The Ultimate Christmas Music Playlist

Or, Learn to Love Christmas Music in Just 15 Songs

By Misty Harris

“I don’t care about a war on Christmas but I could totally get behind a war on Christmas music.” So said my friend Shauna Wright, a Someecards writer who’s brilliant and funny even when she is wrong.

Christmas music, you see, is simply misunderstood. Like spotting a pit bull at an off-leash park, people recoil at its appearance thanks to years of media conditioning, and in doing so, are denied the chance to make a real emotional connection. DO NOT DENY YOURSELF LOVE, PEOPLE.

There are countless reasons to love Christmas music – a genre I defend in this month’s Pop Culture Decoder. But for those who need extra help learning to love the much-maligned genre, I offer these 15 songs to kick-start the holiday reprogramming.

The Christmas Song by Mindy Gledhill

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings by Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan

O Come, O Come Emmanuel by The Piano Guys

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by The Civil Wars

Carol of the Bells by Sixpence None the Richer

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by She & Him

Baby it’s Cold Outside by Norah Jones and Willie Nelson

Happy Christmas War is Over by Hayley Sales

All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carey

Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney

With Bells On by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton

O Holy Night by Glee Cast / Lea Michele

The Christmas Song by Michael Buble

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Norah Jones

Go Tell it on the Mountain by Big Daddy Weave

What are the Christmas songs that make you feel most festive? The Peanuts Medley? Frosty the Snowman? God forbid, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer? Let me know in the comments.