Forever will there be the annual debate of when it is okay to start listening to Christmas music, but, during these last few days before Christmas, I want to embrace the Christmas music. I wanted to bring up some of the best, in my opinion, traditional and new age Christmas songs. Some are slow, some are fast. Some are traditional, some are new and fresh. But, the one thing they all have in common is the Christmas spirit they all give us.
First, we will remember some of the classics that we all hear in church and many of us probably have memorized.
1. Mary Did You Know? – While there have been many remakes of this song lately (all of which are fantastic), there is no denying how beautiful this song is and how it takes us back to the childhood days in choir at church.
2. Joy to the World – Again, another classic. Simply beautiful and it really reminds us of the good in the world that we see around Christmas time.
3. Silent Night – Who can think about Christmas and not have the image of baby Jesus in the manger? I know I can’t and, in my opinion, this song sums up the image perfectly.
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4. Carol of the Bells – One of my personal favorite Christmas songs. Whether the Pentatonix, Trans-Siberian Orchestra or the traditional choir version, they are all beautiful, while still being fun to listen to. Have a competition to see who can sing the words the quickest.
5. Hark the Herald Angels Sing – a fun song written back in the late 19th century that has lasted and is still sung today. A joyful song that gets everyone smiling and singing along.
6. O Holy Night – Another lasting carol that we all find ourselves humming to while wrapping presents or cleaning before the Christmas party. A simple and sweet hymn.
7. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman – While I tend to listen to the Bare Naked Ladies’ version of this song, there are many different versions. It is a popular song that is played all over the radio practically every few minutes or so during the Christmas season.
8. We Three Kings of Orient Are – A song that we find being sung during practically every children's Christmas program, but I’m not about to complain. It is another classic in my opinion.
9. Angels We Have Heard on High – The yearly challenge to see how long we can all hold out the “Gloria” line before passing out from lack of oxygen. Still a joy to listen to even if we can’t really sing with it the whole time.
10. Do You Hear What I Hear? – Lastly, the song that nearly everyone has screamed at the top of their lungs to annoy their parents during Christmas time. I’m sure I may be sick of this song one day, but I will embrace it while I can.
In comparison to some of the traditional songs (that tend to blend together after a few weeks), we have the new age, pop Christmas songs. It is a special thing to be able to remember when a new Christmas song comes out and be one of the first people to enjoy it. Here is my list of new age Christmas songs that you may (or may not) know.
11. That’s Christmas To Me (Pentatonix) – Pentatonix is a new group (and one of my personal favorites) that is well known for remixing classic Christmas songs. This was one of their first original Christmas songs and I have listened to it every day of this Christmas season. If you haven’t heard it yet, get to it!
12. Christmas Pipes (Celtic Women) – A beautiful song that sounds like it should be a part of the first half of my list. It is a relaxing song that I find myself listening to all year round.
13. Just a Girl (Brandon Heath) – While not an extremely popular song yet, a beautiful one with a fantastic message. This song tells the nativity story from the viewpoint of the innkeeper. A unique message that I’m sure most of us haven’t thought of and it is beautifully written and sung.
14. Getting in the Mood (Brian Setzer) – An entertaining song that I always find myself tapping my foot to and humming along. Oh, and singing for days to come. It is still a great song to hear!
15. Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (Michael Buble) – While I’m sure that many will disagree with me and say that it should be in the classic list, I put it here because it is the Buble version I am referring to. He has a beautiful voice and it is clearly demonstrated in this song. A match made in heaven, if I do say so.
16. Little Drummer Boy (Pentatonix) – Pentatonix can’t be forgotten when it comes to this song. With their fantastic beatboxer, Kevin Olusola, they remixed this song in a virtually perfect way. Definitely the best version in my opinion.
17. Christmas Canon (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) – I’m sure that the title of this song may seem new, but it is a song that seems to be played every year around Christmas. It is a song that is easily enjoyed and can be relaxing when recovering from an all-nighter on Christmas Eve.
18. Last Christmas (Wham!) – The classic song that we all can relate to in some way. We all have moved on from relationships and it is definitely a guilty pleasure song in my case. It is fun nevertheless.
19. Where Are You, Christmas? (Faith Hill) – I don’t think many people can honestly say that they watch the scene where Cindy Lou Who sang this and managed to stay dry-eyed the whole time. It is such a beautiful song that I recommend for everyone to listen to.
20. Wonderful Christmas Time (Paul McCartney) – A classic, upbeat, new age song. It is enjoyable, upbeat, and truly brings out the Christmas spirit. If you feel in a Scrooge kind of mood, go listen to this song!
