50 BEST CHRISTMAS SONGS OF THE LAST 50 YEARS

Whether you like them or not, 'tis the season for Christmas songs to be played on an endless, relentless loop. You will hear the same songs involving 'ole Saint Nick, a deformed reindeer, a jolly, talking snowman and chestnuts roasting over an open fire many times over from a wide variety of musicians covering these tunes. Some of these versions are certainly better than others but it's really the songs themselves that take us back to memories of the childhood excitement on Christmas morning and the family coming together to celebrate the holiday.

The Christmas Songbook, which are now cherished classics, where largely written throughout the 1940's, '50's and '60's. There are more recent songs that have become Christmas standards like "Wonderful Christmastime" from Paul McCartney, Wham!'s "Last Christmas", The Carpenters', "Merry Christmas, Darling" and of course, Mariah Carey's '90's holiday earworm, "All I Want For Christmas". The Los Angeles Times has complied a list of what they consider to be the best songs of Christmas over the last fifty years. It is a diverse collection made up of songs, old and new, covering various genres of music. Some of these songs I am very familiar with while others I had never heard before but they are all great songs to help celebrate the holiday.

Click below to read the article:

50 Best Christmas Songs of the Last 50 Years

And here are a few of my favorites from this list with some that might be far lesser known:

39. Pet Shop Boys - "It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas" (1997)



28. Tracey Thorn - "Maybe This Christmas" (2012)



23. The Jackson 5 - "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (1970)



13. The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping" (1981)



5. Joni Mitchell - "River" (1971)