JamesG
11-21-2023, 01:01 AM
A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra (1957)
https://ew.com/thmb/OKYmfFlZf1kidVoawjqDl9Za2CY=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Frank-Sinatra-d4cfdfdafb0945679b38240485ff8bda.jpg
For a lot of people, it's not Christmas until Ol' Blue Eyes is singing, and that is certainly true when one considers the legacy of Frank Sinatra's first Christmas record.
Released the same year as Elvis Presley's own wildly successful yuletide album, A Jolly Christmas was seen as the tamer, more refined alternative to the King of Rock n' Roll and his swinging hips.
Sinatra's take on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is one of the most definitive versions of all time, and it's worth listening to the entire album just to experience it.
Elvis' Christmas Album (1957)
https://ew.com/thmb/dyOXQjuAOZVoS-JPoi5GKd9j49Q=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Elvis-Presley-9e41a0303fd14df0acae045789169e6f.jpg
It's difficult to overstate just how groundbreaking Presley was in the 1950s, especially in the United States, where this Christmas classic was considered so salacious at the time of its release that a number of people, including Irving Berlin, who wrote "White Christmas," attempted to get it banned from radio play altogether.
These days, it's nearly impossible to go holiday shopping without Presley's singular voice belting out of a speaker somewhere, and there's hardly a holiday enthusiast who can't sing along with the King's "Blue Christmas."
If you need one album that's guaranteed to be a hit at a holiday party, it's this one.
The Magic of Christmas (1960)
https://ew.com/thmb/HnnjRCXAXJqqUaujpYsrOYMszRg=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Nat-King-Cole-eb7301e987164125b447a3fb23880c3b.jpg
There is a reason why this holiday album is beloved by so many, and that has everything to do with Nat King Cole's inimitable voice.
Odds are, there's at least one song from The Magic of Christmas that you've loved and incorrectly identified as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" or "Merry Christmas to You" for most of your life. The song in question is "The Christmas Song," which Cole first recorded in 1946.
It may not be the only Christmas classic that Cole took to the studio, but The Magic of Christmas is the only holiday album that he put together in his lifetime, which makes it all the more special.
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (1960)
https://ew.com/thmb/evypD0ERg3nwHs2ctKvHR7hyDUI=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Ella-Fitzgerald-279332d5f1ce4d248f0ef1c60ce1b867.jpg
Ella Fitzgerald's classic holiday album includes a number of high-energy, spirited takes on the Christmas songs that most of us love and know well, including "Jingle Bells" and "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
Fitzgerald's energy never abates throughout the entire record, making it ideal for friendly get-togethers or even family singalongs that all ages can enjoy. Those not affiliated with the Christian side of Christmas might be especially fond of this record, as the great jazz legend steers clear of religious songs completely.
A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector (1963)
https://ew.com/thmb/PLoVOVRKE4EO3lpr_q6kKsXfIss=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/A-Christmas-Gift-For-You-From-Phil-Spector-121622-38bbfc8b0862427699a506dd9e92606f.jpg
Phil Spector's 1963 holiday release has the honor of being both an excellent Christmas record and a guilty pleasure listen no matter the time of year.
With this album, Spector managed to pull together powerhouse voices (Darlene Love is nearly unstoppable against the producer's legendary "wall of sound") and a holiday party sensibility. If there is one record that could be played at any Christmas party anywhere in the world, the sheer scale of musicality in each song makes it this one.
A Beach Boys Christmas Album (1964)
https://ew.com/thmb/ao2IVenLfVXiuFJ2b2PMLZ1wXfc=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Beach-Boys-13d1a962e71743f288c26950211e06e7.jpg
In the mid 1960s, the Beach Boys were hardly known for their ability (or desire) to restrain themselves, and that is definitely apparent in their 1964 holiday offering.
In addition to their signature layered vocal stylings, the band worked with a 41-piece orchestra to put together a Christmas record that can only be described in terms as expansive as the sounds themselves: lush, rich, and abundant.
The Beach Boys are always ideal during any bout of nostalgia, and there's no time better than the Christmas season to enjoy exactly that.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
https://ew.com/thmb/jP7cNWKsfhaR0iRjfJ7zCl0IBlo=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Vince-Guaraldi-Trio-23794eda82da4fb3af34e60f91ec7435.jpg
A Charlie Brown Christmas has been a holiday classic for over half a century, and audiences keep tuning in year after year to enjoy watching a pack of kids celebrate Christmas with nary an adult in sight.
The heartwarming take on what the holiday season really means is pleasant for the entire family; meanwhile, the soundtrack by the Vince Guaraldi Trio is just as much of a classic as the movie itself. While both works are certainly about Christmas, the songs' lighthearted jazz has permeated pop culture to a point that nearly all of us can enjoy them, regardless of faith or creed.
A Christmas Album (1967)
https://ew.com/thmb/O6CWA4eFBb59oSU5Z5kCpIAMSIA=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Barbra-Streisand-f495aa6d37d8494a95180ea80dcb05b0.jpg
Barbra Streisand, perhaps one of the most famous Jewish singers of all time, singing a number of Christmas songs may not seem like an obvious pairing on paper, but on the stereo, it's a match made in heaven.
Much like Streisand herself, A Christmas Album is the perfect combination of reverence and soul. Who else but Barbara could offer such a moving performance of "Sleep in Heavenly Peace (Silent Night)" that is so beloved the world over?
The album is a nearly flawless reminder that we are each allowed to celebrate whatever and however we please.
Christmas with Johnny Cash (1972)
https://ew.com/thmb/EjuDOc-PnTTwqk5AjDzCEK8LpAo=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Johnny-Cash-2810550a7884422c8e4939ec9a5c930a.jpg
Johnny Cash's take on Christmas classics is exactly what fans of the late singer had come to expect by 1972: a little snarling and a little holy, and reliably produced with the right degree of each.
Cash's version of "O Come All Ye Faithful" is particularly compelling, as something in the growling nature of his voice offers a new spin on what is typically a soaring ballad or a quieter hymn.
But with Cash on the vocals, the song and the man singing are nearly penitent.
Christmas Portrait (1978)
https://ew.com/thmb/AtOsQisXjkBgp2OPD1io2qcpiRU=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/The-Carpenters-Christmas-Portrait-121622-b53268a003034b138625e6b87fcc2cd2.jpg
Karen and Richard Carpenter are at their seasonal best with this 1978 holiday album that has since gone platinum, and with good reason. The pair offers something that manages to be both playful and introspective at the same time, a delicate balance of two sensations so commonplace with Christmastime.
Unlike their earlier work, Richard is the focus on this record, and in fact, this is one of the last recordings that Karen made with her brother before her death in 1983. With that in mind, listening to Christmas Portrait is an exercise in loving one another and not taking the season or its meaning for granted.
Pretty Paper (1979)
https://ew.com/thmb/0sxekJ_-QUd0cULrtCEW7Wp_qUQ=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Willie-Nelson-78bb952594e9481c9033287c19faebca.jpg
Willie Nelson wrote the song "Pretty Paper" after witnessing a legless man in Fort Worth, Texas, who sold paper and pencils just to get by.
The title track was recorded by Roy Orbison in 1963 and was eventually released on Nelson's first Christmas record more than a decade later. Most of the album is made up of the standard Christmas hits listeners expect, such as "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Frosty the Snowman," while Nelson's own version of the title track remains socially aware all these decades later.
Once Upon a Christmas (1984)
https://ew.com/thmb/uBITfyd-AP-Yby6Ll8gS8wU_Qz0=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Kenny-Rogers-and-Dolly-Parton-a6f5731ae9c5496781c4e16134f0eba1.jpg
Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, who both have fans among huge swaths of the American public, were destined to record a Christmas album at some point or another — and 1984 was the year.
This record, which was Rogers' second take on Christmas tunes and Parton's very first, followed the release of the pair's holiday special, Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember.
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas (1984)
https://ew.com/thmb/l18UvE4qOtaW0vJSMsSlhFuUIeI=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Mannheim-Steamroller-22e0b9784eb64ea0b8e5b0826f4a86a5.jpg
Mannheim Steamroller has quite literally made Christmas its business, with each holiday season invariably accompanied by its new age synth sound. This wildly successful Christmas album is the brainchild of composer and producer Chip Davis, who curated its largely instrumental takes on Christmas classics after years of working on his own jazz-rock chops.
In the years that have followed, the group have released more than a dozen holiday-themed records, each building on the success of the previous one. But, in the end, this first 1984 release stands above them all, inviting listeners in again and again each year.
The Spirit of Christmas (1985)
https://ew.com/thmb/_K6AiSgYgZ1D4W9Nw_r2esuzPJk=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Ray-Charles-c7ba672baf1049b3a57cd96cb33c12bf.jpg
Ray Charles might have opted to kick off his 1985 Christmas record with the downbeat "What Child Is This," but the album itself is a soaring and poignant offering from a man who, in his mid-50s at the time, was still very much enjoying the height of his grip on music and culture.
Charles takes listeners on a full emotional journey with The Spirit of Christmas, dancing through his version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" before settling into contemplation during the title track. The record might not be exactly perfect, but it's an excellent option for a cozy night indoors around a fire.
White Christmas (1986)
https://ew.com/thmb/nVx-iVJfM0HYBnPjSagZDDPh0m4=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Bing-Crosby-c47019adfaad4b12b273101b301594df.jpg
There are plenty of people who only know Bing Crosby for his Christmas music, which is fair considering this one record has been mixed and remixed a number of times.
The 1986 release, which came out nearly a decade after the singer's 1977 passing, contains perhaps the most comprehensive combination of Crosby's most loved Christmas songs, including "White Christmas," "Silver Bells," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas."
If you need just one Christmas album to rule them all, Crosby's White Christmas is a no-brainer.
https://ew.com/thmb/OKYmfFlZf1kidVoawjqDl9Za2CY=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Frank-Sinatra-d4cfdfdafb0945679b38240485ff8bda.jpg
For a lot of people, it's not Christmas until Ol' Blue Eyes is singing, and that is certainly true when one considers the legacy of Frank Sinatra's first Christmas record.
Released the same year as Elvis Presley's own wildly successful yuletide album, A Jolly Christmas was seen as the tamer, more refined alternative to the King of Rock n' Roll and his swinging hips.
Sinatra's take on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is one of the most definitive versions of all time, and it's worth listening to the entire album just to experience it.
Elvis' Christmas Album (1957)
https://ew.com/thmb/dyOXQjuAOZVoS-JPoi5GKd9j49Q=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Elvis-Presley-9e41a0303fd14df0acae045789169e6f.jpg
It's difficult to overstate just how groundbreaking Presley was in the 1950s, especially in the United States, where this Christmas classic was considered so salacious at the time of its release that a number of people, including Irving Berlin, who wrote "White Christmas," attempted to get it banned from radio play altogether.
These days, it's nearly impossible to go holiday shopping without Presley's singular voice belting out of a speaker somewhere, and there's hardly a holiday enthusiast who can't sing along with the King's "Blue Christmas."
If you need one album that's guaranteed to be a hit at a holiday party, it's this one.
The Magic of Christmas (1960)
https://ew.com/thmb/HnnjRCXAXJqqUaujpYsrOYMszRg=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Nat-King-Cole-eb7301e987164125b447a3fb23880c3b.jpg
There is a reason why this holiday album is beloved by so many, and that has everything to do with Nat King Cole's inimitable voice.
Odds are, there's at least one song from The Magic of Christmas that you've loved and incorrectly identified as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" or "Merry Christmas to You" for most of your life. The song in question is "The Christmas Song," which Cole first recorded in 1946.
It may not be the only Christmas classic that Cole took to the studio, but The Magic of Christmas is the only holiday album that he put together in his lifetime, which makes it all the more special.
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (1960)
https://ew.com/thmb/evypD0ERg3nwHs2ctKvHR7hyDUI=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Ella-Fitzgerald-279332d5f1ce4d248f0ef1c60ce1b867.jpg
Ella Fitzgerald's classic holiday album includes a number of high-energy, spirited takes on the Christmas songs that most of us love and know well, including "Jingle Bells" and "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
Fitzgerald's energy never abates throughout the entire record, making it ideal for friendly get-togethers or even family singalongs that all ages can enjoy. Those not affiliated with the Christian side of Christmas might be especially fond of this record, as the great jazz legend steers clear of religious songs completely.
A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector (1963)
https://ew.com/thmb/PLoVOVRKE4EO3lpr_q6kKsXfIss=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/A-Christmas-Gift-For-You-From-Phil-Spector-121622-38bbfc8b0862427699a506dd9e92606f.jpg
Phil Spector's 1963 holiday release has the honor of being both an excellent Christmas record and a guilty pleasure listen no matter the time of year.
With this album, Spector managed to pull together powerhouse voices (Darlene Love is nearly unstoppable against the producer's legendary "wall of sound") and a holiday party sensibility. If there is one record that could be played at any Christmas party anywhere in the world, the sheer scale of musicality in each song makes it this one.
A Beach Boys Christmas Album (1964)
https://ew.com/thmb/ao2IVenLfVXiuFJ2b2PMLZ1wXfc=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Beach-Boys-13d1a962e71743f288c26950211e06e7.jpg
In the mid 1960s, the Beach Boys were hardly known for their ability (or desire) to restrain themselves, and that is definitely apparent in their 1964 holiday offering.
In addition to their signature layered vocal stylings, the band worked with a 41-piece orchestra to put together a Christmas record that can only be described in terms as expansive as the sounds themselves: lush, rich, and abundant.
The Beach Boys are always ideal during any bout of nostalgia, and there's no time better than the Christmas season to enjoy exactly that.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
https://ew.com/thmb/jP7cNWKsfhaR0iRjfJ7zCl0IBlo=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Vince-Guaraldi-Trio-23794eda82da4fb3af34e60f91ec7435.jpg
A Charlie Brown Christmas has been a holiday classic for over half a century, and audiences keep tuning in year after year to enjoy watching a pack of kids celebrate Christmas with nary an adult in sight.
The heartwarming take on what the holiday season really means is pleasant for the entire family; meanwhile, the soundtrack by the Vince Guaraldi Trio is just as much of a classic as the movie itself. While both works are certainly about Christmas, the songs' lighthearted jazz has permeated pop culture to a point that nearly all of us can enjoy them, regardless of faith or creed.
A Christmas Album (1967)
https://ew.com/thmb/O6CWA4eFBb59oSU5Z5kCpIAMSIA=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Barbra-Streisand-f495aa6d37d8494a95180ea80dcb05b0.jpg
Barbra Streisand, perhaps one of the most famous Jewish singers of all time, singing a number of Christmas songs may not seem like an obvious pairing on paper, but on the stereo, it's a match made in heaven.
Much like Streisand herself, A Christmas Album is the perfect combination of reverence and soul. Who else but Barbara could offer such a moving performance of "Sleep in Heavenly Peace (Silent Night)" that is so beloved the world over?
The album is a nearly flawless reminder that we are each allowed to celebrate whatever and however we please.
Christmas with Johnny Cash (1972)
https://ew.com/thmb/EjuDOc-PnTTwqk5AjDzCEK8LpAo=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Johnny-Cash-2810550a7884422c8e4939ec9a5c930a.jpg
Johnny Cash's take on Christmas classics is exactly what fans of the late singer had come to expect by 1972: a little snarling and a little holy, and reliably produced with the right degree of each.
Cash's version of "O Come All Ye Faithful" is particularly compelling, as something in the growling nature of his voice offers a new spin on what is typically a soaring ballad or a quieter hymn.
But with Cash on the vocals, the song and the man singing are nearly penitent.
Christmas Portrait (1978)
https://ew.com/thmb/AtOsQisXjkBgp2OPD1io2qcpiRU=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/The-Carpenters-Christmas-Portrait-121622-b53268a003034b138625e6b87fcc2cd2.jpg
Karen and Richard Carpenter are at their seasonal best with this 1978 holiday album that has since gone platinum, and with good reason. The pair offers something that manages to be both playful and introspective at the same time, a delicate balance of two sensations so commonplace with Christmastime.
Unlike their earlier work, Richard is the focus on this record, and in fact, this is one of the last recordings that Karen made with her brother before her death in 1983. With that in mind, listening to Christmas Portrait is an exercise in loving one another and not taking the season or its meaning for granted.
Pretty Paper (1979)
https://ew.com/thmb/0sxekJ_-QUd0cULrtCEW7Wp_qUQ=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Willie-Nelson-78bb952594e9481c9033287c19faebca.jpg
Willie Nelson wrote the song "Pretty Paper" after witnessing a legless man in Fort Worth, Texas, who sold paper and pencils just to get by.
The title track was recorded by Roy Orbison in 1963 and was eventually released on Nelson's first Christmas record more than a decade later. Most of the album is made up of the standard Christmas hits listeners expect, such as "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Frosty the Snowman," while Nelson's own version of the title track remains socially aware all these decades later.
Once Upon a Christmas (1984)
https://ew.com/thmb/uBITfyd-AP-Yby6Ll8gS8wU_Qz0=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Kenny-Rogers-and-Dolly-Parton-a6f5731ae9c5496781c4e16134f0eba1.jpg
Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, who both have fans among huge swaths of the American public, were destined to record a Christmas album at some point or another — and 1984 was the year.
This record, which was Rogers' second take on Christmas tunes and Parton's very first, followed the release of the pair's holiday special, Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember.
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas (1984)
https://ew.com/thmb/l18UvE4qOtaW0vJSMsSlhFuUIeI=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Mannheim-Steamroller-22e0b9784eb64ea0b8e5b0826f4a86a5.jpg
Mannheim Steamroller has quite literally made Christmas its business, with each holiday season invariably accompanied by its new age synth sound. This wildly successful Christmas album is the brainchild of composer and producer Chip Davis, who curated its largely instrumental takes on Christmas classics after years of working on his own jazz-rock chops.
In the years that have followed, the group have released more than a dozen holiday-themed records, each building on the success of the previous one. But, in the end, this first 1984 release stands above them all, inviting listeners in again and again each year.
The Spirit of Christmas (1985)
https://ew.com/thmb/_K6AiSgYgZ1D4W9Nw_r2esuzPJk=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Ray-Charles-c7ba672baf1049b3a57cd96cb33c12bf.jpg
Ray Charles might have opted to kick off his 1985 Christmas record with the downbeat "What Child Is This," but the album itself is a soaring and poignant offering from a man who, in his mid-50s at the time, was still very much enjoying the height of his grip on music and culture.
Charles takes listeners on a full emotional journey with The Spirit of Christmas, dancing through his version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" before settling into contemplation during the title track. The record might not be exactly perfect, but it's an excellent option for a cozy night indoors around a fire.
White Christmas (1986)
https://ew.com/thmb/nVx-iVJfM0HYBnPjSagZDDPh0m4=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Christmas-Album-Bing-Crosby-c47019adfaad4b12b273101b301594df.jpg
There are plenty of people who only know Bing Crosby for his Christmas music, which is fair considering this one record has been mixed and remixed a number of times.
The 1986 release, which came out nearly a decade after the singer's 1977 passing, contains perhaps the most comprehensive combination of Crosby's most loved Christmas songs, including "White Christmas," "Silver Bells," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas."
If you need just one Christmas album to rule them all, Crosby's White Christmas is a no-brainer.