10 Holiday Albums We Love This Season, From '90s Classics To Beloved Movie Soundtracks

"From the first sound of my favorite boy band’s harmonies, Home For Christmas puts me in this *NSYNC holiday heaven. It brings me back to high school, when I’d keep the CD locked in my Discman for all of December. It also reminds me of the time I dragged my mom to see *NSYNC during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, on a particularly rainy day. As soon as Santa arrived on the parade route, the sun came out. Sorry, Mom."

— Jada Gomez, Executive Editor

"The Platinum Christmas album featured all of the movers and shakers — the Who's Who — of music in 2000, and most importantly, featured Britney Spears' 'My Only Wish (This Year)' at the top of the track list. I very vividly remember begging my mom to play the CD in her car as we ran errands or went to-and-from soccer or dance practice — I was a suburbs kid, what can I say! — and when those first few notes of 'My Only Wish' began, with the sweet sounds of Spears' 'Oh, yeah' filled the car, I knew it was going to be a good holiday season."

— Allison Piwowarski, Deputy Entertainment Editor

"Hanson has been my favorite band since I was a mere tween, and their entire catalog remains underrated. But around Christmas, I like to dig into the vault, which means their 1997 holiday album with its Rock & Roll/Motown-tinged track list. It's fun, feel-good, and nostalgic. If you want something more current and grown-up, check out the Finally It's Christmas record, which the brothers released just last year — a full two decades after Snowed In."

— Sage Young, Movies Editor

"Stevie Wonder's Someday At Christmas was what my mom would always put on first when we decorated our tree, back when we had to listen to music on a cassette. It's the kind of album you can put on for a crowd at your holiday party and everyone will immediately be merry. I think the title track is one of the prettiest holiday songs ever, and I'm not alone — the Jackson 5, The Temptations, Diana Ross, Mary J. Blige, and Jack Johnson all covered it for their respective holiday albums (which by the way, are all fun, too), and Wonder performed it at the White House for Barack and Michelle Obama. The album's on Spotify, so it's easy to queue up."

— Karen Fratti, Associate TV Editor

"Yes, John Legend's Christmas album came out last month, but that doesn't make it any less worthy of a spot on this list. It's practically an instant-classic! Because seriously, is there anything this guy can't do? I can already tell it'll be the perfect feel-good music to play while baking Christmas cookies."

— Jamie Primeau, Celebrity Editor

"If you need a break from the 24/7 holly-jolliness, '90s favorite Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong is a contemplative collection of holiday classics and ethereal winter-themed cover songs (which include a cover of Joni Mitchell's 'River'). It's the perfect album to listen to as you sit by a crackling fireplace (real or a TV yule log), sip some warm tea, and reflect on the year that just passed."

— Mallory Carra, Associate Entertainment Editor

"I don’t do holiday music. Sure, not being Christian doesn't help the fact that I’m a bit of a scrooge with an aversion to the overpowering optimism of holiday cheer. But once daylight savings hits I prefer to confine myself to my apartment, grab a blanket, listen to sad music, and hibernate in a way that I hope would make any bear proud.

But hear me out: There’s something so satisfying about leaning in to the impulse to embrace sadness (in a healthy way, of course), and for me, the perfect music for that mood is Songs: Ohia, particularly the album The Lioness, which is all sparse minor-chord guitars and raw pain shouted into a musical soundscape so barren it may as well be the North Pole (and not the Christmas-y one). Winter, by sheer nature, is a dark time where things die, so if we're getting technical, I'm calling this pick 'seasonal' at the very least."

— Samantha Rollins, TV Editor

"Disclaimer: I love every single thing that Kelly Clarkson does, and think she is supremely underrated. But even if you aren't a hardcore Kelly fan like me, you'll probably find it impossible not to be obsessed with Wrapped in Red, which is one of the most perfect Christmas albums out there."

— Rachel Simon, Entertainment News Editor

"The soundtrack to Meet Me In St. Louis, starring Judy Garland, always puts me in a Holiday mood because growing up, it was tradition for my family to watch it around Christmastime. The musical takes place throughout one calendar year, separated into seasons, but the winter is really the most important and enchanting segment, due in no small part to Judy Garland's stunning 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.' Fun fact, that song was actually an original written for this movie specifically, so, really, if there's one thing to put you in a Holiday mood, it's Meet Me In St. Louis."

— Olivia Truffaut-Wong, Associate Entertainment Editor

"It’s no 'Holly Jolly Christmas,' but Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago is full of icy, wistful ruminations about life and love that make me want to hunker down by a fire for several days."

— Dana Getz, Associate TV Editor