Today we’re sharing the best Christmas songs of the last 100 years. Let us know if we left your favorite off.
I love Christmas music. I do my best to wait until Thanksgiving but after that, it’s all-out Christmas carols. All. The. Time.
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Best Christmas Songs
A couple of years ago I read (or rather, listened to) an Audible book called Jingle Bell Pop – How to Make a Holiday Hit. It was really interesting, I highly recommend it. Great to listen to while you wrap gifts, bake Christmas cookies, etc. I especially liked how it broke down the Christmas songs into three groups: Religious, WWII Missing Home, and Modern/Love Christmas songs.
So we broke down our list the same way and picked the top ten from each category.
Best Christmas Carols or Hymns (Religious)
Since these traditional Christmas Carols represent the TRUE meaning of Christmas, we picked fifteen of the all-time favorites hymns.
- Silent Night
- O Holy Night
- Joy to the World
- Away in a Manger
- The First Noel
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing
- O Come All Ye Faithful
- O Little Town of Bethlehem
- Angels We Have Heard on High
- O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
- It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
- What Child is This
- We Three Kings
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
- Do You Hear What I Hear?
Traditional Christmas Songs
This is the WWII Missing Home category that includes singers like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole. Plus a few fun songs from Christmas TV specials.
- White Christmas
- Jingle Bells
- Rudolph
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town
- Frosty
- I’ll Be Home for Christmas
- Silver Bells
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- The Christmas Song
- Blue Christmas
Modern Christmas Songs
There’s a little crossover in the last two Christmas music categories, but not much.
- Do They Know It’s Christmas?
- All I Want for Christmas is You
- Last Christmas
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- Blue Christmas
- Happy Xmas (War is Over)
- Christmas in Hollis
- The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Feliz Navidad
Study these lists and you’ll be ready for all the Christmas trivia games people play at Christmas parties each year.
More Christmas Activities
If you LOVE Christmas, you might also like these projects and lists of more Christmas activities:
- Best Family Christmas Movies
- 101 Delicious Christmas Cookies
- Where to Buy Cheap Christmas Pillows
- 101 Advent Calendar Filler Ideas
- 20 Easy DIY Christmas Wreaths
‘Til the next project,
Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim
Kathy A says
I’d add Mary Did You Know? sung by anyone! to the Christmas song list. I love it; it often gives me goose bumps! Here in Maine, The Maine Christmas Song is one of my faves. Rusty Chevrolet, the Rednecks 12 days of Christmas (Jeff Foxworthy, I think), and the Maine 12 Days of Christmas are local faves, too!