Holiday Rock: The 10 Best Christmas Carols Ever

It seems like it’s earlier every year, but there’s something about hearing those Christmas carols. 

Whether you’re in a store or traveling in the car, you can’t help but sing along and be transported to another time and place.  Christmas carols are powerful songs.  I have always divided them up into what I call The Three Christmas Categories.  (These categories work for just about everything Christmas, the movies, the cards, the outside decorations….)  Faith-Based Church Carols, Warm Your Heart Family And Friends, and Children’s Carols.

While we could debate forever about which is the VERY best, here are some of the most beloved.  They aren’t in any particular order and some of them have been done by countless artists.  They’re both classic and current, treasures and trashy, but you know we all have them on our play lists.  If you don’t see your favorite, add a comment!

  1. “The Christmas Waltz”:  “It’s that time of year, when the world falls in love….” You can almost hear the 1234, 1234 in your head as you find yourself swirling around the room laughing as your dog barks at you.  It’s a classic, sentimental song that makes you just want to grab up someone in your arms and dance.  (This is frowned upon at certain places of business, so consider yourselves warned.) 

  2. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”  This carol was penned back in 1951 and it can still get toes tapping along while you’re sipping tea….or something else.  It has a cozy, easy melody so even if you’re totally tone deaf, (like me) you can sing it with pride.

  3. “Christmas in Hollis”  Can I get a yeah??  Run DMC released this in 1987 as a single as part of A Very Special Christmas Album for Special Olympics.  Yet it wasn’t until the movie, Die Hard when the limo driver, Argyle, (played by De’voreaux White,)  won our hearts and made theaters shriek with laughter as he backed out of the parking garage that this song became embedded as a Christmas classic.  It’s so fun to belt out, “It’s Christmas time in Hollis, Queens. Mom’s cookin’ chicken and collard greens…”

  4. “O Come All Ye Faithful”:  Just typing this song title pulls the water from my eyes.  It’s beautiful to hear in church on Christmas Eve, and it’s the song of choice in those heart string movies when the soldier comes home/ the orphan finds a family/one of the Ingalls girls forgives Nellie/the prodigal son sneaks in on Christmas morning.  Excuse me,  I need a tissue.

  5. “Please Come Home For Christmas”  I may start a fight here, but I’m in the Don Henley group.  I know Aaron Neville has a good one, as does Jon Bon Jovi, but there’s something about that voice of Henley’s.  It’s like a good bourbon; little bit of a bite but super smooth and makes you just feel no pain.   Plus it’s really fun to play fake piano on the table in bars.

  6. “Santa Claus is Coming Town”  You guys been practicing?  Clarence?  You been practicing, so Santa’ll bring you a new saxophone?  You guys out there been good?  Ah, not many, not many, ya guys are in trouble…”  They don’t call him The Boss for nothing.  Bruce Springsteen’s version is probably the coolest, but I’ll take it in cartoon form, Girls Scouts caroling…whatever.  It’s awesome.

  7. “Joy To The World”  Whether it’s instrumental, a cappella or an entire chorus, I defy anyone to hear it on Christmas Eve and not get chills.

  8. “All I Want For Christmas Is You”  Mariah Carey’s biggest Christmas hit is the official kick off of the season.  It’s made its way into mainstream vernacular as well.  In the movie, Love Actually it creates the culmination of all the characters.  The film has become a classic in its own right.  We have a tiny glass lobster in our nativity scene because of the line, “There was more than one lobster present for the birth of Jesus?  Duh.”

  9. “Heat Miser”  Da da da dun, daaa dun….come on, sing along.  I know you know the words.  This break out song from the Christmas special The Year Without A Santa Claus is in a class by itself. 

  10. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”  Excuse me, but in 1984 we didn’t have The Twitter, or The Facebook, or The Instagram.  Somehow Bob Geldof and Midge Ure managed to get the world’s hottest new artists at the time together….ever hear of Bono? Sting? Duran Duran?   They combined with a slew of artists to create Band Aid and one of the world’s best known Christmas songs….and probably the cheesiest video on MTV.

Yes, I said top ten, but I’m feeling generous.  After all, it is Christmas time.  “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” I don’t know about your house, but this song was considered almost as blasphemous as “Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg” at ours.  That was why singing it at the top of our lungs made it all the sweeter then.  It makes the memories sweeter now.

…And an honorable mention goes to the best “Anti Christmas Song”….”You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” Boris Karloff has become the emblem of All Things Against Christmas, yet this song was immortalized by Thurl Ravenscroft.   Ironically, wearing a Grinch hat, shirt or tie to your holiday party means you DO have holiday spirit.  You’re like the Grinch after his small heart grew three sizes that day.

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Cynthia Dite Sirni

Cynthia Dite Sirni was born in New York City and now proudly lives in Rome...the one in New York, not Italy. She received a Bachelor's Degree from The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY and a Master's Degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz. A twenty-one year veteran high school teacher, she plans to be a writer when she grows up.Though she is American, Sirni has an Italian soul, through and through. Fashion, wine, travel, food and décor are just some of the things she likes to dabble in. Twitter handle: @Cindylousi Facebook URL:

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