Ah, Christmas. There’s no other holiday in which music plays so big a part, and, at least in the Pastorek household, our memories are accompanied by the same albums, year in and year out. I can’t pack to go home without listening to Amy Grant’s A Christmas Album (don’t judge). Santa doesn’t come without the bombast of the Robert Shaw Chorale, or the jazzy pleasures of the Glenn Miller Orchestra and In the Christmas Mood. We even remember the crappy albums fondly — one year, someone came home with a collection in which every single line was followed by the ding of a bell. Seriously. Like, "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer… [DING!] Had a very shiny nose… [DING-DING!!]" We tossed it out so fast we can’t even remember what it was. Now, we miss it.
But there’s one album that’s so sacred it comes a close second to standing in church with a candle on Christmas Eve and singing "Silent Night": John Denver & The Muppets’ A Christmas Together. It’s the soundtrack to a tragically-forgotten TV special from 1979, and from Denver’s goosebump-inducing duet with Rowlf the Dog on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to the spastic joys of Miss Piggy, Scooter, Gonzo, and Robin doing the rounds on "Christmas is Coming," every inch of it is wonderful, and I cannot — will not – have Christmas without it. That album is family.
What about you, PopWatchers? Are there holiday albums you can’t live without? I crave your recommendations… plus, I just love hearing other people’s Christmas traditions. Share ‘em in the comments. And meanwhile, please enjoy John Denver and the Muppets performing "The 12 Days of Christmas." (Ba-dump-bump-bump!)
More on holiday music:
U2, Elton John, and the Killers record Xmas songs for charity
The 100 Greatest Down-and-Out-on-Christmas Songs
The holiday songs you secretly hate
EW picked out 10 great holiday songs
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“The John Waters Christmas Album”. Hands down the one I have playing the most during Christmas.
The Sufjan Stevens Christmas gift set from a couple years back is an instant classic. Especially disc 3. Every song is beautiful.
As much of a punch line as Clay Aiken has become, his Christmas album “Merry Christmas With Love” really is wonderful, and I can’t go through the holiday season without listening to it. I also have a soft spot for N Sync’s “Home For Christmas”.
My top albums would have to be:
#6 – Mel Torme’s Christmas Songs
#5 – Harry Connick Jr.’s When My Heart Finds Christmas
#4 – Bing Crosby’s White Christmas
#3 – Johnny Matthis’s Merry Christmas
#2 – Frank Sinatra’s A Jolly Christmas
#1 – Andy Williams’s The Andy Williams Christmas Album
I can’t live without any of them.
My family plays the same cassette tape every single Christmas morning: Disney Christmas. As much as we all try to add some modern music (e.g. LOVE the Christmas CD Elton John put together with Starbucks a few years ago), it doesn’t really feel right without the Disney version.
I do love the Muppets Christmas album, but for tradition, I have to go with the Harry Simeone Chorale and the quintissential version of the Little Drummer Boy. A close second is the holiday album by Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, and Dean Martin. My parents owned both on vinyl, copied them to cassette, then purchased them on CD; now,
I have them on my iPod.
The jazzy one by Vanessa Williams (aka Wilhemina from Ugly Betty). Don’t know the name, but great album. Especially her version of The Little Drummer Boy.
Music:
-Love John Denver and The Muppets.
-Mariah Carey-Merry Christmas
-Kenny Rogers-Christmas In America
-Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers-Once Upon A Christmas
-A homemade mix of favorites
Movies:
-Christmas Vacation
-Home Alone
-A Muppet Christmas Carol
-It’s A Wonderful Life
-The Preacher’s Wife
-White Christmas
-A Charlie Brown Christmas
-A Garfield Christmas
-Miracle on 34th Street (the new one)
-Love Actually
and added last year-The Christmas Card
plus lots of other cheesy tv christmas movies
You made my whole Christmas having that You Tube video. That Christmas special was one of my all time favorites. I love the Muppets. My all time favorite album is Bing Crosby’ White Christmas.
Whitney, thanks for paying respect to Amy Grant’s “A Christmas Album.” Dated and hokey as it may be, those are some well-crafted songs that capture the spirit of the season. Her second album is just as good.
Bing Crosby’s White Christmas album makes Christmas.
Ever since we got it the first CD we play each year now is the Destinys Child christmas album. It’s modern without being rude and their gospel take on some of the songs gives me chills. And we have 3 (!) copies of the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas.
All 3 of Amy Grant’s Christmas albums are a part of my Christmas celebration. I also love Clay Aikens album, the album by Kenny and Dolly and Barbra’s first Christmas album.
The big 5 are Bing, Charlie Brown, Johnny Mathis, Ray Conniff and The Carpenters (cheesy I know, but this was the music that always greeted me as a kid when I first saw all of the presents under the Christmas tree – kind of hard to shake). But I also really enjoy the Time-Life Treasury because it features a wide variety of songs and artists (classic and contemporary) with jazz, R&B, country, pop and classical (Love what the Boston Pops do with “Sleigh Ride).”
Charlie Brown Christmas and anything with ’80s Christmas music.
*NSYNC – Home for Christmas. Only 4 standard tunes… the rest, about 11 I don’t remember, are great new Contemporary pop songs!!
This goes way back – Mitch Miller, Sing Along with Mitch. It came with song sheets to pass out and the whole gang would sing along. Fun times. Good memories!!
Bing Crosby White Christmas. The title track is the best Christmas song ever and his version of Silent Night is probably number two. It even has Mele Kalikimaka.
Without a doubt, Boney M. Best Xmas album ever. My family still still has a cassette we play every christmas, it is completely faded on both sides from use!!
“The Andy Williams Christmas Album” and Bing Crosby’s “Merry Christmas!” No question.
some of my favs for xmas are reliant k, josh groban, and michael buble
love the chris isaak one
The Carpenters, “A Christmas Portrait”…This is CD is simply lovely, full of the bells, chimes, and sounds of Christmas. Especially the part, where after about 10 minutes of a chorale singing medleys, where Karen’s voice, so aching, so pure, so plaintive, comes in singing “Frosted window panes…” Every sound and catch in her voice captures the glory and the heartache of the season. This gorgeous album is simply the best crafted seasonal album I’ve ever heard.
Kathy Mattea’s Joy for Christmas Day.
My family and I always listen to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. They have three whole cd’s devoted to Christmas music and they tour every year around Christmas time. Youtube them and you will be amazed.
I am addicted to MERCYME Christmas CD! Redone classics! Awesome, especially Christmas Time Is Here
I am shocked anyone else has heard of the John Denver and the Muppets album. I LOVE this album, it has such personal meaning for me: my mother and I used to listen to it on 8 track, of all things. She’s passed away now, and I finally found it on CD a few years ago. Some of the songs bring tears to my eyes, they are understated classics, as well as give me the opportunity to think of my mother.
My family actually loves Christmas music from the late 1990’s We have a mix of Spice Girls, NSync, Hanson, 98 Degrees… kind of ridiculous, but so upbeat! “That’s What Christmas Means To Me” by Hanson is sooo good- download it!
Otherwise, we are a movie-watching family. Home Alone has to be my favorite!
John Denver and the Muppets!! I was JUST talking to one of the women in my office about it (yep, still at work!) and she had no idea what I was talking about! I told her it was as much a part of my childhood Christmases as Santa Claus! It is THE must music for my family!!
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All congratulations go to Christmas Eve