Christmas Classics

It's that time of year again when you hear endless Christmas songs on the radio, in the car, at work, in the shopping centre, at the dentist, at the doctor's office, and so on and so on. But it does not have to be an ordeal. There is actually some great Christmas music out there. Here is a list of my favourite Christmas albums that won't drive you crazy.


Phil Spector - A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Spector has always been a creepy figure in the music business, but despite his troubles, he made some incredible music, including this Christmas album from 1963, considered by many to be his masterpiece. Spector treats Christmas classics with his "Wall of Sound" and it's a perfect fit. Who cannot love The Ronnettes doing "Frosty the Snowman" or The Crystals doing a definitive version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Best of all is Darlene Love's recording of the Spector original "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", a timeless Christmas classic.


Donna Summer - Christmas Spirit

You would expect a Christmas album from the Queen of Disco to be a compilation of festive disco tunes, but the talented Summer's Christmas album is a traditional affair. Summer's voice is in top form here, and the orchestral arrangements, including gospel choirs, compliment her voice perfectly.

BeBe & CeCe Winans - First Christmas

This R&B/gospel duo were very popular in the early 1990s, and this Christmas album is one of the best things they ever released. They cover the classics, including "Jingle Bells", "Silver Bells, Silent Night", and "The First Noel" beautifully and even add some non-traditional songs including "Ooh Child", which fit in nicely. Both BeBe and CeCe have great voices, and nobody can sing the Christmas classics like they can.

Linda Eder - Christmas Stays the Same

I could have put Celine Dion or Mariah Carey's Christmas albums here, but those two albums get a lot of radio play and attention (and are both big sellers). But if you want a big-voiced diva Christmas album, I recommend this one. Linda Eder is often compared to Barbra Streisand and Dion for her booming voice and her choice of dramatic songs, so a Christmas album was inevitable for her. It is quite simply, fabulous. Like most Christmas albums she has the usual favourites, but what makes her Christmas album so special are the arrangements. The medley of "Here Comes Santa Claus/Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is jazzy and swinging (and would have made Frank Sinatra proud) and she performs a stirring version of "The Little Drummer Boy". She also sings a few originals including the excellent"The Bells of St. Paul".


A Motown Christmas

Who could resist an album of classic Motown artists like Diana Ross & the Supremes, Jackson 5, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder singing Christmas classics?

Boney M - Christmas with Boney M

Admit it -- you listened to this yuletide favourite when you were younger! This is probably the guilty pleasure of Christmas albums, but who cannot help but sing (and dance) to "Feliz Navidad" or "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord"! A definite crowd-pleaser for Christmas parties.


A Very Special Christmas

One of the best Christmas albums to come out of the '80s, this is a compliation of Christmas classics performed by popular artists of the day. There's Pointer Sisters singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" (performed in the style of the Ronettes version, not to mention U2 covering "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"), Madonna doing "Santa Baby", Stevie Nicks tackling "Silent Night", and Bruce Springsteen's blistering version of "Merry Christmas, Baby". It's an '80s classic for sure, but it's still enjoyable today.

Martina McBride - White Christmas

Like Linda Eder, Martina McBride is a talented female vocalist who seems to get overlooked for the Mariahs and Celines. Martina simply has one of the best voices in music these days, so a Christmas album by her is a sure bet. Traditional, but it's perfect for that voice.

Anne Murray - Best of the Season

How can you not love a Christmas album from Canada's songbird? Like the Boney M Christmas album, this one has been played throughout many childhoods (and for some, is undoubtedly a guilty pleasure). But Murray's golden voice really sells these songs. I don't think there's any singer who is better suited to classic like "Joy to the World", "O Holy Night", and "Away in a Manger" than Anne. And you can never tire of Christmas in Killarney.

Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics

Oh, come on, how can anyone not love a South Park Christmas album? The cover itself is worth the purchase!

Happy Holidays!