[lz_spotify playlist=”1PjxknQyxqkRZ4PX7ZjFfG” side=”left” vertical=”momzette”]

If you have to listen to “Last Christmas” one more time, it’s going to be somebody’s last holiday. We get it.

Close

Yes, Christmas is full of the best and the worst when it comes to music. But for the sake of good cheer, let’s focus on the best Christmas songs of the season.

Below are the 12 Christmas carols that really are worth knowing, the ones that buzz around your head throughout the season … in the best way possible.

  1. “Silent Night” – Simply put, this melodic carol is the ‘reason for the season.’ Written in the early 1800s by a German priest, it captures the still wonder of a snowy night and also, for Christians, what happened when the world stood still and welcomed a savior.
  2. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (the Bing Crosby version) – This was written by Crosby as homage to the U.S. troops fighting in World War Two during the holidays. The song has the most bittersweet of reveals in the line: “if only in my dreams.” Some years, it’s like that.
  3. “Christmas Time is Here” – This song is one of the many glorious things about “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The song opens the program and sets a thoughtful mood for the 50-year-old classic. The lyrics make you want to be a part of “olden times and ancient rhymes.” Simply perfect.
  4. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” – Heck yeah! This is one of the best, as sung by Thurl Ravenscroft (aka Tony the Tiger). It’s good for those days when you secretly want the Grinch to drop those presents right off the top of Mt. Crumpet.
  5. “Carol of the Bells” – You know this song, but don’t remember the name. The words come and go so fast, the best we can do is get the ‘Christmas is here,’ part and then “Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas.” Still, it’s a standard and a nice Christmas pick-me-up.
  6. “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” – This is another one that calms you down and urges you to reflect for a moment on Christmas. “Peace on earth and Goodwill to men” is the hope and dream of the season. Take a moment, and listen.
  7. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – This is the best representation of what we all want Christmas to be. Faithful friends, all together, light of heart, and troubles out of sight. Until then, we’ll have to “muddle through somehow.” Amen.
  8. “White Christmas” – A dream, wrapped in a memory, in a box of hope. That’s what White Christmas is. We all have some nostalgia for Christmases past, and optimism about Christmases still to come. By the way, only sing this if you’re Bing Crosby. Everybody else, don’t bother.
  9. “We Three Kings” – A beautiful little song. The opening verse is a rolling, lilting thing as if it was written on camel back moving towards Bethlehem. And then the swelling, powerful thank you to the guiding star of the West. It’s evocative and a wonderful piece of songwriting from way back in the 1850s.
  10. “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy” – I don’t care if Tchaikovsky hated it, you have to listen to (or see) this beautiful pageant of a ballet at least once during the holiday. Then remember it all springs from a little girl’s imagination. Then, give your kids a hug.
  11. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (the Bruce Springsteen version) – One of the few modern carols on this list. But it’s included for one reason only: The Boss! The E Street band roughs it up, Bruce Springsteen belts it out, and the late, great Clarence Clemons laughs it up as Santa Claus. These guys were having fun, and it is infectious.
  12. “I Believe in Father Christmas” (Greg Lake) – The artful singer from the prog-rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer took a simple, beautiful guitar riff and used it to “freshen” a song that lays bare the horrid commercialization of the holiday. “The Christmas we get we deserve” makes it clear that if we want joy this season, it’s on us.