The Top Twenty Greatest Christmas Songs Ever Written

Time for something completely different. As most of my regular readers are aware, this blog is mostly devoted to examining movies and other visual media. But there's plenty more art to talk about. While I doubt I'll ever do focused evaluations of the fine arts, but I'm more than happy to examine literature or, even more likely, music. I love music even more than I love movies; considering how much I love movies, that's saying a lot. And if there's any one time of year in which I get really excited for music, it's the holiday season.

There are dozens of sticks in the mud who hate Christmas music for never changing, but I am most definitely not one of them. Sure, I have those Christmas songs that I loathe ("Last Christmas," "The 12 Days of Christmas," "All I Want for Christmas Is You"), but I actually like the vast majority of songs that dominate the holiday airwaves. It doesn't matter if it's a Christian traditional, a 1940s standard, or a new rock and roll classic: if it's a Christmas song, I probably like it to some extent or another. The following top twenty is my ranking of the twenty best Christmas songs ever written. I judged these songs, more or less, by how well they fit the attitude of the season, the quality of their composition, their importance in the holiday canon, and the depth of the "fuzzy feeling" I get whenever I hear them. I'm trying to be objective in my ranking, so some of my personal favorites like "Christmas Time Is Here" and "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" didn't make the list. I also didn't include any songs/arias from Handel's Messiah, as they don't quite fit the spirit of the list. Without further ado, my top twenty greatest Christmas songs.

20. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" - Johnny Marks

There were plenty of great Christmas songs written in the 1950s and 60s, but the best crop of them came from one of the gods of Christmas songwriting: Johnny Marks. Also responsible for writing "A Holly Jolly Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Johnny Marks is practically a legend in the Christmas song world. While he's not remembered too fondly today, there's no doubt that Johnny Marks had some talent; the man wrote the entire libretto of the Rankin-Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas special, for goodness sakes.

I think "Rockin' Around the Christmas" is the Johnny Marks song that has held up the best, and it's the best Christmas song to come out of the original rock and roll era. "Jingle Bell Rock" is also fondly remembered, but I think "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" has held up just a bit better. The guitar twang is cleaner and more memorable, especially with rock guitar legend Hank Garland plucking the strings on the 1960 original. Plus, "Jingle Bell Rock" doesn't have the best saxophone solo in Christmas history: one can thank Boots Randolph, more famous for his work on "Yakety Sax." It's also the song on which Brenda Lee actually sounds her best, as opposed to all her of her non-holiday tunes. It's a fun song with a great beat, and it certainly gets one into the partying spirit of the holiday.

19. "Adeste Fideles/O Come All Ye Faithful" - Traditional

The actual authorship of "Adeste Fideles" is actually unknown. It is most commonly attributed to the 18th century composer, John Francis Wade, but other composers, from Handel to Gluck, have also been suggested authors. What certainly is apparent is "O Come All Ye Faithful"'s critical standing in the sacred Christmas song canon. One of the most universally loved sacred songs, "O Come All Ye Faithful" is one of the best "gathering" songs for any Christmas Mass, what with its warm tones and embracing music welcoming any person to a holy gathering.

From its subtle harmonic sequencing to its spectacular dynamic, "O Come All Ye Faithful" is a marvel of composition in every respect. Few songs better accentuate the glory of Christmas, in the religious sense, at least. Even if one isn't religious, one can still appreciate just how massive this song is. There's a spiritual depth to "O Come All Ye Faithful" that is truly hard to match. It's just a bit too boisterous to get any higher on the list, as I feel Christmas gains all the more value in exploring the interplay between community in the large and small sense. "O Come All Ye Faithful" seems to only focus on the former. Other Christmas hymns do a better job of accentuating them both.

18. "Little Saint Nick"- The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are the best harmonic rock band ever, and their Christmas album is probably the second-best rock and roll holiday recording ever (we'll get to the best later on). What's truly respectable about the album is the fact that the first side of it is practically all original Christmas tunes. Nowadays, most artists just have one original Christmas song and a whole bunch of covers. The most enduring of the Beach Boys' Christmas songs is "Little Saint Nick," a re-hash of their famous song, "Little Deuce Coupe," that actually manages to improve on the original.

The key to "Little Saint Nick" is the quality of the production. As usual, Brian Wilson arranges an excellent mix on the vocals, accentuating all the right parts at all the right times. There's such a real sense of balance on the sound that is very absent on most other contemporary Christmas songs. The xylophone offers a classic Buddy Holly-esque sound while the piano offers the surfing feel of the Beach Boys' original songs; both feelings produce a Christmas song that is both unique and timeless. This is a Christmas song so good that no cover ever quite does the original justice. "Little Saint Nick" is one of the great Christmas records, one that will not be going away anytime soon.

17. "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen/Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" - Traditional

Probably the oldest song on the list, "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" dates back all the way to the late 16th century. If only because of its tremendous age, most scholars have no idea who was the actual composer. Nonetheless, it is as fine a Renaissance piece as one is to find anywhere. The piece is especially significant seeing as it is of German origin; the most dominant sounds of the Renaissance were mostly Franco-Flemish. In spite of this, "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" has a popularity practically unmatched by any other Renaissance hymn.

"Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" is very much an expanded metaphor of the birth of Jesus Christ, with the baby boy likened to a blooming flower. The lyrics blend perfectly with the almost chilly harmonic rhythm of the piece, creating a truly beautiful effect. The element of the hymn I find the most interesting is its color: unlike with most other songs, I can vividly get a sense of color from listening to "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming": the faintest amount of red in a pure white canvas. When a song can affect a person on a complete aesthetic level, at least something has been done right. "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" is a Christmas classic in every conceivable way, a flower that has endured for centuries.

16. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" - John Lennon

I found "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" to be one of the most difficult to include on the list, as it's clearly a protest song that so happens to include Christmas in the lyrics as opposed to being a genuine Christmas song. Ultimately, I think the bells and the genuine Christmas feel of the song won me over, and it made the list in spite of its clearly political message. As with most of John Lennon's solo career, "Happy Xmas" is all about war and peace. Unsurprisingly, Lennon hates the former and loves the latter. Yet he does something genuinely interesting with "Happy Xmas" that one wouldn't suspect in a Christmas song.

"Happy Xmas" seems to have two narrators. The first, John, is a critic of the world inveighing against the injustice and hypocrisy of the world around him; this narrator is truly biting, with an almost contemptuous attitude towards global leaders and the listener. The second, Yoko and the children's choir, is the ever-hopeful crowd, simply chanting for peace; in another interpretation, this voice is the blithely unaware Christmas mass public. I tend to side with the former, as the line "let's hope it's a good one without any fear" suggests hope for a peaceful world to come. In any case, the interplay between the two narrators creates a truly powerful protest song.

While a great song in its own right, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" can't get any higher on this list due to its nature as a protest song. It's a great song; it's just not essential to the holiday.

15. "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"- Edmund Sears and Richard Storrs Willis

To be clear, my selection is the "Carol" version of this song. The British "Noel" is fine, but I find the choir a bit too direct and/or overwhelming to really lure me in. The "Carol" version, though, is probably the best humanity has gotten to a Christmas lullaby. While there are plenty of other peaceful Christmas songs, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" effectively uses its 3/4 time to lull the listener into a state of utter bliss. Speaking from experience, I feel this song is one of the absolute best Christmas songs to perform with a choir, as the swells and phrases seem to create themselves.

I think "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" is the best of the angel-focused Christmas songs. In all honesty, both "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!" are the same song (same chord progression, same phrasal climax, same length). Also, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" doesn't try to over-awe the audience. It creates a warm presence as opposed to an awe-inspiring presence. Fitting in the overall spirit of the New Testament, I think it's much more tonally appropriate. "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" is a wintery tune with a spiritual edge that makes it one of the great traditional Christmas carols.

14. "Fairytale of New York" - The Pogues feat. Kirsty McColl

For rock and roll fans, this song usually comes out on top of lists like this. The Pogues were an Irish folk-punk band most famous for their classic 1985 album, Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash. But their most enduring song is in fact this Christmas song, "Fairytale of New York." A pictureseque scene of Christmas in the pubs of New York's Irish-dominated districts, "Fairytale of New York" is perhaps the deepest character study in Christmas song history. I know many prefer Tom Waits's "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis," but I think this song fits the spirit of the holiday much better. That, and it's just a better melody.

"Fairytale of New York" has two sections. The first is a rather morose love letter, describing an old drunk's last Christmas alive and the depression of the love-sick lead singer. The second part is a rollicking jig-inspired tale of a Christmas romance. The interplay between the Pogues' lead singer, Shane MacGowan, and guest singer Kirsty McColl in this portion is really fantastic. It's actually incredibly funny, with the two spouting insincere insults at each other in a pseudo-romantic banter. The excellent orchestration really produces the feeling of Christmas in New York.

"Fairytale of New York" is a practically perfect song, but it's lower on the list because it's "a Christmas story" rather than "the Christmas story" or "all Christmas stories." It's so incredibly specific as to crush the universality of the holiday. The next few songs are even better at capturing the Christmas spirit.

13. "Carol of the Bells" - Mykola Leontovych

Perhaps the most beloved choral Christmas song of all time, "Carol of the Bells" is at once one of the simplest and most complex Christmas songs ever written. The entire song is written around one very basic motif, but it builds into a wonderful cascade of simultaneously joyful and ominous sound. While most Christmas bells are generally light and bright, the tones of "Carol of the Bells" are rich and dark. From the simple descending lines of the alto and tenor to the pounding sonority of the bass, the entire part leading of "Carol of the Bells" creates a tone that is more imposing than happy. Gaily may they ring, yet the people sing with a profundity that is lacking in many other Christmas songs.

I'd also like to address the famous and/or "infamous" (depending on the audience) Trans-Siberian Orchestra version of this song. For those who haven't heard it (somehow), the Trans-Siberian Orchestra turned this relatively simple choral song into a three minute heavy metal Christmas opus. The piece undeniably feels as if it belongs in the final boss battle of a JRPG rather than a Christmas setting, especially with the simplification of the melodic build to 12 ostinato repetitions as opposed to the traditional 20. Nonetheless, I still think it's enjoyable in its own right. I think overly praising it or overly hating it tends to miss the point of it: it's not aspiring to be a Christmas song; it's aspiring to be a heavy metal song. In that right, it succeeds.

Be it the song that the local choir sings every year or the song that every local high school band learns how to play, "Carol of the Bells" is a holiday staple that is as threatening as it is beautiful.

12. "Sleigh Ride" - Leroy Anderson

I'm kind of cheating on this one, as "Sleigh Ride" is neither a Christmas song nor a song in and of itself. The original Leroy Anderson composition and the definitive version of the piece is an orchestral work; if there isn't singing in it, it's not a song. At the same time, "Sleigh Ride" has since been adapted into a song that works well enough in its own right and that is improved considerably in light of the sheer quality of the original piece. It may not be explicitly be about the holiday, but it has a wintery feel, what with the sleigh bells and the slapstick, that just screams Christmas. It's a song that alludes to the secular community of the holiday.

Of the vocal versions, my favorite version probably comes from the Ronettes. I'm just a sucker for Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Not to mention, the backing vocals really do enhance the tone of the piece, suggesting the instrumental original. Instead of "Walking in the Rain," one feels as if one is "riding in the snow." There are plenty of great cues in the instrumentation in this version, especially the string breakdown in the song's middle. It might not have the bridge of the original, but it's great all the same.

If there was any one problem with "Sleigh Ride," it's the lack of sing-along appeal. I can really only picture one person singing "Sleigh Ride" at a time, and most choral arrangements of this piece tend not to do it justice. And, overall, I tend to prefer the instrumental, non-song version of the piece. As it stands, "Sleigh Ride" is one of the best pieces of Christmas music, even if it's not the best single "song" of the holiday. 

11. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry

Rolling Stone named "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" to be the greatest rock and roll Christmas song ever. (I disagree with this assessment, but we'll get to that one later.) It is also the only holiday song to have gained entry onto a list by Pitchfork, being considered one of the best songs of the 1960s. Thus, it seems rather odd that most people tend not to list "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" as one of their personal favorite Christmas songs. Yet I think I have the answer: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is almost anti-Christmas in its approach. At its core, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is not about Christmas: it's about heartbreak. The narrator does not care about the season whatsoever; he/she can only process the misery of his/her heartbreak.

For this Christmas song, I think there are two equally definitive versions out there. The first is, of course, the Darlene Love original, right from the A Christmas Gift for You album, in my opinion the greatest Christmas album ever made. This is definitely the version with the best production, what with the excellent appropriation of the Wall of Sound, with the bells tolling at the perfect times to create a beautifully mournful song. Throw in the best singer of Phil Spector's regular collaborators, Darlene Love, and one's got a classic song. The other excellent version belongs to U2; Bono adds an incredible pathos to this song, with his excellent vocals really hitting this song out of the park. The Edge offers a rather subdued performance, actually recreating the sombre yet upbeat feel of the original.

All the same, most versions of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" are good. The recent Michael Bublé version just gets better and better the more I hear it, and even the Mariah Carey version holds up to a few listens. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is a bit of Christmas misery that's the perfect red pill to the Christmas experience.

10. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" - Walter Kent and Kim Gannon

If one has a relative who is or has served in the armed forces, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is more than likely a favorite, if not the favorite, Christmas song of the season. A song offering hope for a safe journey home, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was written with soldiers in mind. The Bing Crosby original is a true holiday classic that will never fade. I think the recent version by Josh Groban is actually just as good, whether or not one includes the audio recordings of American servicemen and women. It's a song so powerful as to be effective with any singer.

For me, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" offers even more than just connection between families torn apart by distance. To me, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" also provides a spiritual connection between those alive and dead. Be it my Christianity showing or my personal hope for something beyond our lifespan, there's a deeply spiritual family connection that is inherent to "I'll Be Home for Christmas." When hearing it, I feel as if connected to my whole family at once. Perhaps it's just one college student's wishful thinking, but this song manages to connect on every level. If this were a purely personal list, this would have ranked higher, but there are a few other songs that I think are even more emblematic of the holiday.

9. "River" - Joni Mitchell

Of all the songs on this list, "River" is the song least associated with the season. In my opinion, however, the Christmas song canon is not truly complete unless one considers the mournful majesty of "River," the only Christmas song that has ever managed to encapsulate absolute misery. Certainly, "Fairytale of New York" and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" are rather "sad" songs as compared to most Christmas tunes, but "River" is one of the saddest songs ever written, period. It's one of the best songs off of Joni Mitchell's exemplary Blue album, and, while extremely secular, it has much more to do with Christmas than many songs that name drop Christmas in every other line.

"River" begins by quoting the main motif of "Jingle Bells," quite possibly the happiest and most inane Christmas song of them all. Yet the harmonic progression of the piece transforms the "Jingle Bell" motif into something truly morose. The lyrical sentiment matches that of the far more famous "White Christmas," yet, once again, the theme is turned on its head, with the dreams of snow becoming dreams of ice and pain. There's plenty of ambiguity to the lyric: does Joni want to fly away from her problems, fly away from the commercialization of Christmas, fly away from her misery? There's plenty of room for interpretation.

It gives me pride to see "River" becoming more and more of a modern classic, what with dozens of artists covering it around the holiday season. In all honesty, more radio stations should play "River" in rotation with the other Christmas tunes. After all, instead of having weak-willed people well up to the shameless pandering of Newsong's "The Christmas Shoes," we can all cry to a Christmas song that is genuinely heartbreaking. "River" is the story of the world's most miserable Christmas, and it's a story I won't soon forget.

8. "Silver Bells" - Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

There's something truly odd about "Silver Bells." It shouldn't feel as universal as it does. At its core, "Silver Bells" is purely about Christmas time in the city, what with the hustle and bustle of cars and pedestrians. Each person's hearing the bells is an experience unique to him or her. Yet the melody itself suggests something far more communal in spirit. Much like "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," "Silver Bells" is suggestive of a lullaby. Yet, instead of being a personal lullaby from a parent to a child, it feels like the final tune sung at a community sing-along before everyone goes home. There's a nostalgia to this song that is absolutely compelling.

There are plenty of great versions of this song, but I think the best ones come from the crooners: Dean Martin and Bing Crosby. The Dean Martin version is probably the most popular, and it certainly has a classic feel to it. The echoes of the choir are easily the best part of this version, with an almost hypnotic allure in their crescendo. The Bing Crosby version, a duet with Carol Richards, offers a sense of age that's not distracting. The duet really works well, with Carol Richards doing an especially good job. The harmonies meld together quite nicely.

"Silver Bells" is one of the best melodies of the holiday season. It might just be about the city, but it's a song that speaks to more of us than it really should. No matter where one is, "Silver Bells" is sure to leave a smile on one's face.

7. "White Christmas" - Irving Berlin

I find it very difficult to say anything about "White Christmas" that hasn't been said before. I could talk about the excellence of the composition, especially considering Bing Crosby's voice. I could talk about the emotional resonance of the song within the context of the film, Holiday Inn, as well as its broader application to every child's dream for Christmas day. I could talk about how it is the most popular single in human history, having sold more copies than any other song ever. I could talk about its status as the single song most associated with Christmas. I could talk about the fact that not one, but two, classic holiday movies were written for the sole purpose of including the song "White Christmas." But I think I'd just be repeating what has already been said.

Instead, I think I'll talk about the doo wop version by the Drifters. While I've always been more a fan of the Ben E. King era Drifters as opposed to the Clyde McPhatter era Drifters, "White Christmas" is the one song from that era that I find that I enjoy the most. This version features two phenomenal performances from two very different singers: Bill Pinkney and Clyde McPhatter. McPhatter's incredibly light vocal oozes over the melody with an ease that very few soul singers have since been able to match; indeed, most covers of this version tend to have a girl sing the part in order to recreate this ease. But an even more underrated performance comes from Bill Pinkney; his excellent vocal shines through, crisp and clear. While it doesn't compare to the Bing Crosby original, it's a great song in its own right.

What more can I say? It's "White Christmas."

6. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane

Some songs sound great no matter who sings them. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is one of those songs. It doesn't matter if one is listening to Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Sam Smith, Chrissie Hynde, etc. - this is just a spectacular piece of music. I can think of very few songs that more effectively combine past, present, and future than "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." It seems to yearn for what is past while offering hopes for the future, all the while providing comfort in the present. It's one of those songs that compresses time, making it a truly modern piece of songwriting.

Of all the Christmas songs out there, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is one of the most indicative of the season. Hearing this song from the window of a store truly evokes the spirit of Christmas, as a general spirit of goodwill seems to pour through this song's very soul. The progression of the harmonies combined with the gentle melody has a truly heartwarming effect. Lyrically, the song excels as well. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song mainly about change, be it the simple passage of time or an alteration of circumstances. In spite of these changes, both family and Christmas endure.

By the same token, so does "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" endure. It's one of the holiday classics that everyone seems to like. I have never met a person who dislikes "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I hope it stays that way.

5. "Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy" - Katherine Kennicott Davis, Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman, and Alan Kohan

While I love "The Little Drummer Boy" all by its lonesome, the Bing Crosby and David Bowie combination version, "Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy" is perhaps the single best Christmas recording... period. There is no other Christmas song that forces me to drop everything and listen to it. What's so amazing about "Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy" is that it shouldn't work at all. Combining Bing Crosby, the most reserved and classic holiday singer of them all, with David Bowie, the trend-setting, absolutely insane songwriter of the 70s and 80s, should not work. Just saying "Bing and Bowie" sounds kind of wrong. Yet "Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy" seems to combine the old and the new in a way no other song has done better.

There's something truly magical about the song's introduction: I'm not sure if it's the simple piano melody melding perfectly into Bing and Bowie's harmonies, the subtle inclusion of the flute, or something else altogether. Even better is the actual vocal performance; neither Bing nor Bowie is exactly in time, yet they enter at exactly the same moment. There's a strong confidence to Bing's voice, despite him mostly singing in the background; all the while, Bowie's voice slips over the descant in excellent fashion. The bridge of this song might just be the best single moment in Christmas song history, with the strings and horns perfectly complementing the vocal climax.

Due to the strength of this song being its recording rather than the composition itself, it can't get any higher on the list. Yet there's no Christmas song that provides a more enjoyable listen. "Peace On Earth/The Little Drummer Boy" defies both time and genre to create a Christmas experience that is both unique and enjoyable.

4. "O Holy Night/Cantique de Noël"- Adolphe Adam

"O Holy Night" is the Schubert Ave Maria of Christmas. It's the song that every person sings at Christmas in order to show off his/her vocal chops. In some ways, "O Holy Night" gives me mixed feelings; Christmas shouldn't be about shameless self-endorsement, and the sheer bravado of "O Holy Night" tends to produce that. At the same time, though, when put in the hands of the right singer, this song is truly powerful. It is an amazing listen. No other Christmas melody is quite as beautiful; it is as divine as the subject matter.

Unlike "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "O Holy Night" derives its strength from the performer rather than the composition itself (not that the composition is weak). While many, many pop stars - Whitney Houston, Bing Crosby, Mariah Carey - have all tried their hand at this piece, very few manage to do it justice. Of these, my favorite is probably Josh Groban's, what with him holding out the last F# so that it rings in the listener's ears. For the best versions, one has to look to classically trained singer. While the Joan Sutherland and Jussi Björling versions are more technically accomplished, I find myself more inclined towards the various duets featuring Luciano Pavarotti. While the other performances sound more supported, no doubt, Pavarotti and his various duet partners offer a true warmth that I find lacking in the most critically respected performances. My personal favorite is likely the duet between Pavarotti and fellow member of the Three Tenors, Placido Domingo. But there are plenty of duets, all of them great.

"O Holy Night" might be everyone's favorite Christmas song, but its overall sense of grandiosity keeps it out of the top three by just that much. Nonetheless, it's one of the best Christmas melodies ever, and it's quite possibly the most enjoyable Christmas song to listen to.

3. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" - Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn

While not an explicit Christmas song, "Let It Snow" makes the list due to its being the most enjoyable holiday sing-along song of them all. No matter how much of a Grinch one might be, one simply must join in the chorus of this song. It matters not if one is in tune or even on pitch: the simple declaration of "Let It Snow" is enough to create a powerful musical sentiment. It's one of few songs in history that manages to succeed purely on the strength of its volume rather than its pure musicality. While this should theoretically drop it a few spots on this list, the reckless abandon of "Let It Snow" is actually much more indicative of the season than the precision of "O Holy Night" or "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." It's the song that brings the community together.

"Let It Snow" is a work from Jule Styne, the same composer who wrote most of Broadway's most enduring hits, including "Don't Rain on My Parade" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses." "Let It Snow" fits perfectly into that canon, with a melody so catchy as to never go away. Yet at no point does "Let It Snow" ever become annoying or aggravating. It's got a pleasant enough bounce to keep the listener constantly engaged. And, unlike the similarly bouncy "Jingle Bells," "Let It Snow" has a nice, rich harmonic texture that rewards multiple listens. The line "O, I hate going out in the storm" gives me chills each time it is sung properly.

Considering that the similarly themed "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is one of the worst Christmas songs of all time, it's quite astonishing that "Let It Snow" would rank in the top three. Yet, unlike its "rape-y" contemporary, "Let It Snow" feels communal and consensual. It may be a romantic song that has little, if anything, to do with Christmas, but it creates a truly romantic Christmas atmosphere. It's the greatest Christmas sing-along song of them all, and I love hearing it every year.

2. "The Christmas Song" - Mel Tormé and Bob Wells

I'll be honest when I say that no other song could possibly dislodge the number one selection. Yet, if any song makes me want to dislodge the number one spot, it would be "The Christmas Song." More than any other song on the list thusfar, this song just screams Christmas. Bob Wells's poetry creates a Christmas setting as picturesque as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Furthermore, it's also a setting encompassing every Christmas story as opposed to just one story, like "Fairytale of New York." Though a first person narrator appears at the very end of the lyric, the message is a simple one laid out for people of all ages. Not to mention all the clever flourishes: "to kids from one to ninety-two," "tiny tots with their eyes all aglow," "folks dressed up like Eskimos." Barring that one accidental piece of political incorrect language, this song is just about perfect.

I love the 1961 version with Nat King Cole. It is an absolute classic. Yet, as good as it is, I think the various versions by the song's writer, Mel Tormé, are even better. As the cliché goes, the man had a voice like "buttah." The Velvet Fog's impeccable sense of melody works wonders in both the writing and the execution of Christmas song. In some ways, it's a jazz standard right up the Cole Porter line. In others, it's a timeless Christmas classic that isn't defined by any singular period of time. One thing is clear: whether it's Nat King Cole or Mel Tormé behind the microphone, this song sounds amazing.

Indeed, "The Christmas Song" is yet another one of those songs that manages to make the singer sound better by virtue of its very existence. Much like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," there isn't a truly bad version of "The Christmas Song" out there. It's a Christmas melody and sentiment so perfect that everyone can enjoy it. While the number one song is the best Christmas song of them all, "The Christmas Song" is a clear runner-up. It only loses the title due to there being an even better tune.

1. "Stille Nacht/Silent Night" - Franz Xaver Gruber

When I think of Christmas, I think of "Silent Night." There is no other song that so completely matches the season in composition, lyrical content, cultural legacy, and spiritual poignancy. Through its mellow melody and excellent harmonies, "Silent Night" manages to combine modesty and grandiosity into one tune. Though the main melody has a very limited range, the opportunities for descants make "Silent Night" a song ripe for expansion (though going overboard can tarnish its quality). Composer Franz Gruber writes the melodic phrase into the score with a clear finesse that makes "Silent Night" a true standard in every sense. It's a song so important that it is considered by UNESCO to be an "intangible piece of cultural heritage."

"Silent Night" is also one of few Christmas songs that works in nearly any setting. Be it a solo singer of classical or contemporary style, a choir, an orchestra, a folk group, "Silent Night" is the perfect closing song to any Christmas set. The melody and lyric are simple enough so that anyone can join into the song without it feeling interrupted. Its simplicity is its strength.

Unlike many people of my denomination, I'm not a stickler when it comes to reinforcing "the meaning of Christmas." The birth of Yeshua of Nazareth may be the main focus of the holiday season to many people, but I'm aware that said birth actually happened in the early autumn. Christmas just occurs on December 25th in order to coincide with the Roman celebration of Saturnalia. In spite of the arbitrary dating, though, I think there's a critical spirituality to the Christmas season that goes beyond both the simple giving of ourselves and the virtue of good-will towards man. Christmas is the time of year in which each human action is part of something greater, be it a sense of holiness or our joining in a "Parliament of Man" and/or "community of the world." Through its humility, "Silent Night" manages to capture that essential spirituality of Christmas that no other Christmas song has.

The first time I realized the genius of "Silent Night" was when I watched the Disney cash grab, Very Merry Christmas Songs, a straight-to-video sing-along set that used stock footage from older Disney movies in order to make a quick buck. Being young and not knowing any better, I watched the tape and enjoyed it fine enough. Watching the "Silent Night" segment, however, was one of my first moments of musical transcendence. While the Living Voices' version of the song isn't the best I've heard (it probably wouldn't even be in the top five), it carried a weight to it, at the time, that I'd never noticed before. It was a musical moment both glorious and humble. To this day, I still associate the imagery used in Fantasia's "Ave Maria" with "Silent Night" instead. In my opinion, it just fits better.

"Silent Night" is everything good and beautiful about Christmas. Be it a religious celebration of the Messiah's birth or a simple time of celebrating family and generosity, "Silent Night" carries the importance of the season within its very soul. Certainly, it is perhaps the simplest Christmas song of them all. But a brilliance hides behind that simplicity, a glow that can lead a Grinch's heart to grow three sizes. In my opinion, "Silent Night" isn't just the greatest Christmas song ever written; it's one of the best songs ever written, period.

I hope your day has been full of the hope and joy for mankind that makes December the most wondeful time of the year. May your families be happy and healthy, with good hopes for the year to come. Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas!