Drinking, Dancing and Crying: 35 Christmas Songs Everyone Needs This (And Every) Holiday Season
Mariah Carey — “All I Want for Christmas is You”
It’s a perfect song. There’s literally not a single thing about it that could be better. Everyone knows it, no one can fight it. Merry Christmas.
Darlene Love — “Christmas” (Baby Please Come Home)”
Such a stately and commanding vocal performance over a classic Phil Spector arrangement. It doesn’t get much better than this.
U2 — “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
So yes, the original Darlene Love version will always have its place in the Christmas music canon, but what Bono and the gang did to it on A Very Special Christmas in 1987 was equally special. 1987… not a bad year for those guys, eh?
Low — “Silent Night”
Nothing terribly surprising here (aside from virgin births, of course). but hooboy, this sure is pretty.
The Jackson 5 — “Up On the House Top”
There’s so much energy in this vocal it couldn’t possibly have come from someone who didn’t at least half think there was a chance Santa was actually on the roof.