Christmas is here! And nothing gets a holiday party going like the perfect festive playlist. But we didn’t want to decide your seasonal vibe for you, so we asked you to vote on the ultimate Christmas song, and the results did not disappoint — or surprise! Read on to discover how Brisbanites rank classic carols and find out some fun facts along the way.
32. We Three Kings
First written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857, this is considered the first widely popular Christmas carol written in the US. When interpreted traditionally, the haunting melody is divided into three solos for 3 male vocalists, one for each of the titular kings, as well as more uplifting refrains that are sung together.
31. Holly Jolly Christmas
This cheerful 60s carol was written by Johnny Marks and jumped to fame in 1964 thanks to its featuring in the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special. It has since enjoyed a bit of a revival thanks to Michael Bublé’s cover of it in his ubiquitous Christmas album.
30. Winter Wonderland
Although not explicitly holiday-themed, this song’s romantic lyrics describing beautiful wintery scenes and cosy moments spent with loved ones make it the perfect melody for any Christmas gathering! It has been covered by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis and Ringo Starr, among countless other artists.
29. Silver Bells
Inspired by either the bells used by Santa Clauses and Salvation Army solicitors on New York City street corners, or a bell that sat on composers Ray Evans and Ray Livingston’s shared office desk, Silver Bells quickly became a classic, in large part thanks to covers by two of the most popular crooners of all time, Bing Crosby and Dean Martin.
28. Joy to the World
Another song that makes no mention of Christmas, Joy to the World started out as an English hymn written in the 18th century by Isaac Watts, set to a Handel melody, but has since transcended its religious lyrics to become a widely-adopted Christmas carol. In fact, since the 20th century, it has become the most-published carol in North America!
27. Fairytale of New York
Considered by many one of the best Christmas songs of all time, this folksy tune by Anglo-Irish band The Pogues tells the bittersweet story of an immigrant couple, and seems to pack all the possible emotions that the holidays can bring — joy, frustration, nostalgia, resentment — into its 4 minutes and 33 seconds.
26. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Covered by The Ronettes and the Jackson 5, this Christmassy tribute to a child’s innocence is sung from the perspective of a kid who sees his mother kissing Santa Claus under the mistletoe, and wonders how his father would react, not realising that’s actually his dad under the costume.
25. The 12 Days of Christmas
Finally, a Christmas carol for bird lovers! This English classic, which has gone through many iterations — although the best-known version was born in 1909 — is a cumulative song, and describes the many questionable gifts their true love gave to the singer. Personally, we would’ve drawn the line at the sixth bird.
24. Sleigh Ride
This wintery tune became associated with Christmas thanks to the hit The Ronettes cover, released in 1963, though the song had been around since the 40s. Its fast, staccato notes seem to mimic the clip-clopping horse the lyrics talk about and the carol plays out exactly like a fun, cheerful sleigh ride.
23. Silent Night
Originally Austrian, this 19th century carol is the world’s most-recorded Christmas song, with more than 137,000 known versions in about 300 languages! Enya’s Irish cover, released in 1993, even made Australian charts at the time.
22. The Little Drummer Boy
This Biblical carol was first recorded in the 50s by none other than the Austrian Trapp Family, of The Sound of Music fame. It’s since been covered by countless artists, ranging from crooners like Frank Sinatra to the unlikeliest of pairings, Bing Crosby and David Bowie, in the 70s.
21. O Holy Night
Based on the French-language poem Minuit, chrétiens, this religious hymn has come to be considered a Christmas song in large part thanks to its many successful modern covers, although it was first written in the 19th century. Notably, Mariah Carey’s version — though by no means her greatest Christmas hit — charted in multiple countries.
20. The Christmas Song
Sometimes better known as its opening line (“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”), this classic carol was actually written during a scorching summer in the 40s by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé, so despite its winter imagery, it has some Aussie Christmas spirit to it!
19. I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Famously recorded by Bing Crosby during WWII, this melancholy carol is sung from the point of view of a soldier who longs for home over the holidays, but has since become a Christmas standard, covered by the likes of Elvis, Michael Bublé, and Kelly Clarkson.
18. Deck the Halls
Possibly the oldest melody on this list, hailing from 16th-century Wales, the simple-yet-effective English lyrics didn’t come until 1862. Deck the Halls brought us the quintessential holiday phrase, “‘Tis the season” and, thanks to half of the words conveniently being “fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la”, anyone can sing along to it!
17. Do They Know It’s Christmas?
A charity single released in the 1984 Christmas season, Do They Know It’s Christmas? set out to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. It did so in spades, raising £8 million within a year, thanks to big names such as Bono and Phil Collins, and has since been re-recorded multiple times, with Australia’s very own Kylie Minogue featuring on the 1989 version.
16. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
The soundtrack to the start of the silly season was written by Meredith Willson, creator of the hit Broadway show The Music Man, and has been sung by many artists since the 50s, including kings of Christmas, Bing Crosby and Michael Bublé. It was also featured in the holiday classic Home Alone 2, cementing its status as a carol standard.
15. Frosty the Snowman
This cheery tune tells the somewhat sad story of Frosty, a friendly snowman that comes to life and plays with children, until he ultimately has to leave town after being chased by the police. The tale has since been adapted many times, with every version trying more outlandish ideas than the last, which explains the Netflix original movie Hot Frosty — in which Frosty, as the title suggests, comes to life as an attractive man — this year.
14. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Once again, a song written during a summer heatwave more akin to an Aussie Christmas than one in the Northern Hemisphere. This carol brings to mind cosy days spent by the fire, snacking and cuddling with your significant other, all crooned in Frank Sinatra’s warm voice in its most famous cover.
13. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
A pop song originally interpreted by Darlene Love, it wasn’t initially as popular as it has become since, thanks to the many covers done by artists as varied across genres as U2, Michael Bublé, Death Cab for Cutie, Foo Fighters and even Cher.
12. White Christmas
Nostalgia for wintery holidays may not be the most relatable subject matter to Brisbanites, but this melancholy tune could make even a cactus wish for snow. Written for Holiday Inn, a 1942 musical film starring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, the original version was sung by the latter, and has since been covered countless times.
11. Last Christmas
Because the holidays are also for the broken-hearted, Wham! brought us this Christmassy breakup song, which reached the top ten in many different countries’ charts, including Australia. So much so, that it remains a favourite of pop singers, with artists like Carly Rae Jepsen, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and, most recently, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan putting out their own versions of it!
10. Baby It’s Cold Outside
The somewhat-controversial call and response song was written by Broadway songwriter Frank Loesser as a duet for him and his wife to sing at their housewarming party, as a way to signal to guests that it was time to leave — handy! — and has been covered by many artists from Dean Martin to John Legend, with some changed to the lyrics depending on the version.
9. Santa Tell Me
This hit Christmas single by Ariana Grande is the most recent song on this list, and it earned its spot after being dubbed a modern Christmas standard thanks to its popularity in streaming services. Since being released in 2014, it has already been covered by various other singers, and is another entry in the “heartbreak during the holidays” category.
8. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree didn’t take off immediately, but once did, there was no stopping it. Between original singer Brenda Lee’s career picking up a couple of years after releasing it and, decades later, the tune being featured in Home Alone’s famous fake party scene, this carol found its way to classic status.
7. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
While the lines “He sees you when you’re sleepin’ / He knows when you’re awake” might sound creepy out of context, this song’s lively melody and charmingly old-timey lyrics manage to make it all sound exciting and magical, just what every kid wants Christmas to be!
6. Santa Baby
Performed by Eartha Kitt, Santa Baby was deemed “too suggestive” when it was first released in 1953, and some have tried to make it tamer — we’re looking at you, Michael Bublé — but whatever the case, ever since, the cheeky song has been making the rounds during the silly season, most famously sung by Kylie Minogue in 2000.
5. Feliz Navidad
The secret to this bilingual hit’s success lies in its simplicity: it’s only 19 words! It was composed this way by Puerto Rican songwriter José Feliciano by design, as he wanted a song that everyone could sing along to and that conveyed a simple, but heartfelt message. Mission accomplished!
4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Maybe the most wistful Christmas song there is, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was written for a film starring Judy Garland, who performed it originally. It was famously covered by Frank Sinatra, who is responsible for changing some of the sadder lines to be more upbeat, in line with the rest of the songs on his Christmas album.
3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Brought to you by the same man responsible for Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and Frosty the Snowman, Johnny Marks, this musical tale was inspired by a children’s book published in 1939 by his brother-in-law. Marks added the introduction of the other reindeer and voila! A true Christmas classic in every sense was born.
2. Jingle Bell Rock
Perhaps best known for its iconic appearance in 2004’s Mean Girls, this Christmas staple has been around since the 1950’s! Its title and some of its lyrics are, of course, an extension of another holiday must, Jingle Bells, but Jingle Bell Rock has shown that it has staying power in its own right.
1. All I Want for Christmas Is You
It could be no other way. The Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, reigns supreme. The uptempo Christmas love song is celebrating its 30th anniversary of being the biggest holiday season earworm this year, and was the first holiday song to break 2 billion streams on Spotify this year. So, with our condolences to retail workers all over the world, we have to crown All I Want for Christmas Is You as the ultimate Christmas song of 2024.
BONUS:
- Jingle Bells
- Aussie Jingle Bells
- Must Be Santa
- Three Drovers
- I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
- Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
- O Tannenbaum
- O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
- How To Make Gravy
- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
- Wonderful Christmastime
- Carol of the Birds