Great Christmas songs, and great versions of great Christmas songs, are as plentiful as letters to Santa Claus. It’s the holiday for which various-artists compilations were seemingly created (and why the two-disc set “Now That’s What I Call Christmas” was certified 6x platinum just three years after its 2001 release).
But great Christmas albums are harder to come by. One reason may be that the genre’s standards are so well-known that new versions must stand up more famous and beloved renditions. Moreover, that canon is also so firmly established that it’s tough to gain a foothold even with a song that’s merry and bright. (The last one that comes to mind is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” from 1994.) Even some of the industry’s most talented artists, working with an army of songwriters, musicians and producers, haven’t been able to crack the Christmas code (Beach Boys’ “Santa’s Beard,” I’m looking at you).
From the first needle drop to the final cue burn, the examples below exemplify both the Christmas spirit and the creativity of the artists that made them. On disc or digital formats, several of these have admittedly been rereleased and added to: contemporary editions of “Soul Christmas,” for example, added Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” and Luther Vandross’ repackaged “The Classic Christmas Album” includes the soul-stirring rendition of “The Christmas Song” he originally recorded for the 1992 benefit album “A Very Special Christmas 2.” But even in their original incarnations, these records are terrific from start to finish — a musical gift that keeps on giving.
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James Brown ‘A Soulful Christmas’ (1968)
Image Credit: King Records The second of Brown’s three Christmas LPs strikes a balance between his early- career balladeering and the metronomic funk he’d explore with the J.B.’s. Kicking off with the groundbreaking “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto,” he delivers 11 more originals that will warm your heart and move your feet.
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The Carpenters ‘Christmas Portrait’ (1978)
Image Credit: A&M Records It’s no dig to say that the Carpenters’ easy-listening style perfectly suits the season, and Karen’s contralto carries lithe renditions of holiday standards. But it’s their rerecorded original “Merry Christmas Darling” that binds her voice and Richard’s lush arrangements like ribbon over wrapping paper.
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Vince Guaraldi Trio ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ (1965)
Image Credit: Fantasy Records The second-bestselling jazz album in history, Guaraldi’s soulful mix of standards (“O Tannenbaum,” “What Child Is This”) and originals (“Skating,” “Christmas Time Is Here”) capture the joy and the melancholy of the season, not to mention Charles M. Schulz’s enduring animated portrait of childhood.
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Dean Martin ‘A Winter Romance’ (1959)
Image Credit: Capitol Records Even if you’re not a fan of Martin’s signature “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” the crooner’s traditional numbers serve as window dressing for the lesser-known ones (“The Things We Did Last Summer,” “Out in the Cold Again”) that form the album’s snowy, surprisingly evocative narrative spine.
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Frank Sinatra ‘A Jolly Christmas’ (1957)
Image Credit: Capitol Records There’s not a song here that isn’t played to death over the holidays, but heard side by side, all take on new vibrancy. Nelson Riddle’s arrangements are largely reverential, even monolithic — this is a safe, rewarding choice on Christmas Eve — but Sinatra’s interpretations remain fresh and inventive.
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Soulful Strings ‘The Magic of Christmas’ (1968)
Image Credit: Cadet Records From the bongos and jazz flute that open “The Little Drummer Boy” to the xylophone that anchors album closer “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers,” the Soulful Strings assemble a groovy seasonal soundtrack that’s ideal for holiday cocktail parties — no Nehru jacket required.
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Luther Vandross ‘This Is Christmas’ (1995)
Image Credit: Epic Records Featuring heartbreak (“Every Year, Every Christmas”), hearthside canoodling (“A Kiss for Christmas”) and heavenly rapture (“O Come All Ye Faithful”), Vandross balances traditional music and an updated sensibility on a record that’s as good for a Christmas Eve party as the ride to church the next morning.
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Various artists ‘A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector’ (1963)
Image Credit: Phillies Records With the (understandable) exception of Phil Spector’s spoken-word closer, every track is a deservedly ubiquitous holiday staple. Via Spector’s “Wall of Sound” style, Darlene Love, the Ronettes and more deliver a peerless collection that embodies the sound of the season: brisk, enthusiastic and earnest.
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Various artists ‘A Motown Christmas’ (1973)
Image Credit: Motown From the joyful explosion of the Jackson 5’s “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” to Stevie Wonder’s sublime “Ave Maria,” Motown collects the best holiday tracks from the label’s early days. Also featuring the Supremes and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, it’s a true “many moods of Christmas” masterpiece.
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Various artists ‘Soul Christmas’ (1968)
Image Credit: Atlantic Records What sells the bona fides of Atlantic’s Christmas compilation best: the originals or the inventive covers? Thankfully, you get both — Clarence Carter’s impish “Back Door Santa” and the juke-joint seduction of King Curtis’ “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve,” plus two tracks from the immortal Otis Redding.