For as long as I can remember I’ve been an avid fan of Christmas music. Classic to new – it’s amazing just how many different ways a Christmas song can be styled and recorded. Personally, I’ve collected some 1,300 songs for over 80 hours of non-stop Noel. While some of you are probably pulling your hair out at the non-stop bombardment of commercialism – I could listen to this particular music over and over… (I even listen to it once in a while when it’s not the holiday time!)

Since I wasn’t able to get any new Christmas recordings done of my own this year, I thought I’d try my hand at putting together a Top 10 list of Christmas favorites by other artists… It was a lot harder than I had imagined… And even after pulling a first set of songs together – I pushed the list to 16 songs! And I left a good 15 more on the cutting room floor… not to count entire albums that are perfect for parties.

That being said, I eventually pulled together a list of songs that I actually enjoy on repeat… You’ll find that these selections aren’t your regular “That’s What I Call Music!!” or “Best Christmas Songs EVER!!” type lists. Or even a collection of “standards”. I’ve left the need for Bing Crosby, Band Aid, Burl Ives, What! to be left to other sites! (Although I did come across an updated version of “Last Christmas” by Britt Nicole that almost made the list…)

I’m also take a few seconds to plug my own selection of Christmas CDs that I’ve created over the years… (And at which I try each year to make a new one… without much success!)

• At The Christmas Theatre
• Christmas Centre Stage
• Christmas Fayre
• Snowscape Point

Now for the list… By using the icons shown below you can download or stream hi and lo-fi versions of my prepared 30-second song samples. You can even grab a playlist of all of the selections and listen to them one after another…

1. SHeDAISY – Deck The Halls
2. The Big Band – Joy To The World
3. The Cathedral Brass – Joy To The World (Mocean Worker Remix)
4. Dance Nation – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
5. Frank McComb – This Christmas
6. Jimmy McGriff – The Christmas Song (Tonal Remix)
7. Bryan Lubeck – The First Noel
8. Dave Koz – Little Drummer Boy
9. Dixieland – Frosty The Snowman
10. Joe Williams – Jingle Bells (Bombay Dub Orchestra Remix)
11. Spyro Gyra – Feliz Navidad
12. Tom Scott – Feliz Navidad
13. Fourplay – Amazing Grace
14. Ray Conniff – Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
15. Mannheim Steamroller – Traditions Of Christmas
16. Heidi Klum – Wonderland

Enjoy! And feel free to surprise me with some updated covers of these classics…