25 Best Christmas Songs

I love the holidays, and with that comes my love for Christmas music, so this was a hard list to create. There's so many great classic Christmas songs, and so many new versions that have come about to perfect originals, as well as many great new classics...which is why I've come up with TWO lists for the best songs of the holidays. The first is the 25 best modern Christmas songs, and the second is the 25 best holiday classics. To draw a nice neat line between the two lists, I've decided that the list of modern renditions will have been in the past twenty-five years exclusively, while the classic list will encompass anything before that time. Without further adieu, here is the best music that the holidays have to offer...

25 Best Modern Christmas Songs

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1. Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) - Amy Grant - A beautiful, heart-breaking song seen through the eyes of Jesus's mum.
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2. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey - Catchy as hell, sung wonderfully - this is truly a modern classic that won't go away any time soon.

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3. Santa's Got a Brand New Bag - SHeDAISY - SHeDAISY has the best modern Christmas CD I've heard - this is the jazzy cream of the crop

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4. Grown Up Christmas List - Amy Grant

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5. O Holy Night - Josh Groban
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6. Sleigh Ride - Lorrie Morgan

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7. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Mariah Carey

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8. Hark the Angels/Carol of the Bells - SHeDAISY

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9. Two-Step 'Round the Christmas Tree - Suzy Boggus - A fun country diddy.

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10. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Vince Vance and the Valiants - It has the same title as Mariah's song, but this is something wholly different, and it's pretty damn awesome.

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11. Tinseltown - SHeDAISY - I love SHeDAISY's CD because it mixes great new songs like this one, with spins on old classics that make them sound really fresh.

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12. My Favorite Things - Lorrie Morgan

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13. Emmanuel, God With Us - Amy Grant
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14. Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Gloria (In Excelsis Deo) - Mariah Carey

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15. Deck the Halls - SHeDAISY

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16. Blue Christmas - Sheryl Crow - A beautiful, depressing, subtle performance.
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17. Santa Claus In Coming To Town - Bruce Springsteen

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18. The Chanukah Song - Adam Sandler - Funny.

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19. Green Christmas - Barenaked Ladies - Also funny.

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20. Santa Baby - Mindy McCready - Finally, someone does "Santa Baby" sexy and gets it right.

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21. Ave Maria - Jewel

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22. Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World

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23. Christmas/Sarajevo 12/24 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

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24. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Amy Grant

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25. Where Are You Christmas - Faith Hill

25 Best Christmas classics

1. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee - Brenda Lee's whole CD "Jingle Bell Rock" is amazing. It was hard to pick a favorite.

2. White Christmas - Bing Crosby

3. The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) - Nat King Cole

4. Linus & Lucy - Vince Guaraldi Trio - I never knew the name of this song until I found this. This is the piano piece from the Charlie Brown Christmas special that's impossible to get out of your head.

5. You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Thurl Ravenscroft

6. I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas - Gayla Peevey - Fun lyrics - it's hard not to smile when hearing this song.

7. It Must Have Been the Mistletoe (Our First Christmas) - Barbara Mendrell

8. Christmas Will Be Just Another Lonely Day - Brenda Lee

9. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) - The Chipmunks - I was pretty much obsessed with The Chipmunk's Christmas CD growing up.

10. A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives

11. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? - Ella Fitzgerald

12. (TIE) Blue Christmas - Brenda Lee - Brenda and Elvis have very different approaches to this song, but each do wonderful renditions in their own way.

12. (TIE) Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley

13. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon & Various

14. Winter Wonderland - Louis Armstrong

15. Up On the House-Top - The Chipmunks

16. Christmas Time Is Here - Dianne Reeves

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17. A Marshmallow World - Brenda Lee

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18. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams

19. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra

20. Jingle Bell Rock - Brenda Lee

21. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) - Elvis Presley

22. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer - Gene Autry

23. The Angel and the Little Blue Bell - Brenda Lee - This was probably my favorite Christmas song when I was a wee lad. It's a little cheesy now, but it still resides in a special place for me.

24. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt & Henri Rene

25. Christmas Eve In My Hometown - Kate Smith