My favorite Christmas songs

I have this rule that I will not listen to Christmas music until a week before Christmas. And today is that day! So, I thought, what better time to share with you 10 of my favorite Christmas tracks. I don’t like too many of them, but I have a few that bring back fond memories of childhood Christmases as well as a few tracks that I just find stunning.

Frank Sinatra – I’ll Be Home for Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)

I love to listen to the Ratpack and jazzy renditions of Christmas songs. Those are some of my favorites and this classic by Frank Sinatra falls into that category. It has something melancholy yet hopeful to it. To me, this instantly gives me a warm feeling inside.

The Pretenders – 2000 Miles

This song has so many memories attached to it. It was on one of the few Christmas CDs my parents owned as a kid. It was this mainly 80s collection of Christmas songs and this song is the first track on that CD. I remember listening to it on repeat during Christmas time.

Chris Rea – Driving Home For Christmas

Another track off that CD is this one. And this has to be top of the list when it comes to Christmas songs. When I hear this, I just know it’s Christmas. And mainly because this is such a non-standard Christmas song, which is why it’s so brilliant.

Johnny Mathis – It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

When you talk Christmas classics, this one cannot be missing from my list of favorites. And when I did a bit of research I found that this version of the song was popularized because of the Home Alone 2 soundtrack. What a coincidence that that movie is one of my favorite Christmas movies…

Suzanne Michaels – It Should Be Christmas Every Day

So apparently, this was sung by a Dutch girl… So I’m not sure how widespread this track is. But this is another one those songs that was on that CD. I know it’s getting boring, but that is what we listened to, so my Christmases are decidedly linked to that one CD.

Louis Armstrong – Cool Yule

Let’s switch things up. I told you I like the jazzy type of songs right? Well this is the best example I can find. I know this because every year my dance teacher has us dance to a Christmas track during the last class before Christmas break. And one year it was this one. It quickly became a favorite.

Gladys Knight & the Pips – This Christmas

Disco and Christmas who knew it could mesh so well. I love this song because it has this Motown vibe to it. And I love how it sort of builds up and again is not too much of a standard Christmas song.

Bing Crosby – Walking In A Winter Wonderland

You think Christmas, you think Bing. I cannot get myself to like his standard White Christmas too much. However, this version of the classic Christmas track is my favorite. It has a laissez-faire vibe to it that I love. Again that warm and cozy feeling comes to me with this song.

Lily Allen – Somewhere only we know (Official Audio – John Lewis Christmas Advert)

On to something very recent. Last year’s John Lewis’ commercial featured this beautiful track by Lily Allen. Of course the original is by Keane, but I love how this version by Lily just sounds like a brand new song and takes on a life of its own. The video was of course also endearing which helped.

Slade – Merry Christmas Everybody

Glam rock and Christmas somehow also blend fairly well. Again this song was on my parents’ CD, but it was also featured in a commercial in Holland in the 90s. I tried to find it, but I can’t remember the brand it was for. I believe it was for a toilet paper brand but all I remember was that it had a duck that ‘lipsynched’ the It’s Christmas bit near the end. Me and my brother loved that when we were kids.

What about you? What are your favorite Christmas songs?