Once the clocks expires on Thanksgiving, the spirit of Christmas fully announces itself. Nothing more fully manifests the vibrancy of the Christmas season than its corresponding music. Old classics like Let it Snow, Jingle Bell Rock, Blue Christmas, The Christmas Song, and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas often linger in our ears as the noble chill of Winter descends. Lights percolate through neighborhood streets, the sun sinks earlier, the trees continue to curl into a brief hibernation, and we acutely know: The season of gratitude has arrived, one of family, feasts, gift-giving, and also Christmas pop songs that invariably ring of childhood nostalgia.
In this article, we’ll identify 8 classic Christmas pop songs that annually populate the radio during the holiday season.
All I Want For Christmas Is You – Maria Carey (1994)
The slight tinkling of the bells as a precursor to the insurgency of Mariah Carey’s powerful voice, most of us recognize the beginning notes of Carey’s classic Christmas song: All I Want For Christmas Is You. Mariah Carey is a pop icon and her seminal Christmas classic exudes the same vibrancy. Though it does not hit the traditional notes of a more stoic classic, its unabashed fidelity to youthful sentiments rings true even in the ears of older listeners.
Popularized in the 2001 film, Love Actually, Carey’s song has become increasingly ubiquitous in the ensuing 23 years. It reigns supreme during the holiday season and you’re likely to hear it, if you have any inclination at all to listen to Christmas music.
Last Christmas -Wham (1984) — Christmas Pop Songs
Though an older song, Last Christmas can still fit snugly into the cultural lexicon of pop music. A duo consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, Wham was one of the most supremely popular musical duos of the 1980’s.
Last Christmas isn’t a song technically about Christmas, it’s more about the reflection that ensues at the conclusion of a given year. It’s primarily about a failed relationship and the ruminations it can stir during the most festive of seasons. While Christmas can be a cause for celebration for some, it can be a wistful time for others.
Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas Every Day – Bianca Ryan (2006)
Bianca Ryan isn’t widely known, but her Christmas anthem Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas Every Day has become increasingly popular. Bianca Ryan emerged as a star on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, and her influence has largely been delegated to her Christmas recordings.
Ryan won the show at the age of eleven and her corresponding Christmas music reflects her youthful frivolity. Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas Everyday reflects the indulgences of every child, who would eagerly wish for a basket of gifts beneath a tree every morning.
Underneath The Tree – Kelly Clarkson (2013) — Christmas Pop Songs
Released on her Christmas album Wrapped in Red, Clarkson’s song Underneath the Tree is reminiscent of Mariah Carey’s classic All I Want For Christmas Is You. It similarly hearkens to a person’s yearning to spend time with a loved one, after months apart.
Though definitively a pop artist, Clarkson once spoke about her eagerness to pursue something within the Christmas genre, noting “I always get asked about what genre I’m in. Is this country or pop or rock, what are you? And what’s cool about making a Christmas album was [that there aren’t] any limitations. We can do whatever we want.”
She surely did, creating a song that still persists on Christmas Day throughout the country.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays – NSYNC (1998)
Another upbeat anthem, released by one of the most iconic boy bands of the late-20th century. Released on their Home for Christmas album, a recording that was rushed in order to capitalize on the growing popularity of the band, the song nonetheless resonated with Millennial audiences. Also released on the credits of Disney Channel original Christmas film, the song doubled in popularity.
While it cheesy and lacks depth, it is undoubtedly that will generate memories of Christmas’ past.
Mary, Did You Know? – Pentatonix (2014) — Christmas Pop Songs
A song filled with slightly more gravitas, it is an acapella ode. Recorded on their 2014 album That’s Christmas to Me, the video for Mary Did You Know became an online sensation. Written by the band’s baritone singer, Mark Lowry, the lyrics originated as a set of monologues that included a conversation with Mary and the birth of her son, Jesus.
Lowry worked on the song for years, eventually approaching a southern gospel singer-songwriter named Buddy Greene, who crafted the musical composition that eventually accompanied the lyrics.
Please Come Home For Christmas – The Eagles (1978)
Please Come Home for Christmas has been recorded by numerous artists, but came to notoriety when The Eagles elected to record it. In 1978 the band revised the song, which has wartime origins, and released the song as a holiday single. The song became an immediate hit, reaching number 18 on the “Billboard Hot 100.”
While The Eagles were in the midst of recording their Long Run album, which was encountering delays, lead singer Don Henley had a masterstroke of an idea to break the group’s impotency: “Well, maybe if we give [the audience] a Christmas single, they’ll get off our back.” A melancholic song, it speaks to the comfort of home and family in an immutable way.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Jackson 5 (1970) — Christmas Pop Songs
Released on the 1970 Christmas album, the Jackson 5 Christmas Album, the Jackson 5’s rendition of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town became an instant Christmas classic. It displays the emerging group’s youthful vibrance conjoined with a classic, traditional tune. On lead vocals is Michael Jackson, who infuses the song with a catchy harmony, making it an essential addition to any holiday playlist.
