60 Best Christmas Songs of All Time: Classics, Pop Hits & Carols for Your 2026 Playlist

The radio stations have started flipping to holiday music, so it’s time to build your playlist. These are the best Christmas songs of all time — crooner classics, modern pop hits, soulful R&B, rock favorites, songs for kids and the carols everyone knows. Mix and match for parties, tree trimming and long drives home.

Timeless Christmas classics

1. “White Christmas” — Bing Crosby (1942)
2. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” — Nat King Cole (1946)
3. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” — Judy Garland (1944)
4. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” — Andy Williams (1963)
5. “A Holly Jolly Christmas” — Burl Ives (1964)
6. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” — Brenda Lee (1958)
7. “Jingle Bell Rock” — Bobby Helms (1957)
8. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” — Dean Martin
9. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” — Bing Crosby (1943)
10. “Silver Bells” — Bing Crosby & Carol Richards (1950)
11. “Blue Christmas” — Elvis Presley (1957)
12. “Santa Baby” — Eartha Kitt (1953)
13. “Sleigh Ride” — The Ronettes (1963)
14. “Feliz Navidad” — José Feliciano (1970)

Modern pop Christmas hits

1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” — Mariah Carey (1994)
2. “Last Christmas” — Wham! (1984)
3. “Underneath the Tree” — Kelly Clarkson (2013)
4. “Santa Tell Me” — Ariana Grande (2014)
5. “Mistletoe” — Justin Bieber (2011)
6. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” — Michael Bublé (2011)
7. “Christmas Tree Farm” — Taylor Swift (2019)
8. “Snowman” — Sia (2017)
9. “Cozy Little Christmas” — Katy Perry (2018)
10. “My Only Wish (This Year)” — Britney Spears (2000)
11. “Merry Christmas” — Ed Sheeran & Elton John (2021)
12. “Christmas Lights” — Coldplay (2010)

Motown, soul and R&B Christmas songs

1. “This Christmas” — Donny Hathaway (1970)
2. “Someday at Christmas” — Stevie Wonder (1967)
3. “What Christmas Means to Me” — Stevie Wonder (1967)
4. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” — Darlene Love (1963)
5. “Please Come Home for Christmas” — Charles Brown (1960)
6. “8 Days of Christmas” — Destiny’s Child (2001)

Rock and alternative Christmas songs

1. “Run Rudolph Run” — Chuck Berry (1958)
2. “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” — John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1971)
3. “Wonderful Christmastime” — Paul McCartney (1979)
4. “Step Into Christmas” — Elton John (1973)
5. “Little Saint Nick” — The Beach Boys (1963)
6. “Fairytale of New York” — The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl (1987)
7. “Christmas Wrapping” — The Waitresses (1981)
8. “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” — Trans-Siberian Orchestra (1996)
9. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” — Band Aid (1984)
10. “Merry Christmas Everyone” — Shakin’ Stevens (1985)

Christmas songs for kids

1. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” — Gene Autry (1949)
2. “Frosty the Snowman” — Gene Autry (1950)
3. “Here Comes Santa Claus” — Gene Autry (1947)
4. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” — Thurl Ravenscroft (1966)
5. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
6. “Jingle Bells”
7. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”
8. “Believe” — Josh Groban (2004, from The Polar Express)

Traditional Christmas carols and hymns

1. “Silent Night”
2. “O Holy Night”
3. “Joy to the World”
4. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
5. “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
6. “The First Noel”
7. “Away in a Manger”
8. “Go Tell It on the Mountain”
9. “The Little Drummer Boy”
10. “Deck the Halls”

Best Christmas songs playlist ideas

• Christmas party: start with Brenda Lee, Bobby Helms and Mariah Carey, then mix in Wham! and Ariana Grande.
• Cozy night in: Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby and Michael Bublé.
• Christmas Eve service or family prayer: “Silent Night,” “O Holy Night” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
• Road trip: Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys and Elton John keep energy up.

Pair your playlist with our best Christmas movies, Christmas party ideas and Christmas trivia.

Whether you love crooners or pop, these best Christmas songs cover every mood. Bookmark this list of the best Christmas songs and add a few new ones to your playlist each year.

FAQ

What is the most popular Christmas song?

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (1994) is the most-streamed modern Christmas song and tops the charts almost every December.

What is the best-selling Christmas song ever?

Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is widely cited as the best-selling single of all time.

When do radio stations start playing Christmas music?

Many U.S. stations switch to all-Christmas formats in early to mid-November, and some start right after Halloween.