atlantic)
❄️runner-up: Navidad Cubana, Cuba L.A., Holiday!, Crystal Lewis
In the year 2000 jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut, along with his friends Christian McBride, Brian McKnight, Vanessa Williams and The Harlem Boys Choir, took on the brave challenge of renewing an all-time classic that is often regarded as the greatest Christmas album ever recorded. Chestnut, who was greatly influenced by Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas, states in the liner notes, “this is not an attempt to recreate what was done…but a personal musical statement from my heart.” His personal touch on A Charlie Brown Christmas and reimagining of the album is heard in the music, and often times comes across as a moving tribute and deeply spiritual.
2001
Christmas With Chanticleer, Chanticleer & Dawn Upshaw (Teldec Classics)
❄️runner-up: Snowflakes, Toni Braxton
Vocal men’s ensemble Chanticleer came back for another round of Christmas and this time they brought along classical soloist and 5 time Grammy winner, Dawn Upshaw. Right off the bat Upshaw matches Chanticleer’s vocal purity and versatility in “This is the Truth Sent from Above”. They bring out some gorgeous interpretations of the traditional carols, but the stuff that will really make you want to melt are the less familiar pieces like “Coventry Carol”, “Spanish Carol”, “Es Is Ein Ros Entsprungen”, “Noël Nouvelet”, and “Suo Gân”. “Suo Gân” in particular is vocally stunning, and I don’t think you will find a better arrangement or recording of this masterpiece.
2002
December, Chris Botti (Columbia)
❄️runner-up: Bluegrass & White Snow: A Mountain Christmas, Patty Loveless
Smooth jazz chillmeister & trumpet guy, Chris Botti, will play you right into a state of unconsciousness and manages to make Christmas an exercise in deep relaxation. Similar to his other albums, December dangerously borders the line between smooth jazz and “elevator music”, but fortunately never crosses that line. His arrangements of “Let It Snow”, “Winter Wonderland”, and “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, are a pleasurable listening experience. He does a wonderful bossa nova version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, and his cover of the non-Christmas and most overly used song ever, “Hallelujah” (by Leonard Cohen), is gorgeous.
2003
Harry for the Holidays, Harry Connick, Jr. (Capitol)
❄️runner-up: One Wish, Whitney Houston.
It’s Harry’s sequel to his 12th best-selling Christmas album of all time, When My Heart Finds Christmas. Harry for the Holidays is another top-performing record, selling over a million copies. Harry Connick Jr. again composed four new Christmas originals, with two of them standing out among some of his best (“The Happy Elf” and “I’m Gonna Be the First One”). Connick has proven to be a masterful arranger as he continues to knock out hits of the familiar Christmas standards. His arrangement of “This Christmas” is one of the best ever written. Overall, Harry for the Holidays is a swinging good time and worthy of Top 10 best of all time consideration.
2004
Jazzy Jolly Holiday (Remixes Yule Love), Various Artists (Rock River)
❄️runner-up: Christmas, Chris Isaak, Feliz Navidad Boricua, José González & Banda Criolla
This one is a bit of a rare find. To the best of my knowledge, Jazzy Jolly Holiday was only for sale at Old Navy stores in 2004, and I have not seen the full album available online to download or stream since. It’s one of the best compilation albums out there, enjoyable for all ages, as it bridges the gap between young and old. Yes, it’s a compilation, but so well crafted and produced that it does not have the slightest resemblance of a compilation album. The remixes feature vocals and samples from Joe Williams, Kay Starr, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Mel Torme, Mahalia Jackson, and more. You will hear these classic voices like you’ve never heard them before.
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2005
Christmas Songs, Diana Krall featuring the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (Verve)
❄️runner-up: A Faithful Christmas, Faith Evans
Because Diana Krall doesn’t offer any original compositions, you could make the argument that this album doesn’t really offer anything fresh to the Christmas cannon. While this is probably mostly true, there’s a lot of great stuff going on in Christmas Songs. It’s a very clean recording and the audio quality is outstanding. Krall is one of the most talented jazz musicians in the modern era, and backed up by a superb orchestra. Every song is excellent, with wonderful jazz arrangements, and there is not one song you will want to skip.
Listen on YouTube Music
2006
Songs for Christmas, Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty Records)
For the most part, Songs for Christmas is pretty overrated, but it does bring a ton of originality and weirdness, which we need during the Christmas season from time to time. The critically acclaimed alternative rock-folk-indie-pop singer-songwriter, Sufjan Stevens, released a 5 CD Box Set in 2006, that is very well-loved among the hipster community. The legend behind Songs for Christmas is they are songs Stevens recorded independently between 2001–2006 as Christmas gifts for his friends and family, and then later decided to release them to the public. There are many unique interpretations of the traditional carols, as well as his own originals, that stand out. “We Need a Little Christmas”, “Christmas in July”, “Lumberjack Christmas/No One Can Save You From Christmases Past”, “We’re Goin’ to the Country!”, “Come On! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance!”, and “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!”, and any other songs with an exclamation point at the end of the title, are worth a listen.
2007
The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, Taylor Swift (Big Machine)
❄️runner-up: Navidad a Mi Estilo, Victor Manuelle
At the height of her country-pop era, Taylor Swift released a cheerful little Christmas EP that was too cute to dismiss. The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, which was an exclusive Target store release in 2007, comes with four well arranged songs and a couple of charming originals.
2008
What A Night! A Christmas Album, Harry Connick, Jr. (Columbia)
❄️runner-up: Songs of Joy and Peace, Yo-Yo Ma
It’s the last of Harry’s Christmas trilogy, putting him in the elite company of the 3-timers Christmas album club. Connick again composed four very well-written original songs, bringing his number of originals up to twelve, an extremely rare accomplishment for any artist within the Christmas genre. The sound is traditional, following in the footsteps of Crosby, Sinatra, Fitzgerald, and Cole, but with the addition of new songs like “What A Night”, and the inspiring duet with gospel singer Kim Burrell on “Song for the Hopeful”, his musicality is unrivaled. What A Night! was another critical and commercial success as it was the best-selling holiday album of the year, and peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Jazz charts, and number 20 on the Billboard Top 200 Pop charts.
2009
Under the Mistletoe, The Good Lovelies (self-released)
❄️runner-up: Christmas Jazz Jam, Wynton Marsalis. If On a Winter’s Night, Sting, Christmas Like This, Ayiesha Woods
Under the Mistletoe by the Canadian trio, The Good Lovelies, is a folk/country/jazz/roots-pop Christmas masterpiece. It is undoubtedly the greatest Christmas album of all time in their respective genre, and worthy of Top 10 all time consideration…it really is that good. They are a bit of an Andrew Sisters/The Chicks (formerly The Dixie Chicks) hybrid, as all three members of the band play multiple instruments and demonstrate tight vocal harmonies throughout the entire album. Their versions of the Christmas standards are excellent; “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, “Mele Kalikimaka”, and “The Chipmunk Song” are some of the best arrangements ever recorded. Their three original Christmas compositions should also not be overlooked. The rip-roaring “Hurry Home”, as well as the super-cute “Maybe This Time”, and the exquisite “Another Year To Wait”, are the best three songs on the album, which is an incredible accomplishment on an album full of 5-star cover songs.
2010
Joy To The World, Pink Martini (Heinz Records)
❄️runner-up: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Take 6
The best way to describe the Portland, Oregon-based band is by Pink Martini bandleader and pianist himself, Thomas Lauderdale, “Pink Martini is a rollicking around-the-world musical adventure…if the United Nations had a house band in 1962, hopefully we’d be that band.” Pink Martini take their multicultural musical sound and apply it to the holiday season in an around-the-globe fashion. The setlist consists of the standard well known traditional holiday songs (“White Christmas”, “Santa Baby”), carols (“Do You Hear What I Hear”, “We Three Kings”), a beautiful Hebrew Prayer (“Aloha N’tzor”), a Ukranian “Carol of the Bells”, a 1946 “Chinese Happy New Year Song”, and a samba arrangement of “Auld Lang Sang”, complete with choruses in English, Arabic, and French. Also on the album is one of the best ever recorded arrangements of “Little Drummer Boy”. This is a beautiful and unique record that quite possibly deserves Top 10 of all time Christmas albums recognition.
2011
Christmas, Michael Bublé (Reprise)
❄️runner-up: A Very She & Him Christmas
The simple and easy to listen to A Very She & Him Christmas, by She & Him (AKA Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward), is one of the most likable Christmas albums of the decade, but for 2011, Michael Bublé’s Christmas was a pretty epic reincarnation of the Bing Crosby era. Bublé covers all of the classics, from “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” to the more contemporary “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, in vocally silky-smooth fashion. It was widely praised by critics and has sold over 4 million copies in the United States, making it his best-selling album ever. It’s kind of hard to believe that he has not capitalized on his Christmas fame more.
2012
Cee Lo’s Magic Moments, Cee Lo Green (Elekta)
It is a simple concept album really, it’s just good old-fashioned fun with soul/pop/hip-hop/funk/rhythm & blues man Cee Lo Green, featuring Rod Stewart, Christina Aguilera, Straight No Chaser, Trombone Shorty, and The Muppets. For those who are only casually familiar with Cee Lo, this album may come as a bit of a surprise. When it was released in 2012, many people had no idea just how powerful his voice is. He is not a shy singer, and likes to make his presence felt vocally. Green also has a sensibility and passion in his voice that enables him to sing the ballads with great versatility. So let’s be thankful for Cee Lo Green, if records like this never get made, then Christmas music will get pretty stale.
2013
Wrapped In Red, Kelly Clarkson (RCA)
❄️runner-up: A Mary Christmas, Mary J. Bilge
Kelly Clarkson follows the familiar formula of singing the traditional standards with the addition of four originals, all co-written by Clarkson. While typically it’s the carols and traditional standards that are more within the singer’s comfort zone, in this case it’s the originals that far outshine the rest, which seems surprising for someone who basically got her start by winning a karaoke contest. ”Winter Dreams“ and “Underneath the Tree” are strong singles that stand out the most.
2014
That’s Christmas To Me, Pentatonix (RCA)
❄️runner-up: Home for the Holiday, Anthony Hamilton
That’s Christmas To Me, by Pentatonix, is a bit of a hit-and-miss. There are some selections from the album that sound incredible, while others are below average because they suffer from their corny a cappella arrangements. And that’s the key to any a cappella group, isn’t it? How to make it not sound like a schmaltzy high school glee club (no offense HS glee clubs, you know we love you). Fortunately, Pentatonix has three phenomenal arrangements that really sparkle. “White Winter Hymnal” (a very random selection originally by indie-folk band Fleet Foxes), “Silent Night” (beauty smothered in tight treble harmonies), and the album title track and original composition, “That’s Christmas To Me” are well written and performed, with a nice shot of sentimentalism.
2015
It’s A Holiday Soul Party, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (Daptone)
❄️runner-up: Christmas with Friends, India.Arie and Joe Sample. Healing Season, Mint Condition
It’s A Holiday Soul Party, by the retro 60s funk revivalist band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, is refreshingly funky, bluesy, and yes soulful. Every arrangement is crazy good and often very clever. One of their interpretations of a traditional carol, “Funky Little Drummer Boy”, sounds just how it looks: it’s “The Little Drummer Boy” with some jazzy vocals by Sharon Jones over a James Brown “Funky Drummer” beat…now that’s genius! They even got a Sly Stone sounding Hanukkah song! Hardly anybody gives Hanukkah props; this whole album is very well done.
2016
Behold, Lauren Daigle (Centricity Music)
❄️runner-up: A Pentatonix Christmas, Pentatonix. Unto Us, JJ Heller
Louisiana-based singer-songwriter, Lauren Daigle, released one of the best Christmas albums of the decade. Even though she’s known for being a contemporary Christian/gospel artist, the ultra-talented Daigle went with a New Orleans jazz sound, flexing her jazz chops on “What Child Is This” and “Jingle Bells”. Her arrangement of “White Christmas” sounds timeless, and is one of the best ever recorded versions of this song from any era. “Light of The World” is a stunning original composition, it would not come as a surprise if this eventually becomes a new standard in the Christmas cannon.
2017
Christmas, Kaskade (Arkade)
❄️runner-up: Everyday Is Christmas, Sia
This one might not be for everyone, some people just can’t get into the Christmas spirit with electronica-based house/dance music. But for many who embrace something different for Christmas, well, this is radically different. It can get a little dark at times, “Deck The Halls” and “Silent Night” has never sounded so gloomy, but fits in stylistically with the rest of the album. Kaskade, who is one of the highest-paid DJ’s in the world, also produces some sweet and tender moments (“In the Bleak Midwinter”, “Christmas Is Here”), and all in all, makes a unique and enjoyable experience for listeners.
2018
Christmas with PJ Morton, PJ Morton (Morton Records)
❄️runner-up: A Legendary Christmas, John Legend
Grammy winning recording artist/songwriter/producer, PJ Morton, brings his talents to the Christmas season with the soulful, Christmas with PJ Morton. The combination of PJ’s smooth sound and his A+ arrangements make for one of the best R&B Christmas albums of all time. His cover of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is one of the best, and his original composition, “Do You Believe”, featuring gospel singing great Yolanda Adams, is nice and churchy in a very good way.
2019
Llegó Navidad, Los Lobos (Rhino Records)
❄️runner-up: Merry Christmas, Darling, Timi Dakolo
Unless you speak Spanish, you’d might not realize after a casual listening session that Llegó Navidad is a Christmas album. To me, this is a good thing; the problem with Christmas albums is most of it kind of starts sounding the same. Los Lobos has put together an excellent Christmas record without having to lean on the typical recycled standards. It’s less sleigh bells and jingle jangles, and more Tex-Mex, salsa, ranchera, cumbia….it’s more Los Lobos.
2020
Hark!, Andrew Bird (Lorma Vista)
❄️runner-up: The Pianoman at Christmas, Jamie Cullum
Inspired by his love for Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas, folk singer and whistling superstar, Andrew Bird, decided to make a Christmas album of his own. Hark! has a dreamy quality to it that is calm and dignified. Bird’s compositions are as you’d expect a real treat, but even the Christmas standards he covers are refreshingly original, featuring his use of the violin and signature whistle that is lovely throughout.
2021
I Dream of Christmas, Norah Jones (Blue Note)
❄️runner-up: Holiday Swingin’, Kat Edmonson
After spending time in isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic, Norah Jones found herself listening to James Brown’s Funky Christmas and Elvis’ Christmas Album. These classic albums brought her a sense of comfort, and after nearly 20 years since her 2002 debut, was inspired to make her first ever Christmas album. “When I was trying to figure out which direction to take, the original songs started popping in my head, they were all about trying to find the joys of Christmas, catching that spark, that feeling of love and inclusion that I was longing for during the rest of the year. Then there are all the classics that have that special nostalgia that can hit you no matter who or where you are in life. It was hard to narrow down, but I picked favorite classics that I knew I could make my own.” With both her original compositions and the standards, Jones nails it, creating something special that has a tender nostalgic Christmas feeling, with a joyful calmness.
2022
Marke It Merry, Harry Connick Jr. (Marsalis Music)
❄️runner-up: Everybody Knows It’s Christmas, Chris Isaak, Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro di Natale / Christmas Vespers, La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, La Cetra Vocalensemble Basel & Andrea Marcon
With Harry’s 4th Christmas album release, Make It Merry, Connick has now solidified himself as the king of Christmas music and the reigning champion of this list. Other than perhaps Bing Crosby, there is no other artist that has contributed more to the genre, with regards to quantity and quality. While Make It Merry is indeed the best Christmas album of 2022, it probably ranks on the bottom among his previous releases. It’s a little bit different, and for many listeners this will come as a refreshing contribution to his Christmas cannon. But for many of his loyal fans, there may be some pet peeves on this recording. For most of the album, he ditches his big band for less organic instruments, including the super tacky drum tracks. Make It Merry is also an “Apple Exclusive”, which comes across as a cheap money grab, as non-Apple users will have to wait a while before it’s released to the general public. Despite these flaws, Harry’s original compositions are once again a delightful listening experience, and his renditions of standards like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “Jingle Bells”, the cajun flavored “Papa Noel”, and the Frédérick Chopin-inspired “On This Christmas Morning”, are excellent.
2023
Christmas From Norway, Lise Davidsen (Decca)
❄️runner-up: Wake Up! (It’s Christmas Time), Forest Blakk, A Joyful Christmas, Samara Joy, In December, Robert Glasper,
A rising super-star on the opera scene and one of the most in-demand singers in the world, Lise Davidsen is in good company with the likes of legendary sopranos on this list, Dawn Upshaw, Kathleen Battle, and Renata Tebaldi among them. It’s a wonderfully crafted album, mixing the familiar holiday hit list with traditional Norwegian favorites, all beautifully performed and arranged. The mouth-watering “Jul, jul, strålande jul” (Christmas Christmas, Glorious Christmas) and “Deilig er Jorden” (Wonderful Is The Earth) are so delicious, that you’ll wish this could go on forever. Christmas From Norway is one of the most refreshingly organic classical Christmas albums in recent memory, with not a scent of The Tenors and the Godforsaken Trans-Siberian Orchestra in sight.
The best Christmas album of the year, every year
1942: Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians, ’Twas The Night Before Christmas” (Decca)
1945: Bing Crosby, Merry Christmas (Decca)
1946: Perry Como: Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music (RCA)
1948: Frank Sinatra: Christmas Songs by Frank Sinatra (Columbia)
1949: Bing Crosby: Christmas Greetings (Decca)
1950: The Andrew Sisters, Dick Haymes, Danny Kaye, Guy Lombardo: Christmas Cheer (Decca)
1951 Patti Page: Christmas with Patti Page (Mercury)
1952 The Robert Shaw Chorale, Christmas Hymns and Carols, volume 2 (RCA)
1953 Arthur Godfrey: Christmas with Arthur Godfrey and All The Little Godfreys (Columbia)
1954 Urbie Green and his All-Stars: A Cool Yuletide (X)
1955 Jo Stafford: Happy Holiday, (Columbia)
1956 Lawrence Welk : Merry Christmas from Lawrence Welk and His Champagne Music (Coral)
1957 Elvis Presley: Elvis’ Christmas Album (RCA)
1958 Harry Belafonte: To Wish You a Merry Christmas (RCA)
1959 Dean Martin: A Winter Romance (Capitol)
1960 Nat King Cole: The Magic of Christmas (Capitol)
1961 Ramsey Lewis Trio: Sound of Christmas (Argo)
1962 Bing Crosby: I Wish You A Merry Christmas (Warner Bros.)
1963 Leonard Bernstein: The Joy of Christmas (Columbia)
1964 Bobby Timmons: Holiday Soul (Prestige)
1965 Vince Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas (soundtrack) (Fantasy)
1966 Julie Andrews & André Previn: A Christmas Treasure (RCA)
1967 Barbra Streisand: A Christmas Album (Columbia)
1968 James Brown: A Soulful Christmas (King Records)
1969 Duke Pearson: Merry Ole Soul (Blue Note)
1970 The Jackson 5: Christmas Album (Motown)
1971 Renata Tebaldi: Christmas Festival (London Records)
1972 Arthur Fiedler and The Boston Pops : Pop Goes Christmas (RCA)
1973 Willie Colón: Asalto Navideño, vol. 2 (Fania Records)
1974 George Guest & The Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge: Christmas at St. John’s (Argo)
1975 Merry Christmas from Sesame Street (Children’s Television Workshop)
1976 Oscars Motettkör & Torsten Nilsson: Cantate Domino (Proprius)
1977 Charles Brown: Merry Christmas Baby (Big Town)
1978 Jacob Miller & Ray I: Natty Christmas (Top Ranking International)
1979 Vienna Choir Boys & Osian Ellis: Britten — A Ceremony of Carols & Seven English Carols (RCA)
1980 Meco: Christmas In The Stars — Star Wars Christmas Album (RSO Records)
1981 Various Artists: A Christmas Record (Ze Records)
1982 Menudo: Feliz Navidad (Profono International, Inc.)
1983 John Eliot Gardiner: Messiah (Händel) (Philips)
1984 King’s College Choir/Stephen Cleobury: O Come All Ye Faithful — Favourite Christmas Carols (Argo)
1985 Ray Charles: The Spirt of Christmas (Columbia)
1986 Kathleen Battle: A Christmas Celebration (EMI)
1987 The Cambridge Singers/John Rutter: Christmas Night — Carols of the Nativity (Colleguim Records)
1988 Leon Redbone: Christmas Island (August Records)
1989 Wynton Marsalis: Crescent City Christmas Card (Columbia)
1990 John Williams: Home Alone (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (CBS)
1991 Take 6: He Is Christmas (Reprise)
1992 Kathleen Battle, Fredericka con Stade, Wynton Marsalis, and André Previn: A Carnegie Hall Christmas (Sony Classics)
1993 Harry Connick Jr: When My Heart Finds Christmas (Columbia)
1994 Mariah Carey: Merry Christams (Columbia)
1995 Oscar Pearson: An Oscar Peterson Christmas (Telarc)
1996 Kathleen Battle & Christopher Parkening: Angels’ Glory (Sony)
1997 Robert Shaw/Robert Shaw Chamber Singers: A Robert Shaw Christmas — Angels On High (Telarc)
1998 Diana Krall: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (EP) (Impulse Records)
1999 Ray Brown: Christmas Songs with The Ray Brown Trio (Telarc)
2000 Cyrus Chestnut: A Charlie Brown Christmas (Atlantic)
2001 Chanticleer & Dawn Upshaw: Christmas With Chanticleer (Teldec Classics)
2002 Chris Botti: December (Columbia)
2003 Harry Connick, Jr: Harry for the Holidays (Capitol)
2004 Various Artists: Jazzy Jolly Holiday (Remixes Yule Love) (Rock River)
2005 Diana Krall: Christmas Songs (Verve)
2006 Sufjan Stevens: Songs for Christmas (Asthmatic Kitty Records)
2007 Taylor Swift: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (Big Machine)
2008 Harry Connick, Jr: What A Night! (Columbia)
2009 The Good Lovelies: Under the Mistletoe
2010 Pink Martini: Joy To The World (Heinz Records)
2011 Michael Bublé: Christmas (Reprise)
2012 Cee Lo Green: Cee Lo’s Magic Moments (Elekta)
2013 Kelly Clarkson: Wrapped In Red (RCA)
2014 Pentatonix: That’s Christmas To Me (RCA)
2015 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: It’s A Holiday Soul Party (Daptone)
2016 Lauren Daigle: Behold (Centricity Music)
2017 Kaskade: Christmas (Arkade)
2018 PJ Morton: Christmas with PJ Morton (Morton Records)
2019 Los Lobos: Llegó Navidad (Rhino Records)
2020 Andrew Bird: Hark! (Lorma Vista)
2021 Norah Jones: I Dream of Christmas (Blue Note)
2022 Harry Connick Jr.: Make It Merry (Marsalis Music)
2023 Lise Davidsen: Christmas From Norway (Decca)
Artists With Multiple Awards
Harry Connick, Jr. — 4
Bing Crosby — 3
Kathleen Battle — 3
Diana Krall — 2
Robert Shaw — 2
Wynton Marsalis — 2