I’m something of a Christmas music connoisseur. Before I married Sunny I was pretty much an Ebeneezer Scrooge come Christmas time. But she always gets the Christmas music out in October and somewhere along the way, I just learned to start enjoying it. We’ve been spinning the Christmas tunes for a few weeks now, and I’ve compiled my favorite playlist. I think you can find most of these on iTunes. I limited myself to one song per artist.

1. Christmas Time Is Here – Vince Guaraldi Trio. Over the last couple of years, this has become my favorite Christmas song. It takes me back to being a child sitting cross-legged in front of the TV watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special in footed pajamas. Nice.
2. Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley. This is my all-time favorite song to impersonate. Rumor has it I once recorded a music video for it. I will neither confirm nor deny this.
3. The Christmas Song – Mel Torme. Simply fine. Required listening.
4. Sleigh Ride – Harry Connick, Jr. I challenge you not to tap your toes to this one.
5. White Christmas – Bing Crosby. I love me some Mele Kalikimaka but this is Bing’s best Christmas performance.
6. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – U2. Bono and boys rock this one out.
7. Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano. Yeah its kitsch. So what. This is just pure fun. You know you like it.
8. Adeste Fideles – Frank Sinatra. A beautiful song. A singular voice. A perfect marriage.
9. Baby It’s Cold Outside – Dean Martin. Smooth as silk, baby. Can’t go wrong with Frank and Dino back to back.
10. Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt & Henri Rene. Avoid the Madonna remake and go for this classier original.
11. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan. In a short amount of time, this has become the signature version of this tune for me.
12. Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Bruce Springsteen.
13. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Martina McBride. You really should pick up her Christmas album. Not a bad song in the bunch, but this is the best of the lot.
14. A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives. Burl, you’ll always be Sam the Snowman to me.
15. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) – The Chipmunks. Gotta have this one for the kids. They love it. And I love that they love it.
16. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey. This one’s for Sunny. I know it’s Christmas time when she starts singing this one into her hairbrush.
17. The Little Drummer Boy – Harry Simeone Chorale.
18. Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms.
19. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee. A Christmas playlist would be incomplete without these three stellar tunes.
20. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Gene Autry. We used to listen to my sister’s vinyl LP of this holiday classic by the singing cowboy.
21. Angels We Have Heard On High – Chris Tomlin.
22. ‘Zat You Santa Claus? – Louis Armstrong. You’ve probably never heard this one, but it’ll make for a fun addition to your holiday music.
23. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear – Ella Fitzgerald. Come on, how can you go wrong with this one?
24. Welcome to Our World – Chris Rice. I love songs that embrace what this season is all about: the glorious Good News of God with us! Rice’s lyrics will be rolling around my brain for the next month, which is something to be thankful for.
25. Christmas Like A Child – Third Day. The line I love the most: “It’s all about Jesus…”. True dat, Mac.