This is but a small sampling of the Christmas music I listen to every year. I have many favorites, but these most stand out:
Amy Grant - Home for Christmas - Considered by many to be one of the greatest Christmas albums ever produced, the lush orchestral arrangements on many of the songs are quintessentially Christmas. Songs like "Breath of Heaven" and "Grown-Up Christmas List" have become classics of our time.
Amy Grant - A Christmas Album - The best Christmas music the 80s had to offer... those who grew up with this album have fiercely fond feelings for it, and for good reason. Everything about this album has a classic feel to it, from the instrumental compositions to the a cappella vocals to the rock edge on songs like "Emmanuel" and the "Little Town" twist. "Heirlooms" is a favorite for many and "Tennessee Christmas" is one of the most-covered songs out there.
Amy Grant - A Christmas to Remember - A more solemn, jazz-inflected approach to Christmas, there is a pervasive purity throughout this album. The title track that launches the CD, though, is among the sweetest ear candy that the holiday season has to offer.
Elvis Presley - Elvis' Christmas Album - Perhaps more than any other album, this CD is Christmas to me. Elvis brings his signature style to the season but unlike so many rock or pop acts who try that, he doesn't dilute the holiday feel in doing so. "Santa Claus is Back in Town" and "Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me" are two of my favorites and nobody does "Blue Christmas" like Elvis.
Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas - Probably Mariah's most impressive album start to finish, she really hit the Christmas nail on the head here. Not only is the arrangement on "O Holy Night" probably my favorite, but her voice is nothing short of phenomenal, especially when not limited by so much pop music. "All I Want for Christmas is You" is one of the best original Christmas songs and I've yet to hear a cover that does it justice.
John Williams - Home Alone: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - John Williams is magical on your average day... team him up with the Christmas season and one of the greatest family films ever made, and it can't get much better. I could listen to this score over and over and in fact, I do.
Various Artists - A Home Alone Christmas - Though I wish I had the individual soundtracks for the two HA movies, this is a great compilation and a very nice accompaniment to the score. TLC, Tom Petty, Darlene Love, and Alan Jackson all deliver great songs that fit in perfectly with the John Williams numbers.
Reba McEntire - Merry Christmas to You - Reba lays the twang on thick and heavy in this album but as I love her voice, it actually works. "On This Day" and the all-spoken "The Christmas Guest" are both wonderful tributes to the 'reason for the season'. I also love that she opens "Silent Night" with a story about the song's inception.
Reba McEntire - Secret of Giving - Though produced with a more contemporary sound, Reba's follow-up Christmas album holds its own. Her renditions of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Mary Did You Know" are my favorite of each. Original songs such as "The Angels Sang" and "Santa Claus is Coming Back to Town" (the first Christmas divorce song?) are very nice as well.
Dolly Parton - Home for Christmas - I love Dolly's voice and her fun-loving personality really shines through in this album. Her versions of "The Little Drummer Boy" and "We Three Kings" are very dramatic, in a good way. When it comes time for "Go Tell It On the Mountain", she starts slow and unleashes a vocal tidal wave by the end. The kind of homegrown simplicity that marks her
Smokey Mountain Christmas movie is on display here (none of the songs from that movie are, however), most notably in the recordings from her church.
Christina Aguilera - My Kind of Christmas - Another big belter, Christina occasionally flirts too closely with the "Teen Beat" line but shows off her pipes in songs like "Merry Christmas Baby", which is actually an interesting medley of sorts with "Auld Lange Syne". Poppy though it is, I also really like "Angels We Have Heard on High"
Whitney Houston - The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack - Though much of it isn't Christmas <i>per se</i>, I really love this movie and the black gospel choir sound of its music. In terms of the strictly Christmas songs, "Who Would Imagine a King" and "Joy to the World" are both fantastic. I also find "Hold On, Help is in the Way" very inspirational.
...Well I think I've written plenty on the subject for the time being. It bears repeating that there are many, many more Christmas albums in my collection that I treasure. Also, I'll take the opportunity to side with Dave and say that the *NSYNC Christmas album is way better than anyone could expect based on their radio stuff.
-Aaron
That had me laughing soooo hard.
