Entertainment

An Official Ranking Of 19 Christmas Albums, Because It's Never Too Early To Start Listening

by Allyson Koerner

It's the most wonderful time of the year... well, almost. Whatever the case, it's the perfect time to do an official ranking of Christmas albums. Not everyone is a fan of holiday music, especially when it's not yet December, but, it's never too early to listen — at least in my opinion. Most great holiday songs can improve your day immensely, so why wouldn't you want to listen to them months in advance of the actual celebrations?

Seeing as there are so many great holiday songs and Christmas albums, you need more than 25 days to squeeze them all in, anyhow. And if you're not sure which ones you should be listening to, allow this ranking to guide you in the right direction.

To be clear, all of these albums are fantastic, but there are definitely ones you probably love more than others. Whether or not you prefer classic Christmas tunes, like Andy Williams and Bing Crosby, or more modern takes on the classics and original songs, like those from Mariah Carey and Kelly Clarkson, this list includes a little bit of everything. Obviously, since this is a ranking, the very last ones are the best and most highly recommended.

Really, you should listen to all of the following albums. With that said, let's get to the ranking.

1'A Charlie Brown Christmas'

A Charlie Brown Christmas is a huge part of the holidays for many. When you hear "Christmas Time Is Here" from the beloved Peanuts characters, it brings a warm feeling of holiday magic. Charlie Brown and his friends really knew what they were doing. The characters and the music are still adored 53 years later.

2'The Andy Williams Christmas Album' — Andy Williams

Christmas wouldn't be the same without Andy Williams, especially his tunes "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" and "Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season." If you love old-school Christmas music, then this is definitely the album for you.

3'My Kind Of Christmas' — Christina Aguilera

Who else remembers jamming to Christina Aguilera's 2000 Christmas album? It will definitely transport you back to the early aughts and make you feel like you're a teenager again. In no surprise whatsoever, Aguilera will you hit right in all of the holiday feels, but even more so with her song "This Christmas."

4'These Are Special Times' — Céline Dion

Céline Dion and Christmas music? Win and win. When you listen to it, you really will feel like "these are special times," just like her album title suggests. Plus, you get to hear her version of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," which is a definite must-listen to during the holidays. Oh, and you should also put on "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day." That song will give you all the feels.

5'Home For Christmas' — *NSYNC

Now, some of you might be wondering why *NYSNC's Christmas album isn't higher on this list, but it happened. It's a good album, but some of the songs may be a little too slow for your liking. Also, does anyone else just repeatedly play "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" and "Kiss Me At Midnight"? Yeah, same.

6'This Christmas' — 98 Degrees

And next there is 98 Degrees' This Christmas. This is definitely a good album, and has some great songs. Of course, "This Gift" is at the top and will forever remain a classic. Just because the album isn't ranked no. 1 doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to it at all, because it has so much holiday spirit.

7'Under The Mistletoe' — Justin Bieber

Yes, Justin Bieber has an album for the holidays and it has some really great songs with a modern twist, including "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" and "All I Want For Christmas Is You." Speaking of the latter, Mariah Carey also joins Bieber in the Christmas song she made popular and a forever fan favorite.

8'Harry For The Holidays' — Harry Connick

You can't celebrate Christmas without some Harry Connick Jr. He has such a unique voice and manages to make holiday music sound even better than it already is. If you're into jazz, his Christmas album is the one to listen to.

9'The Classic Christmas Album' — Neil Diamond

Ba ba ba! You can never go wrong with Neil Diamond, especially during Christmastime. One of his best songs is "White Christmas." Yes, it's a classic, but did you know he sings it the way Irving Berlin originally wrote it? In the first 35 seconds, Diamond sings the opening bar as it was intended with lyrics about being stuck in California without snow during the holidays. It makes the song even more magical.

10'Merry Christmas' — Mariah Carey

You can't celebrate Christmas without Mariah Carey, especially her forever favorite "All I Want For Christmas Is You." Anyone who grew up in the '90s, this was their go-to song and album whenever the holidays rolled around. Actually, it still is to this day. Carey definitely knows what she's doing when it comes to holiday hits.

11'White Christmas' Soundtrack

The 1954 holiday classic White Christmas has a great soundtrack. Of course, there is Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas," but the album also features the film's other main stars Rosemary Clooney and Danny Kaye. Before you say anything, no, Vera-Ellen didn't do her own singing, according to CNN. Now, not all of the songs are holiday-themed, but if you love this movie, whenever you hear the songs they will immediately put you in the Christmas mood. That's how special this movie is.

12'Elf' Soundtrack

Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color? The Elf soundtrack is seriously good. Between Louis Prima's "Pennies From Heaven," Ella Fitzgerald's "Sleigh Ride," and "The Nutcracker Suite," the 2003 Christmas comedy starring Will Ferrell has some top-notch music. This soundtrack should definitely be part of your holiday playlist.

13'Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas' — Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald was a star, especially when it came to creating a Christmas album. If you love classic holiday music, her album is where it's at. Fitzgerald's voice will put in such a good mood and her take on holiday hits are seriously some of the best renditions you'll ever hear.

14'Now That's What I Call Christmas!' — Various Artists

Now, this is more of a compilation Christmas album, but it definitely deserves to be on this list. There are so many beloved holiday songs from some of the best musicians, including Nat King Cole, Jackson 5, Britney Spears, and Band Aid, to name a few. It's like someone went ahead and made the perfect Christmas playlist for you, and now all you have to do is sit back, relax, and eat sugar cookies while you jam to holiday classics.

15'Home Alone' Soundtrack

The first Home Alone will forever have a special place in fans' hearts, especially those who grew up in the '90s. Every time a song comes on from this soundtrack, like Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree," who doesn't think of Kevin McCallister dancing in his living room with his Michael Jordan cardboard cutout? This soundtrack definitely brings back good memories.

16'Home Alone 2: Lost In New York' Soundtrack

As good as the first soundtrack is, Home Alone 2's music is even better. It features Darlene Love's "All Alone on Christmas," Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock," and even TLC's "Sleigh Ride." Don't tell me you don't think of yourself eating a huge cheese pizza in a limo whenever "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" by Johnny Mathis comes on?

17'Wrapped In Red' — Kelly Clarkson

Is it really any surprise that Kelly Clarkson has an amazing Christmas album? It includes classics, but if you're in the mood for something new "Underneath the Tree" and "Wrapped in Red" will give you so many Christmas feels. Actually, you'll most likely put the former on repeat, because, yes, it's that good.

18'Snowed In' — Hanson

At no. 2, there is Hanson's Snowed In. The 1997 album was and still is a huge hit. It has so many fantastic holiday songs. As young men, Taylor, Isaac, and Zac Hanson knew what they were doing when it came to creating holiday music. They are seriously talented. FYI, Hanson also has another Christmas album, Finally It's Christmas, which was released in 2017. It's definitely good, but Snowed In is still better.

19'Christmas' — Michael Bublé

Finally, Michael Bublé is at the top. This is truly a great Christmas album. His voice is exactly what you want to hear when it comes to holiday music. He somehow manages to make Christmas songs sound better than they already do. He will definitely give you chills and make you want to decorate as soon as you hear him belt out every single song on his album.

There you have it. Hopefully this official Christmas album ranking brings some joy to your holiday season and makes it merry and bright.