The perfect Christmas playlist will likely be different for each of us, but there are arguably a few songs that should probably make your cut.
“All I Want For Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey – It says a lot that 25 years after its debut, the song by the self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas has recently topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That’s not very surprising considering that whether you love it or hate it, the song has become an inescapable standard of the season since its initial release. And there are others, such as Destiny’s Child “8 Days of Christmas” and Carey’s (there she is again) rendition of “Oh Holy Night,” that are or have already become staples alongside the usual Christmas classics, like “Silent Night” or “Mary, Did You Know,” which have spawned numerous covers over the years.
“Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande – In the song, which was released in 2013 by the 26-year-old pop princess, she asks Santa Claus to tell her if her partner that she loves so much, loves her just as much. Grande explains that she would be avoiding mistletoe during the season until she knows for sure that it is in fact true love. (This appears to be a theme shared by a number of new original Christmas songs, which focus on romantic love during the season, as opposed to the classics.)
“Every Day is Christmas” by The Braxtons – This song was featured on the Braxton sisters’ first full group album, which was released in 2015. In the song, which was led by the first star of the family, Toni Braxton, the sisters explained that with their partners the feeling of Christmas lasts every day.
“No Gift” by Tamar Braxton – This Christmas ballad by the youngest of the Braxton clan was featured on Tamar’s album Winter Loversland. This song typifies what the album is about, which is love at Christmas time. Braxton, who demonstrates a large section of her five-octave vocal range, explains that while there may be a lot of gifts under the Christmas tree, there is no gift that compares to the love of her life.
“Fa La La” by Justin Bieber, featuring Boyz II Men – Featured on Bieber’s Christmas album, Mistletoe, there are two versions of the song in which Bieber and the R&B band explain that they “hear melodies” when the hearts of their loved ones beat. There is the original and the A Capella version, where the blending of the different vocals can be heard clearly.
“When Christmas Comes” by Mariah Carey, featuring John Legend – Carey enlisted the help of Legend for the single release version of the song, which was featured on her second Christmas album, 2010’s Merry Christmas II You. Their voices blend soulfully together as they sing about the extra love that is spread and shared over the Christmas season, when hearts “open up.”
“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” by Michael Bublé – Bublé’s rendition of the 1944 Judy Garland classic was released in 2011 and contains a mixture of an orchestral and jazz sound as the singer’s smooth baritone voice harmonises with the instruments.
“Every Year, Every Christmas” by Luther Vandross – This song can be heard year after year being blasted from music carts around the city during the Christmas season. The song, which was released in 1995, hears the tenor singer wishing to see his significant other for Christmas.
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Darlene Love – This 1963 original, “Rock and Roll” Christmas hit, evokes a similar sentiment to Vandross’ staple and has seen a number of artists record and release cover versions over the years. The song was even a staple during the Christmas Season on the Late Show with David Letterman, where Love was asked to sing the song for a number of years during the season.
