10 Most Beautiful Christmas Songs

It's been a long year - or was it two - and it could be a long year ahead. Alas, 'tis the season to be jolly, and in spirit of that, we bring you 10 of our favorite festive songs. Some are joyous, some are melancholic, all are absolutely beautiful. No rankings here, just an hour of great holiday music. You can listen here track by track, or head over to YouTube, Deezer or Spotify for a continuous playlist.

Get cozy in front of your real (or digital) fireplace with a nice cup of cocoa and let's imagine a good old world.

A secular Christmas song, written by Irving Berlin a Soviet-born Jew who emigrated to America at a young age, it's a classic in every way. The song was made popular and first publicly performed by Bing Crosby in the midst of World War 2.

More than a decade later, in 1954, The Drifters recorded this iconic Doo-Wop rendition of the song. Their lead singer, Clyde McPhatter, received his draft letter for the Korean War just several months before the recording. His subsequent service would lead to the first reformation of the group, going through many incarnations and line-ups in the following decades. After being discharged from military service, McPhatter continued to a successful, though tragically short lived, solo career.

The song charted at No. 2 at time of release, and became part of film history when it featured in Home Alone.

Written by Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941, Little Drummer Boy is a Christmas staple, telling the apocryphal story of a drummer boy being called by the Wise Men to bring gifts for the birth of Jesus. Having no gifts, the drummer boy plays his drums and Jesus smiles at him.

The song has been recorded by countless artists, though this rendition by The Blind Boys of Alabama - from their Grammy Award winning Christmas album - is by far my favorite. Backed by a droning, string bass The Boys sing backing vocals in unison, while Michael Franti soulfully recites the lyrics.

It's a true modernization of the song, almost transcending it's Christian roots to bring a message of faith in humanity regardless of religion, bookending the song with the lyrics: "One rhythm. One heart. One blood. One love. On and on."

Co-written by Gaye and Forest Hairston in 1972, the song was meant to be Hairston's tribute to the troops in Vietnam. Wanting to record a holiday song, Gaye worked out the music and melody with Hairston and went on to record it in one take. It was meant to be part of a never released Christmas album, and Gaye would continue having issues releasing the single.

The song was finally issued 18 years after recording, in 1990, six years after Marvin Gaye's tragic and untimely death. It was also featured on the posthumous 2019 album You're the Man, released to celebrate what would have been Gaye's 80th birthday. This lovely animated music video premiered on YouTube on November 11, 2021 - Veterans Day.

It's a beautiful, melancholic song dealing with themes of displacement caused by the Vietnam war, told through the story of an American prisoner of war yearning to be back home in time for Christmas. In the devastating penultimate verse, the prisoner comes to terms with the worst case:

"If I can't make it home in time
I know you'll be keeping my spirit bright
By wearing my name and trying to stop this fight"

Another Christmas classic with songwriting credits going to Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore. Although it comes from blues roots, it's a jovial song expressing nothing but love and happiness.

It has been covered by countless renowned musicians over the years, including Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and B.B. King. I'm partial to the Otis Redding rendition, the jingles in the background and soothing instrument arrangements perfectly highlight the contentment expressed in the lyrics.

Recorded and released in 1970 by Donny Hathaway, it was meant to be his contribution to representation of African-Americans in the holiday music repertoire. Just a year later Donny would be diagnosed with paranoid-schizophrenia leading to his tragic suicide in 1979.

At the time of release it didn't garner much attention, only gaining popularity after a re-release in 1991. It has since been recognized as a bona-fide modern Christmas standard, covered by droves of musicians.

The instrumental is upbeat with an exuberant wind section and funky guitars, while Hathaway sings the story of an idyllic Christmas spent decorating and caroling with the people he loves most. It's also now accompanied by a lovely animated video by Lonnie Milsap.

An African-American spiritual song, compiled by John Wesley Work Jr, dating back to at least 1865. It has been sung by so many for so long, it's become a traditional American Christmas song. It's really hard to choose a rendition for this one (there's a wonderful one from The Blind Boys of Alabama, from the same album as Little Drummer Boy mentioned earlier in this list). I chose to go with Dolly Parton.

As is taken for granted, Parton sings like an angel and the festivities are turned to 11 roughly midway through, as she's joined on-stage by a choir of Black gospel singers.

The song very much speaks for itself with a straightforward message of joy for the birth of Jesus.

A truly modern Christmas song, penned by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan and recorded with their Celtic-punk band The Pogues and released in 1987. According to MacGowan, the song was created as a result of a wager between The Pogues and their producer Elvis Costello that they wouldn't be able to record a hit Christmas single.

It's a duet between a man and a woman, Irish-American immigrants, who start out starry-eyed and in-love on Broadway only to descend into an acrimonious argument where each blames the other for the many failures and disappointments they went on to experience in America.

It contrasts love with loathing, beautiful music with scathing lyrics and somehow it all feels just like Christmas. The song proved to be an enormous hit, becoming the most-played Christmas song in the UK.

Bonus fact: Shane MacGowan was born on Christmas Day, and will be turning 64 in the upcoming holiday.

Both the song and the 1982 animated film The Snowman (for which it was written by Howard Blake) are holiday staples, especially in the UK. The vocal is performed by 13-year-old Peter Auty, a choirboy at St Paul's Cathedral, who went on to become a prolific operatic tenor.

The story relates the fleeting adventures of a young boy and a snowman who has come to life. In the second part of the story, the boy and the snowman fly to the North Pole. The music is an ethereal arrangement of piano and strings, punctuated with crashing cymbals as the adventure progresses, all leading to a rousing finale.

I love the song for how effectively evokes a sense of wonder and serenity, both at once. It has also been covered by numerous artists, in various styles, including heavy metal.

Originally written and recorded by the Norweigan-Irish duo Secret Garden, it hasn't been a hit at release, but went on to be covered over 120 times by musicians from all over the globe, with several covers climbing to the top of the charts.

It's not an out-and-out holiday song, rather a pretty straight-forward story about the power of love, where most of the lyrics are a repetition of the chorus.

This electrifying rendition by Celtic Woman is the version which fits best with the season, in my opinion.

A cheery ear-worm of a Christmas song written in 1970 by José Feliciano. Like many songs on this list, it didn't garner much attention upon release but went on to chart better and better with each passing year. As of 2016 the song became the most downloaded and aired song in the North America, and it's popularity just keeps rising.

I completely understand the renewed interest. José's unique voice sings simple and heartfelt lyrics, wishing a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in both English and Spanish. The music is just as easygoing with an acoustic guitar accompanied by trumpets and festive drums.

Truly, there's not much more to ask from a Christmas song.

This bonus song is something for the adventurous listener.

Just like the rest of Tom Waits' career this Christmas medley is anything but conventional. It blends the Christmas standard Silent Night with Waits' own Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis into a song that walks the fine line between sacred and profane and holds the power to touch the heart of all those willing to tune in.

The story is a sad, vivid portrayal of troubled people in troubled times. While wading through the soggy snow, Waits still manages to find humor and hope in his lyrics. His gravely, seemingly drunken vocals and accompanying piano may seem odd at first, though truly they are masterfully considered.