The Best Christmas Albums of the 2010s
Joy to the world! The time has come … to talk about this decade’s best holiday albums.
Written and illustrated by C..S Harper
It’s the fifth time you have listened to “White Christmas” on the radio this week. You’ve considered living as a hermit after you heard “Jingle Bell Rock” in every department store you visited on your Christmas shopping trip. Hearing these same songs every year makes you sick of the holiday season before Christmas has even come. Sometimes, it seems as if no one has recorded Christmas songs since the 1950s.
Although they get little airplay, modern Christmas songs are just as enjoyable as oldies. This decade alone has produced dozens of great holiday albums with memorable songs that bring something new to the table. That said, here’s a look back at the best 10 Christmas albums of the decade.
10. Michael Bublé - Christmas (2011)
Image courtesy of Reprise Records
Michael Bublé’s Christmas is the album everyone bought their mother for Christmas in 2011. Despite Bublé’s old-fashioned jazz-pop sound, Christmas went platinum in 15 countries for a reason: it’s a great holiday album. This record has the most traditional-sounding songs on this list (hence the low ranking), but Bublé’s fantastic vocals and vibrant personality keeps it interesting. In “Santa Baby,” Bublé makes self-aware jabs at his charming persona as he mooches off a rich friend: “Santa baby, slip a Rolex under the tree for me / I’ve been an awful good guy.” On more serious songs, like “Silent Night” and “Blue Christmas,” complex jazz orchestra arrangements accompany Bublé’s baritone voice perfectly. Christmas may not be innovative, but it’s a pleasant album that puts a twist on jazzy holiday music.
9. Adrienne Houghton - New Tradiciones (2017)
Image courtesy of Bridge Music
On New Tradiciones, former Cheetah girl Adrienne Houghton uses her Puerto Rican roots to revamp Christmas. Houghton fuses different styles of Latin American music to create a diverse set of holiday songs. From “La Murga,” a fun salsa song with a retro male choir that sounds like El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, to a bossa nova cover of “Oh Holy Night,” every song brings a unique dimension to the album. Even though most of these songs are in Spanish, great English-language tracks are scattered throughout, including a bachata cover of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and a medley of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and Juan Luis Guerras’ “Frío Frío.” Regardless of your culture and native language, New Tradiciones is a fun Latin Christmas album that will make your holiday a “Feliz Navidad.”
8. Lauren Daigle - Behold: A Christmas Collection (2016)
Image courtesy of Centricity Music
Despite its gospel-sounding title, Behold actually has many secular songs. On this album, worship singer Lauren Daigle displays her versatility as a performer with jazzy updates on holiday standards like “Jingle Bells” and soft piano versions of Christian songs like “Little Drummer Boy.” One of the best tracks is an original called “Light of the World,” a nativity song that Daigle carries beautifully with her soprano vocals. Although Behold may not be groundbreaking, it’s a classy album that will make you feel posh as you sip on your eggnog this holiday season.
7. Kacey Musgraves - A Very Kacey Christmas (2016)
Image courtesy of Mercury Nashville
A Very Kacey Christmas is exactly what it sounds like: a collection of Christmas songs that pop country star Kacey Musgraves transforms into her own. Throughout the album, Musgraves puts creative spins on holiday classics, like by combining elements of tango and Mexican ranchera music on “Feliz Navidad.” A Very Kacey Christmas scores a healthy balance between serious and fun, using violins throughout without having an over-the-top sound. Quirky additions like “A Willie Nice Christmas” (unsurprisingly featuring Willie Nelson) and “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” also help keep the album playful and self-aware. Funny, heartwarming, and totally Kacey, A Very Kacey Christmas is a delightful record that will keep you coming back each year.
6. JD McPherson - Socks (2018)
Image courtesy of New West Records
Don’t let its name fool you — Socks is very much a Christmas album, albeit a unique one. Socks is a collection of original holiday songs reminiscent of 1950s rockabilly, complete with saxophone solos, bluesy piano chords, and Louis Prima-inspired singing. This record is “naughtier” than most: two standouts are naughty anthem “Bad Kid” and the humorous title track, in which McPherson complains about his mother giving him socks for Christmas. However, this album also has tender moments in songs like “All the Gifts I Need,” which emphasizes the importance of love, family, and happiness over material presents. Socks’ anachronistic sound and wacky personality make it a perfect listen if you’re looking for original Christmas songs with retro charm.
5. Pentatonix - That’s Christmas to Me (2014)
Image courtesy of RCA Records
At this point, Pentatonix has become the modern holiday group. Out of their five Christmas albums, That’s Christmas To Me is the most dynamic: in the opening track alone, the a capella group fuses elements of pop, gospel, and carol music together. The members’ compatible-yet-distinct voices more than make up for their lack of instruments, allowing them to cover any kind of Christmas song without making it one-dimensional. Pentatonix use their polyphony to their advantage in tracks like “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “White Winter Hymnal,” in which their ability to create multiple vocal layers results in a magical holiday sound. That’s Christmas To Me’s minimalistic take on Christmas music makes it a great album to spice up your holiday playlist.
4. Shinyribs - The Kringle Tingle (2018)
Image courtesy of Mustard Lid Records
Austin band Shinyribs brings the Texan spirit to Christmas on The Kringle Tingle. Shinyribs’ signature mix of country, soul, and funk makes for irresistibly danceable holiday songs. Easily one of the best songs on this album is “Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” which boasts a killer saxophone solo and a female choir that perfectly complements frontman Kevin Rusell’s gravelly voice. Another gem, “Don’t Go Chasing Santa Claus,” is a flute-heavy cover of TLC’s “Waterfalls.” Despite the number of lighthearted songs on this album, Shinyribs also prove their tonal versatility with the slow, piano-heavy “Santa Comes to Atlanta.” The Kringle Tingle is one of the most unique Christmas albums ever created, and it will make you get up and dance this holiday season, guaranteed.
3. Ana Gasteyer - sugar & booze (2019)
Image courtesy of Henry’s Girl Records
No one expected Saturday Night Live alumna Ana Gasteyer to record a holiday album, let alone one this good. Fun, jazzy, and full of personality, sugar & booze never gets boring. This record features creative takes on classics and unconventional originals, from a mambo version of “Sleigh Ride” to “In the Market for a Miracle,” a Hanukkah song for Jews who may feel like outsiders during the Christmas season. No matter how you celebrate the holidays, sugar & booze is bound to make you excited for “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”
2. Sufjan Stevens - Silver & Gold (2012)
Image courtesy of Asthmatic Kitty Records
With 10 Christmas EPs under his belt, Sufjan Stevens — best known for his acclaimed 2005 album Illinois — has made more Christmas projects than solo studio albums. Silver & Gold is a 56-track compilation album that demonstrates Stevens’ skills in making Christmas music. Alternating between folk and synth-pop, Silver & Gold melds Stevens’ distinctive sound with Christmas elements flawlessly.
His soft, guitalin-driven folk makes his covers of holiday classics sound original again. The album begins with Stevens’ ethereal take on “Silent Night,” which combines his folk instrumentation with elegant piano chords and a choir to create a dreamlike effect. Stevens’ originals are also standouts that contribute something different. For example, “Go Nightly Cares” offers a pleasant instrumental interlude, while “Christmas Unicorn” presents a 12-minute critique of holiday consumerism through mythical imagery.
The intricate lyrics and meticulous production of Silver & Gold make it a rare gem that only a master like Sufjan Stevens could craft. Silver & Gold is a near-perfect holiday record that has some of the most breathtaking Christmas songs ever made.
1. John Legend - A Legendary Christmas (2018)
Image courtesy of Columbia Records
A Legendary Christmas is a perfect holiday album. Soul-pop mastermind John Legend gives his all on this record, offering flawless vocal performances and some of the best Christmas song arrangements ever recorded. Throughout the album, Legend finds ways to combine jazz, soul, funk, and R&B creatively without sacrificing the holiday feel of his songs.
Legend makes overplayed Christmas staples sound exciting again and original songs sound as good as established classics. On “Have Yourself a Merry Christmas,” Legend and jazz bassist-singer Esperanza Spalding create compositions that are pleasant to listen to but technically impressive, featuring a trombone solo and perfect vocal harmonizations. Legend’s medley track, “Merry Christmas Baby / Give Love on Christmas Day,” is a wild card that juggles sexy and fun tones, numerous solos, and several tempo changes.
Many tracks on this album have creative arrangements, making use of instruments that are rare in Christmas music, such as harmonicas and flutes. One such song, “Silver Bells,” is a fast-paced cover that at times sounds like it belongs in the “Black Dynamite” soundtrack.
However, A Legendary Christmas also has simpler songs that are just as enjoyable. The ballad “By Christmas Eve” is only accompanied by a piano, and Legend gives a vocal performance that will bring tears to your eyes. Another piano ballad, “Waiting for Christmas,” is a short-but-powerful song about spending Christmas with loved ones that is destined to become a holiday classic.
A Legendary Christmas is what results when a musician refuses to limit themselves artistically and works to their fullest potential. This project is by far the best Christmas album of the decade, and one of the best of all time.
Honorable mentions: Sings Christmas Carols by Mark Kozelek, It’s a Holiday Soul Party by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Christmas Party by She and Him, You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Gwen Stefani, Simply Christmas by Leslie Odom Jr.
The 2010s were an amazing time for Christmas music. May the next decade bring us more albums of yuletide joy!