I have a bit of an obsession with Christmas music. I try to wait until at least Halloween to start listening to it each year. I spend an unholy amount of time gathering, organizing, and rating songs each year, hoping to eventually create the ultimate Christmas mix. I have 24 versions of Deck the Halls (and that’s after deleting the below-average versions).

Here are the albums that are on frequent rotation year after year (with links to Amazon) –

Pop/Folk Christmas

• The Bells of Dublin by The Chieftains
• James Taylor At Christmas
• Come Let Us Adore Him by The Lower Lights
• The Elf Soundtrack
• Jingles and Bells by Ben Rector

Choral Christmas

• O Come All Ye Faithful by King’s College Choir
• The Colors of Christmas by John Rutter

Instrumental Christmas

• December by George Winston
• The Gift by Tingstad & Rumbel
• Christmas Classics for Guitar by Stevan Pasero
• Christmas by Tim Thompson

Bluegrass Christmas

• Pickin’ on Christmas by The Nashville Super Pickers
• Christmas on the Mountain by Craig Duncan
• Blue Mountain Christmas by Michael V. Clark
• Christmas Grass by Various Artists

Unique Christmas

• A Christmas Together by John Denver and The Muppets
• Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
• Boots and Stockings by Boots Randolph – If you’ve been looking your whole life for Christmas classics in the style of the Benny Hill theme (Yakety Sax), look no further!
• A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas by The Three Suns

Cheap Christmas

• Big Christmas Box from The Bach Guild (13 hours for 89 cents! Mostly choral music and mostly good.)

Let me know if you have any favorites I should add to the collection.