I’m going to be honest… I’m enthusiastic by nature, but Christmas gets me to a whole new level of whimsy and thrill. It drives my husband nuts, actually. But, like every year, I began in October of this year listening to music about the season.
No shame.
Plus, you get to benefit from my Christmas crazy, because I’ve been spending as much of my time as I can spare to curate some great Christmas playlists, just for you.
Here’s the deal, though, when it comes to Christmas music – there is just so darn much of it. Curating led me to realize that there are as many genres within Christmas as without, and just one playlist wouldn’t fit everything I enjoy. Then, I started to see that there were a few albums that stuck out as great overall pieces… Particularly the ones that made me re-celebrate the songs that we’re all basically tired of after decades of hearing them over.
So, I decided to do an entire blog post to cover all of it since I just really love to make lists. Playlists, shopping lists, gift idea lists, etc. It’s how Pinterest got me so early! Anyway, I’ll start with my favorite Christmas albums of the moment, then move onto playlists (some mine, some others) that will offer you a nice mix of the best Christmas music available.
My Favorite Christmas Albums
Leslie Odom, Jr. – Simply Christmas
A friend recommended this album on Facebook, and I added it to the “to listen” set of Christmas albums on deck. As soon as I heard the first track, I turned off shuffle so I could listen to the whole thing straight through. Every note is smooth and feels like a warm blanket and simultaneously peppermint hot chocolate heating you from the inside. In my opinion, this is what a Christmas album should feel like. Yes, there are several songs you’ve heard before, but I challenge you to find any other version that feels this smooth.
Lauren Daigle – Behold
This is kind of like Odom’s album, but with a female vocal. It’s got a lot of really classic, jazzy instrumentation, and Lauren’s voice is so soothing and full. It’s also super fun to see a worship leader come out with a performance album that doesn’t feel contrived! She pulls of the arrangements and the whole album is an easy, comforting listen.
JOHNNYSWIM – A Johnnyswim Christmas
Y’all, this album is straight up amazing. Every track just makes me want to sit in front of a fire, which, I suppose, is my favorite part of Christmas (and winter in general). I’m not a hipster, so I’m just now getting into JOHNNYSWIM to begin with, but I was blown away at how many of the songs on this album just made me want to sway and smile.
Michael W. Smith
This one may appeal more to the mature audience, but I’ve been a huge MWS fan since childhood. Also, this is cheating, because I couldn’t pick just one of his Christmas albums that I liked best, so this encompasses all of them. If you’re interested in a lot of incredible piano interspersed with traditional instrumentation and passion, this should answer your desire. To describe the feeling I get when listening to this collection… It’s as if I’m walking down a street in New York City and suddenly find myself amidst falling snow, surrounded by busy shoppers, and then stumble upon the Rockefeller tree. It’s grand and big and celebratory and feels like a movie, and I love it.
Bethany Cruz – Rejoice! Songs for the Season, Vol. 1
This one’s got a personal plug, because Bethany is a good friend of mine… But she’s not here because I know her; this album appears on my list because it’s a very well done Christmas EP. I distinctly remember the first time we sat in her car to hear the arrangement of “O Come Emmanuel” that would later appear on this album, and I was blown away by her original lyrics for new verses and just the musicality of it all. Bethany Cruz is, hands down, the most talented singer I have ever heard in real life, and it wasn’t really a shock to hear her album be such a great collection.
Family Force 5’s Christmas Pageant
The hubby and I listen to this on repeat at some point every December. It’s goofy and loud and will likely make you laugh like, a lot. This Christian rock band really kills it with these arrangements, and I would recommend listening to it when you need some extra energy to go shopping or just want to rock around the house.
Hillsong Worship – The Peace Project
I am generally skeptical about Christmas worship albums, but I was pretty impressed with the content here. It’s definitely not going to be all congregation-friendly, but the tracks that aren’t fit pretty well on a smooth listening Christmas list. In particular, I really love the Silent Night/Saviour King mashup. #onpoint
Relient K – Let It Snow, Baby… Let it Reindeer
As you just found out, I’m not a hipster. (If you’re paying attention, I’m sure you already knew – no self-respecting hipster would maintain this colorful of a website.) However, I did like Relient K before they were cool. My little 10th grade self was very annoyed when everybody at church camp was listening to my favorite band all of a sudden. I digress… This album is another somewhat silly (and surprisingly tender) grouping of primarily original Christmas songs. You’ll find yourself surprised by some of the songs, but this is a classic favorite for me. I think 10 years is old enough to be classic, right?
August Burns Red – Sleddin’ Hill, A Holiday Album
As Monty Python would say, “And now, for something completely different!” Another Facebooker recommended this album to me and I rolled my eyes a little. I am not generally a fan of hardcore music (with a couple exceptions). However, he wasn’t lying when he said it was so well done that he’d be willing to listen any time of year. This is an entirely instrumental album of hardcore renditions, and it’s just ridiculously incredible.
Christmas Spotify Playlists
Whether you’re sitting by a fire or desiring a bit of a face-melt (or are here because you are a worship leader, since that’s kind of what this blog exists for), there are some great playlists to try. Sorry to the non-Spotify users out there… I’m so committed at this point that there is just no turning back!
It’s snowing outside, presents are strewn beneath the twinkling tree, and the fire is crackling gently. The only thing missing? Smooth Christmas tunes. Get your fill with Delightfully Festive.
That’s the description on Spotify, and I can’t imagine being able to describe this playlist any other way. I found myself crazy annoyed with the lack of variety in Christmas playlists and stations (seriously, you can only listen to the same 20 songs so many times before giving up), so I decided to try my hand! At current count, this playlist is about 15 hours long, so you shouldn’t get through it too quickly.
Delightfully Festive includes a little bit of everything… A lot of the classic versions of songs you know by heart, a lot of jazz and easy listening, a cappella renditions, R&B, and even a little CCM.
Follow Delightfully Festive on Spotify
Does anyone else feel like it’s hard to come up with good Christmas worship sometimes? A lot of it ends up being boring, same-y, or just plain cheesy. However, there are some incredible things out there, and I’m hoping you’ll enjoy the grouping I came up with. This playlist focuses mainly on congregationally friendly arrangements, some of original Christmas songs and others of familiar tunes.
Follow Christmas Worship on Spotify
I know this playlist title makes me sound around a hundred years old, but sue me… I write for a living, and it can be exhausting to be that creative all the time, okay?!
*looks around to see if anyone cares*
Back to what’s important. I knew that a lot of my favorites would end up cut from my worship and delightful Christmas playlists because it’s a little weird to go from gentle string ensembles to, well, face-melting guitar riffs and double kick pedals. Not everything on this playlist is quite that hard, but these are going to be much more rock than most of the songs on Delightfully Festive.
Follow Christmas Is For Rockin’ on Spotify
That’s all, folks! So, tell me… Do you like any of these albums or playlists? What would you add? What’s your favorite Christmas album of all time?
