Top 20 Christmas Songs

Let’s “Make Some Noise”, Christmas-time style as I offer my favorite holiday songs of all time!

By: Kevin Vickery

I must admit that when it was suggested to me that I should do a review of my favorite Christmas/holiday songs for this column, I thought it would be an easy article to write. I believe I might have even said, “That’ll be a breeze” when discussing it with my friends. That has been far from the case as I first started making a list off of the top of my head and then reviewing a few holiday playlists that I have saved in my phone.

I soon realized a top 10 list (which was my original concept) was not even remotely possible as I struggled to get it down into a top 20 which will now need to appear as a two-part series.  This piece could have just as easily been a top 40 list or if I had been thinking more clearly from its inception, a top 20 list of complete holiday albums instead of just songs would have been a smarter choice.

The next hurdle was those close to me trying to influence me and get THEIR personal favorites on the list.  With that in mind, I offer my most sincere apologies to my friend and fellow columnist, Blaise (The Baker) Doubman for not including anything from his favorite, “Once Upon a Christmas” album by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton or his strongly suggested Kasey Musgraves’, “A Willie Nice Christmas” on my list. 

The same apologies go to my teenage daughter for ignoring her suggestion to include, “Christmas Saved the Year” by her favorite band, Twenty-One Pilots, but since I’d never heard any of those songs prior to writing this piece, it hardly seemed appropriate to include them on my all time favorite list.

Don’t get me wrong, they’re great tunes, and I like them enough that in time they’ll likely find a place in my overall holiday mix but they just haven’t withstood the test of time yet for me to personally include them here.

Past all that, my next difficulty in narrowing it down to 20 songs meant that I’d basically have to eliminate all novelty songs. That was tough for me because I’m such a fan of comedy oriented music. So, even though I love hearing, “Christmas Don’t Be Late” by Alvin & The Chipmunks”, ”Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer” by Elmo & Patsy, “Santa Claus and His Old Lady” by Cheech & Chong and even the Barking Dogs version of “Jingle Bells” every year at least once, none of them made the cut for this list.

Instead, I’ve tried to focus on more meaningful songs that have either been significant in my own life for various reasons or been a part of something that helped change the world for the better.  Please keep in mind that this is a completely non-scientific study.  Where these songs fall in the list does come with some consideration but literally by me only.  Their placement has absolutely nothing to do with album sales, chart positions, or even overall popularity. It’s very simply my list of holiday favorites-that and nothing more. I’m sure you’ll find some familiar songs here that also give you a similar experience of joy during the holidays and hopefully some that you’ll discover for the first time, seek out, enjoy, and appreciate.  So, without any further ado, here’s the first installment of my top 20 holiday songs.

 #20. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. It was recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof consisting of the time’s most popular British and Irish musical acts, including Bono, Sting, Boy George, Phil Young, George Michael, Jody Watley and Phil Collins as well as all the members of Duran Duran, The Boomtown Rats and many others.

The song charted heavily and went on to raise over 8 million dollars for Ethiopian famine relief in the first year and has since been re-recorded with a host of other super-group line-ups on it’s 20th, 30th, and 40th year anniversaries.  These subsequent releases have brought the total raised for the cause to over 178 million dollars.

Personally, I’ve always enjoyed the track and have fond memories of it coming out during the holidays when I was in high school.  It’s catchy, features a tremendous amount of talented musicians and I’ve always thought of it as a piece of music that did a lot of good for those in need, so I enjoy hearing it year after year.

#19.  “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by pop-diva, Mariah Carey was released in 1994 from her fourth studio and first holiday album, “Merry Christmas”.  Unless you’ve been living in the Grinch’s cave for the last 30 years, you’ve likely heard this hit as It has since become a Christmas standard and continues to gain in popularity every December.

Despite the fact that Mariah Carey’s music is not particularly my cup of tea, I have nothing but respect for her vocal talent, especially her ability to sing so precisely in the extreme upper register.  

I’ll be honest- this song makes my list for one reason – my daughters love it. When we’re decorating the tree and this song hits on my Christmas playlist, they’re ecstatic. There’s something very special about the feeling I get watching them dance to it and sing along word-for-word.  Don’t get me wrong – I don’t dislike the song – it’s just not my style.  That makes no difference though when I get to hear the two of them, especially my oldest singing along hitting every note perfectly.  All I have to do is pretend like I’m not listening to her so she’ll keep singing, which is totally worth it.

#18.  “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen“, also known as “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”, and “Tidings of Comfort and Joy,” is a traditional Christmas carol of which the earliest versions found in an anonymous manuscript, date back to the 1650’s.

It has since been recorded countless times including popular versions by Bing Crosby in 1945, Mariah Carey in 1994, Garth Brooks in 2000, and Debbie Gibson in 2022.  My favorite version was released by Canadian band, The Barenaked Ladies on their 2004 album, “Barenaked for Christmas”.

If you’re not familiar with The Barenaked Ladies, let me first reassure you that they are neither naked, nor are they ladies.  Their tongue-in-cheek name, is a symbol of the multi-award-winning band’s often comedic way of writing hit songs, and their often unscripted stage banter.

I first became aware of their Christmas album only a couple years ago when the music to their version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings” was placed on my music stand at my Church’s Praise band practice.  After we worked it up at rehearsal, I instantly went home and listened to their recording at least a dozen times and their version which also features Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan remains my personal favorite version of the song I’ve ever heard.

Their entire, “Barenaked Naked Christmas” album is chock full of Christmas-time standards, and non-traditional holiday music, including songs about Hanukah, and wintertime in general, which I think makes it a great addition to any gathering with family and friends during the season.

#17.  “Run Rudolph Run” was written and recorded in 1958 by Chuck Berry but credited to Johnny Marks and M. Brodie due to Marks’s trademark on the character of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer character.  The song features Berry’s signature 12 bar blues style made famous with his songs like “Johnny B. Goode” and “Little Queenie”.

It’s a cool, upbeat rocker that I look forward to hearing every Christmas season although I’ll admit that Chuck Berry’s original version is not the one that I initially heard decades ago that caused me to fall in love with the tune.  I’ve counted about 50 remakes of the holiday classic that have been recorded over the years and the one that first introduced me to the song was Bryan Adam’s version from 1987.

The song has also been frequently retitled, “Run, Run Rudolph” and featured in holiday movies like “Home Alone” from 1990.  I’m a big fan of the version by Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards from 1978 and the version which appears on Dwight Yoakam’s, “Come on Christmas” album from 1997.

#16.  “Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy” is a Christmas classic co-written and recorded by Buck Owens in 1965 for his album, “Christmas with Buck Owens and his Buckaroos”.  The song tells the tale of a young boy sneaking out of his bedroom on Christmas Eve in the night to try and catch a glimpse of Santa, but to his surprise Jolly Old St. Nick looked like his Dad. The story includes lyrics like:

“He didn’t come down the chimney, so Momma must have let him in.  Santa looked a lot like Daddy, or Daddy looked a lot like him.” And my favorite line, “Santa put his arm around Momma, and Momma put her arm around him, So if Santa Claus ain’t Daddy, then I’mma gonna tell on them”.

I’ll admit that I’d never heard Buck Owen’s version until after hearing the Garth Brooks version from his 1992 holiday album, “Beyond the Season”.   After that I went back and discovered the original which even though I still enjoy the Garth Brooks version, I definitely enjoy the original Buck Owens hit even better-but what can I say-I like it twangy.

If you’re a fan of the song, there’s plenty of other versions to discover like Travis Tritt’s from 1992, The Tractor’s from 1995, The Reverend Horton Heat’s from 2005 and Brad Paisley’s from 2006.

#15.  “The Chanukah Song” is the one novelty tune that I couldn’t leave off the list.   I mean, what are the holidays without some laughter, right?  The song was written by comedian Adam Sandler with other Saturday Night Live writers and originally performed by Sandler on the show in December of 1994.  He later added it to his stand-up act, updating it with new lyrics. All versions center on the theme of Chanukah and of Jewish children feeling alienated during the Christmas season. The song predominantly features Sandler listing Jewish celebrities as a way of sympathizing with their situation.

I’ve loved the tune ever since I first heard it when it was included on his 1996 album, “What the Hell Happened to Me?”  He’s re-recorded the song several times over the years, updating his list of Jewish celebrities from the original version which included David Lee Roth, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spok, to include others like, Calvin Klein, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stiller and Hary Houdini in later revisions.

There’s also a pretty cool cover version by Neil Diamond that he recorded for his 2009 album, “A Cherry Cherry Christmas” that’s worth a listen.  I’ve been a fan of Sandler’s work on SNL, in movies, and his stand-up comedy for decades so I’m always glad to laugh my way through this holiday number while singing along during the holidays.

#14.  “Wonderful Christmastime” is a Christmas favorite written by English musician and Beatles co-founder, Sir Paul McCartney. Recorded during the sessions for his 1980 solo album “McCartney II”, it was released as a single in November 1979 following Wings’ final album earlier that year and it was McCartney’s first solo single in over eight years.

Being a fan of The Beatles, Wings, and Sir Paul in general, I love the song and look forward to hearing it every Holiday season.  There’s not a lot of artists with the ability to write, and record a song entirely on their own, playing all the instruments, and covering all the vocals. Paul McCartney is one of those type of musicians and that’s why he’s a cherished music icon, still performing to sold out crowds to this day.

Diana Ross also had a hit with “Wonderful Christmastime” in 1994 as did Kylie Minogue in 2016. McCartney also was featured on a re-release of the track with a capella group, Straight No Chaser in 2013.

The song’s upbeat tempo and fun, lighthearted lyrics about enjoying Christmas make it a fan favorite in my house every year.  

“The mood is right.  The spirit’s up.  We’re here tonight, and that’s enough.  Simply having a wonderful Christmas time.”  Thanks, Sir Paul for keeping it simple-and catchy!

#13.  “Feliz Navidad“ which translates to “Happy Christmas or “Merry Christmas” in Spanish is a classic holiday tune by singer/songwriter José Feliciano, released in 1970 on his Christmas album of the same name.

I love this song’s upbeat tempo and the way the horn section and Spanish lyrics gives it a Mariachi band vibe-plus, it’s the one time every year that I get to pretend like I speak Spanish. You can’t go wrong with the simple, heartfelt  message of the song-the traditional Spanish Christmas/New Year greeting “Feliz Navidad, próspero año y felicidad” (“Merry Christmas, a prosperous year and happiness”), followed by the English words “I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart”.

There’s been many other versions of Feliz Navidad recorded over the years.  Of course I like the original the best but Raul Malo of the Mavericks has a very nice version as well from his 2007 album, “Marshmallow World & Other Holiday Favorites”.

#12.  “Christmas in Prison” was written and recorded by the late-great, Americana singer/songwiter, John Prine for his 1973 album, “Sweet Revenge”.  I enjoy non-traditional Christmas songs and with the opening line; “It was Christmas in prison and the food was real good.  We had turkey and pistols, carved out of wood.”,  You know you’re heading out on a non-traditional Christmas journey, lead by Prine’s signature blend of humorous, clever lyrics from one of the most influential songwriters of his generation.

This is likely one of the lesser-known songs on my list and if you’ve never heard it, I highly recommend giving it a listen.

# 11.  “The Little Drummer Boy” (originally known as “Carol of the Drum”) was written by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941 and first recorded in 1951 by the Austrian Trapp Family. The song was further popularized by a 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale which was re-released successfully for several years, and has since been recorded many times.

The lyrics tell the tale of how the singer as a poor young boy, was summoned to the Nativity of Jesus. Without a gift for the newborn King, the little drummer boy played his drum as the lyrics state, “I played my best for him” and “He smiled at me”. Unfortunately, despite the song’s popularity, the story of the drummer boy is not biblically accurate.

That’s never bothered me as I believe it’s still a great story that focuses on the birth of Christ which has in my opinion too often become a side story in the modern day over commercialized version of the entire Christmas season.

My absolute favorite version of, “The Little Drummer Boy” was recorded by rockers Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and released as the final track on their 1981 album, “I Love Rock ‘n Roll”.  Sure, maybe that’s partially because ten year old me had a massive crush on Joan Jett but still, this version inspired a couple of my friends and I to perform it at the annual talent show held on the last day before Christmas break during my Senior year in high school.  Even though we didn’t win the contest, it was an awesome experience and I’ll never forget how cool it was hear my two friends, Warren Bullock and the late Eric Persinger playing the melody in guitar harmony while I played drums for the first time ever in public on a borrowed kit.

I’m also a fan of classic rock legend Bob Seger’s version from 1987 as well as a unique version performed by David Bowie and Bing Crosby on Crosby’s final holiday TV special, “Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas, 1977” as a medley titled “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy”.  All in all, I believe it’s a great Christmas song and I’m always glad to hear any version of it during this time of year.

That wraps up the bottom end of the list. Hopefully you’ll find some of your favorites on there and maybe discover something new.  Tune in next time for the top 10!

Let’s “Make Some More Noise”, Christmas-time style as I offer my favorite holiday songs of all time! (Part Two)

In my last column, I offered my apologies for songs not included so I should probably do the same this time.  I’m deeply sorry that Brenda Lee’s, ”Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is not present nor is anything from Burl Ives’, “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” album from 1965.

In the spirit of narrowing it down to a total of twenty songs, I’ve also forced myself to leave off all novelty songs which is why, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” performed by 10 year old Gayla Peevey in 1953 and, Spike Jones’, “All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” are not on this list, despite my love for hearing them both at least once every Christmas season.

So, as we get down to the nitty-gritty of my final top 10 favorites, I’ll remind you again that this is a completely non-scientific list and has absolutely nothing to do with album sales, chart position, general popularity or literary anything other than my opinion so take it for what it’s worth and enjoy.

#10.  “Merry Christmas From the Family” was recorded originally by Robert Earl Keen in 1994 and included on his album, “Gringo Honeymoon”.  I absolutely love this song and my band covers it every year during our December shows. The song describes the Christmas gathering of a fairly dysfunctional Texas family whose merrymaking—which includes drinking, carving a turkey, watching a football game and smoking cigarettes—is punctuated with popular Christmas music and the need to run to convenience stores for additional supplies such as fake snow, bean dip, and cigarettes. 

If you’ve never heard it, I’d highly recommend giving it a listen, especially if you’ve ever spent the holiday sharing the Yuletide spirit with some not so Hallmark movie type characters. I would also give honorable mention to the Montgomery Gentry version from 2000.

#9.  “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” was written by British songwriter Tommie Connor and first recorded by American singer Jimmy Boyd in 1952.  Many popular artists have since covered the song with the Ronettes’s 1963 and the Jackson 5’s 1970 versions being the most famous.

Neither of those versions are why this tune is on my list.  Being a natural born Hoosier, I am by default a fan of John Mellencamp and I look forward to hearing his take on this Christmas classic every year. His version from 1987 appeared on the first, “A Very Special Christmas” album and features him at what I would consider to be the prime of what I call his, “fiddle and accordion” sound. This was when his singles like, “Paper in Fire” and, “Cherry Bomb” were topping the charts.

His version of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” falls right in line with the style of music he was making at that time.  The song which tells the tale of a child sneaking out to catch a glimpse of Santa only to be confused when he sees jolly old St. Nick kissing his mom is a classic no matter which version you prefer.

The, “A Very Special Christmas” album series was started by Jimmie Iovine and with the 13 albums released between 1987 and 2013 has raised over one-hundred-million dollars to benefit the Special Olympics.  Good tune, great cause, so do like Mellencamp says and, “Check it Out”.

#8.  “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” was released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko’s The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. It was the seventh single released by John Lennon outside his work with the Beatles.  The song was written as a protest song against the US involvement in the Vietnam War, and has since become a Christmas standard, frequently recorded by other artists and appearing on many compilation albums of seasonal music.

As a lifelong fan of both The Beatles and John Lennon, I personally enjoy the song every year during the holiday season despite Yoko Ono’s involvement.

Verse 2 sets the tone of the protest element of the lyrics when Lennon  is joined by the Harlem Community Choir:

“And so this is Christmas, (War is over).

For weak and for strong. (If you want it).

The rich and the poor ones. (War is over).

The road is so long. (Now).

And so happy Christmas. (War is over).

For black and for white, (If you want it).

For yellow and red ones, (War is over).

Let’s stop all the fight. (Now).”

Over the years, many artists have had success with their versions of “Happy Xmas (War is Over) including Neil Diamond in 1992, Diana Ross in 1994, Maroon 5 in 2005, Sarah McLachlan in 2006, and John Legend in 2019.

#7.  Mele Kalikimaka” is a Hawaiian-themed Christmas song written in 1949 by R. Alex Anderson. The song takes its title from the Hawaiian translation of “Merry Christmas” One of the earliest recordings of this song was by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1950 and it has been covered by many artists and used in several films including most famously in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”.

I’ve been fortunate to travel to Hawaii a handful of times in my life although never for the Christmas holiday.  In fact, every Christmas of my life has been spent right here in the Hoosier state, meaning I’ve seen my share of white Christmases, wet Christmases, unseasonably warm Christmases, and just plain cold Christmases.  

Spending the holiday in Maui is definitely on my bucket list which is why I I love the lyrics to this song so much stating:

“Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say,

On a bright Hawaiian Christmas day.

That’s the island greeting that we send to you, from the land where palm trees sway.

Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright.  The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night.  Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii’s way to say Merry Christmas to you.”

There’s a pretty good version of this song by the late Jimmy Buffet as well as one that I enjoy by the Asylum Street Spankers, but for me, it’s not Christmas until I’ve heard the Bing Crosby version.  Someday, I too hope to send the island greeting from the land where palm trees sway.

#6.  “It’s Christmas All Over Again” was written and performed by one of my favorite artists of all time, Tom Petty in 1992 for the 2nd installment of the “A Very Special Christmas” ten album series, released between 1987 and 2013.  I always enjoyed this series as they featured many big name pop, rock, and R&B artists performing their versions of Christmas classics and new material written especially for the holidays which is the case with this Tom Petty song.  

You may also remember it from being featured in, “Home Alone 2, Lost in New York, also from 1992.

The title, “It’s Christmas All Over Again” says it all, and is totally relatable to me.  Every year as I drag out the tree and all the boxes of decorations I find myself asking, “Didn’t I just put all this stuff away?” It never seems like a whole year has passed. I particularly like the lyrics:

“Long-distance relatives, 

Haven’t seen’em in a long, long time.

Yeah I kind of missed ’em, 

I just don’t wanna kiss ’em, no!

It’s Christmas all over again, yeah again!”

I also love the way he wraps up the tune like he’s making his Christmas list for Santa:

“Now let’s see…I want a new Rickenbacker guitar, two Fender Bassmans, Chuck Berry songbooks, a xylophone…”

If you like Tom Petty (and yes, I’m sneaking an extra song into this list) check out his version of the Willie Dixon blues standard, “Little Red Rooster” in which he re-works the lyrics to have a Christmas theme. It appeared on the “A Very Special Christmas, Vol 5” released in 2003.  It’s another must listen on my Christmas playlist.

#5.  “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” was originally written by by Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, and the music was composed by Albert Hague, for the 1966 animated special “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” and has been my favorite Christmas show since I was a kid. The best lesson I ever learned in songwriting comes from Dr. Seuss who taught me that it’s completely acceptable to invent new words when needed.  This song gives some of my favorite examples of this like, “stink-stank-stunk” and “nasty-wasty-skunk”.

Fun fact.. The song was not sung by Boris Karloff who was the voice of the Grinch and the narrator of the show as he was not trained as a singer.  It was instead performed by uncredited singer and voice actor, Thurl Ravenscroft known for his work in many Disney productions and most commonly known as the voice of Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger. There have been many versions recorded of “You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch”, including Darius Rucker, Dweezil Zappa and my personal favorite by The Whirling Dervishes.

Of course there are also the versions recorded by Jim Carrey from the 2000 live action film version and the re-worked version performed by Tyler the Creator in the 2018 animated movie version but for me, the original is by far the best.

#4.  “Blue Christmas” was written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson and most famously recorded by Elvis Presley, for his album of the same name released in 1965, although it was first recorded by Doye O’Dell in 1948. It is a tale of unrequited love during the holidays and is a longstanding staple in my Christmas playlist. My kids get on me for playing it too much citing that Christmas songs should be happy but I’ve seen enough holiday seasons to know that’s not always the case.  I’m also a big fan of versions recorded by Cheryl Crowe, Raul Malo, The Brian Setzer Orchestra and Johnny Cash among others.

#3.  A Charlie Brown Christmas from December of 1966 is the eighth studio album by the American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi (later credited as The Vince Guaraldi Trio) and it coincided with the television debut of the Christmas special of the same name.

Yes, I’m sneaking an entire album into the list as one song – but hey- it’s my list so I make the rules – and besides that, the whole album is a little less than 35 minutes long so I think I get a pass.

If you’re not familiar with the work of The Vince Guaraldi Trio, I’ll start by explaining that their super smooth, 1960’s hipster jazz instrumentals were the soundtrack to all the old Charlie Brown television specials. The trio consisting of Guaraldi on piano, and a variety of different musicians filling the roll of upright bassist and drummer throughout his career would lay down that hip jazz sound that was as much of a part of the show’s soundtrack as were the voices of Charlie, Lucy, Linus and the rest.

This album is a holiday favorite for me because it pairs so well with a Christmas morning cup of coffee, Yule-log on the TV, and opening gifts with my family.  It’s a tradition that goes back at least 39 years or so when my Mom and I started listening to it on Christmas morning and I’m always happy every year to keep that tradition alive with my own kids.  If you’ve never heard this album, I’d highly recommend adding it and any of The Vince Guaraldi Trio’s other instrumental albums from the “Peanuts” collection to your holiday listening.

#2.  “If We Make it Through December” by Merle Haggard is literally an annual holiday anthem for me.  It was released on his 1973 album, “Merle Haggard’s Christmas Present”.  The song which in addition to its Christmas motif, also uses themes of unemployment and loneliness during the cold months of the holiday season is relatable to anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed by the burdens and financial difficulties of making your family’s Christmas a special time despite the realities of life and times of hardship.

The song is special to me not only because I’ve felt the stresses expressed in the lyrics in my own life, but also because I had a close working relationship with the legendary and iconic singer back in my Nashville days.  Hag’s songwriting style coupled with his distinctive voice is why he is such a country music treasure.  I’m a huge fan of his entire catalog and frankly, I’d listen to him sing the phone book.  His whole Christmas album is great and chock full of standard holiday classics but his well thought lyrics make, “If We Make it Through December” a stand out among the rest.  

#1.  “Silent Night” (German: “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht”) was composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr.  The song was first recorded in 1905 and has remained a popular success, appearing in films and countless successful recordings, as well as being quoted in other musical compositions. It is the world’s most recorded Christmas song, with more than 137,000 known recordings.

For me, it is the quintessential Christmas song as it specifically outlines the story of the birth of Christ as told in the Bible. My personal favorite versions include; Martina McBride, Willie Nelson, Jewel and specifically, the Stevie Nicks version from the “A Very Special Christmas” album series that brings a tear to my eye every single time I hear it.  

I especially enjoy the way in Stevie’s version, that she took the artistic discretion to add a bridge and modify the song in a way that’s tasteful and adds to the overall melody of the song while still being respectful to the original version. I believe that she genuinely makes the song sound even better which is a tough task to accomplish with a classic like this.

Prior to last year, I would have told you that my favorite version I’ve ever heard was Stevie’s but then something special happened.  

I went Christmas caroling with my daughters and other members of the Mt. Summit Christian Church.  While walking around the town singing, we were stopped by someone asking us if we would go sing to her Grandmother on the outskirts of town which we happily obliged.  We drove out into the country to a house where an elderly lady lived who clearly was not in the best of health and not leaving her home much if at all.  We sang “Silent Night” to her from her back porch and as I listened to the beautiful sounds of my daughter’s voices mixed with the other church members, I watched the lady’s face transform from wondering why we had randomly showed up at her house to truly appreciating the song, its meaning and the fact that we were there to spread the love and joy of the Christmas spirit. 

The song is well out of my singing range and even that didn’t matter as I could barely keep from sobbing as I heard my girls and the others singing it perfectly and watched the tears streaming from the woman’s face. We were all connected spiritually and I’ve never felt like I was part of a Christmas miracle more than I did at that moment, singing that song to a stranger.

With that, I conclude my greatest Christmas song list with hopes that again you will find a song on here that you love and hopefully discover a new one that you can share with your family and friends in the future.  What I’ve discovered in writing this piece is that the problem with all these great holiday songs is that we only get to listen to them for about two months per year.  I guess that’s the nature of the holidays.  It’s a short-lived time of year that comes and goes too quickly, especially when we are caught up in all the madness and responsibilities of the season. 

So maybe if you can find the time, take a deep breath, relax, close your eyes and hold a loved one close to you while you enjoy something simple like a good song.  After all, the real meaning of the season is about feeling and sharing hope, peace, joy, and love with one another.  

I wish every one of you all of those things as we celebrate the holidays and move forward into a new year. Merry Christmas to you all and many thanks for reading.