Music|Songs

The Best Christmas Songs Of All Time

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Updated March 1, 2024 561.2K views 94 items
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121.0K votes
15.8K voters
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Only the greatest Christmas songs of all time.

What are the best Christmas songs ever? Holiday songs are without a doubt incredibly popular year after year, and some songs have remained classics for decades. The best Christmas carols and songs manage to capture the spirit of the holidays and tap into our nostalgia, making us sing along despite ourselves. Who hasn't burst into a little "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" once in a while? That's what this list is all about: the greatest Christmas songs. Vote for your favorites, add any good Christmas songs that are missing, and have a wonderful, happy, holly jolly Christmas, everyone.

Holiday songs can be traditional Christmas carols like "O Holy Night" and "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" or they can be more modern, rocking versions of classics like Bruce Springsteen's version of "Santa Claus is Coming To Town." There are good country Christmas songs and Christmas songs about Jesus. Additionally, you'll find classic Christmas jazz standards and great rock Christmas songs, like Bing Crosby and David Bowie's version of "Little Drummer Boy" (as well as not-so-great worst Christmas songs). And yes, not to be left out of the mix, there are also some pretty solid hip-hop/rap Christmas songs. Examples, you say? How about Run D.M.C.'s "Christmas in Hollis" or Kanye West's "Christmas in Harlem"?

The most famous Christmas songs often come from brilliant best Christmas albums, too. Since its release in 1994, Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" has rightfully earned its place on practically every pop Christmas playlist, while some of the other selections from her Merry Christmas album are considered R&B Christmas staples.

From the traditional best Christmas carols to more modern Christmas songs, this list includes the greatest holiday songs ever sung. 

What are the best Christmas songs of all time? Take a look below and see for yourself!

Most divisive: Do They Know It's Christmas?
Over 15.8K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Christmas Songs Ever Written
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  • Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
    1
    2,143 votes

    Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

    Meet Me In St. Louis

  • It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
    2
    1,979 votes

    It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

    Perry Como

  • I'll Be Home for Christmas
    3
    1,518 votes

    I'll Be Home for Christmas

    Bing Crosby

  • O Holy Night
    4
    2,900 votes

    O Holy Night

    Mariah Carey

  • Jingle Bells
    5
    2,024 votes

    Jingle Bells

    Bing Crosby

  • A Holly Jolly Christmas
    6
    1,868 votes

    A Holly Jolly Christmas

    Burl Ives

  • Silent Night
    7
    3,643 votes

    Silent Night

    Bing Crosby

  • Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
    8
    823 votes

    Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

    Brenda Lee

  • Carol of the Bells
    9
    1,133 votes

    Carol of the Bells

  • Joy to the World
    10
    2,208 votes

    Joy to the World

    Pentatonix

  • White Christmas
    11
    4,464 votes

    White Christmas

    Bing Crosby

  • Jingle Bell Rock
    12
    997 votes

    Jingle Bell Rock

    Bobby Helms

  • Winter Wonderland
    13
    5,536 votes

    Winter Wonderland

    Michael Bublé

  • Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy
    14
    2,184 votes

    Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy

    Bing Crosby and David Bowie

  • Deck the Halls
    15
    923 votes

    Deck the Halls

    Nat King Cole

  • The Christmas Song
    16
    558 votes

    The Christmas Song

    Nat King Cole

  • Do You Hear What I Hear
    17
    655 votes

    Do You Hear What I Hear

    Bing Crosby

  • Feliz Navidad
    18
    1,200 votes

    Feliz Navidad

    Jose Feliciano

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
    19
    493 votes

    Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

    Gene Autry

  • All I Want for Christmas Is You
    20
    2,165 votes

    All I Want for Christmas Is You

    Mariah Carey

  • Last Christmas
    21
    2,591 votes

    Last Christmas

    Wham!

  • You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
    22
    1,335 votes

    You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

    Thurl Ravenscroft

  • Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
    23
    381 votes

    Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

    Dean Martin

  • Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
    24
    1,409 votes

    Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

    Celtic Woman

  • O Come, All Ye Faithful
    25
    786 votes

    O Come, All Ye Faithful

    Pentatonix

  • Sleigh Ride
    26
    832 votes

    Sleigh Ride

    The Ronettes

  • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
    27
    1,015 votes

    God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

    Annie Lenox

  • Blue Christmas
    28
    1,401 votes

    Blue Christmas

    Elvis Presley

  • We Wish You a Merry Christmas
    29
    464 votes

    We Wish You a Merry Christmas

    John Williams and the Boston Pop Orchestra

  • Christmas Time Is Here
    30
    1,431 votes

    Christmas Time Is Here

    Vince  Guaraldi Trio

  • Frosty the Snowman
    31
    1,683 votes

    Frosty the Snowman

    Gene Autry

  • Angels We Have Heard On High
    32
    941 votes

    Angels We Have Heard On High

    Pentatonix

  • Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
    33
    3,019 votes

    Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town

    Jackson 5

  • Here Comes Santa Claus
    34
    1,533 votes

    Here Comes Santa Claus

    Gene Autry

  • Silver and Gold
    35
    377 votes

    Silver and Gold

    Burl Ives

  • The Twelve Days of Christmas
    36
    915 votes

    The Twelve Days of Christmas

    John Denver and The Muppets

  • Mele Kalikimaka
    37
    383 votes

    Mele Kalikimaka

    Bing Crosby and The Andrew Sisters

  • Ave Maria
    38
    833 votes

    Ave Maria

    Luciano Pavarotti

  • O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
    39
    1,051 votes

    O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

    Sufjan Stevens

  • The Little Drummer Boy
    40
    736 votes

    The Little Drummer Boy

    Pentatonix

  • Mary, Did You Know?
    41
    719 votes

    Mary, Did You Know?

    Gaither Vocal Band

  • What Child Is This?
    42
    270 votes

    What Child Is This?

    Andrea Bocelli

  • Christmas Canon
    43
    460 votes

    Christmas Canon

    Trans-Siberian Orchestra

  • Little Saint Nick
    44
    629 votes

    Little Saint Nick

    The Beach Boys

  • Run Rudolph Run
    45
    612 votes

    Run Rudolph Run

    Chuck Berry

  • Snoopy's Christmas
    46
    308 votes

    Snoopy's Christmas

    The Royal Guardsmen

  • Baby, It's Cold Outside
    47
    683 votes

    Baby, It's Cold Outside

    Neptune's Daughter 

  • We Three Kings
    48
    452 votes

    We Three Kings

    Angel City Chorale

  • Fairytale of New York
    49
    1,114 votes

    Fairytale of New York

    The Pogues

  • I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
    50
    526 votes

    I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

    The Ronettes

  • The Chipmunk Song
    51
    736 votes

    The Chipmunk Song

    Alvin and The Chipmunks

  • Do They Know It's Christmas?
    52
    1,545 votes

    Do They Know It's Christmas?

    Band Aid

  • I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
    53
    337 votes

    I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

    Bing Crosby

  • A Marshmallow World
    54
    268 votes

    A Marshmallow World

    Dean Martin

  • Good King Wenceslas
    55
    503 votes

    Good King Wenceslas

    The Irish Rovers 

  • Merry Christmas Darling
    56
    885 votes

    Merry Christmas Darling

    Carpenters

  • Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24
    57
    545 votes

    Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24

    Trans-Siberian Orchestra

  • Adeste Fideles
    58
    261 votes

    Adeste Fideles

    Andrea Bocelli

  • Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
    59
    333 votes

    Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer

    Elmo and Patsy

  • Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
    60
    526 votes

    Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

    Darlene Love

  • Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
    61
    1,320 votes

    Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

    John & Yoko Plastic Ono Band + Harlem Community Choir

  • I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
    62
    764 votes

    I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

    Gayla Peevey

  • Christmas In Killarney
    63
    239 votes

    Christmas In Killarney

    Bing Crosby

  • Little Drummer Boy
    64
    104 votes

    Little Drummer Boy

    Bob Seger

  • White Christmas
    65
    87 votes

    White Christmas

    Michael Bublé

  • Please Come Home for Christmas
    66
    208 votes

    Please Come Home for Christmas

    Charles Brown

  • Christmas Wrapping
    67
    564 votes

    Christmas Wrapping

    The Waitresses

  • What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
    68
    205 votes

    What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

    Ella Fitzgerald

  • Santa Baby
    69
    567 votes

    Santa Baby

    Eartha Kitt

  • The Snow Miser Song / The Heat Miser Song
    70
    244 votes

    The Snow Miser Song / The Heat Miser Song

    The Year Without A Santa Claus

  • Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)
    71
    352 votes

    Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)

    Amy Grant

  • Santa Claus Is Back in Town
    72
    210 votes

    Santa Claus Is Back in Town

    Elvis Presley

  • Grown Up Christmas List
    73
    351 votes

    Grown Up Christmas List

    Amy Grant

  • Step Into Christmas
    74
    470 votes

    Step Into Christmas

    Elton John

  • When a Child Is Born
    75
    400 votes

    When a Child Is Born

    Johnny Mathis

  • Someday at Christmas
    76
    177 votes

    Someday at Christmas

    Stevie Wonder and Andra Day

  • Pretty Paper
    77
    264 votes

    Pretty Paper

    Willie Nelson

  • Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord
    78
    266 votes

    Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord

    Boney M

  • Little Drummer Boy
    79
    71 votes

    Little Drummer Boy

    Neil Diamond

  • If Every Day Was Like Christmas
    80
    204 votes

    If Every Day Was Like Christmas

    Elvis Presley

  • Father Christmas
    81
    449 votes

    Father Christmas

    The Kinks

  • Welcome Christmas
    82
    297 votes

    Welcome Christmas

    How The Grinch Stole Christmas

  • Must Be Santa
    83
    256 votes

    Must Be Santa

    Mitch Miller & The Gang 

  • Christmas Oratorio
    84
    312 votes

    Christmas Oratorio

    Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

  • Thank God It's Christmas
    85
    156 votes

    Thank God It's Christmas

    Queen

  • The Twelve Pains of Christmas
    86
    507 votes

    The Twelve Pains of Christmas

    Bob Rivers

  • Christmas Is the Time to Say 'I Love You'
    87
    123 votes

    Christmas Is the Time to Say 'I Love You'

    Billy Squier

  • Somewhere In My Memory
    88
    188 votes

    Somewhere In My Memory

    John Williams

  • Christmas in Hollis
    89
    192 votes

    Christmas in Hollis

    Run DMC

  • Believe
    90
    585 votes

    Believe

    Jackie Evancho

  • Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)
    91
    382 votes

    Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)

    Ramones

  • The Christmas Shoes
    92
    82 votes

    The Christmas Shoes

    NewSong

  • A Mad Russian's Christmas
    93
    163 votes

    A Mad Russian's Christmas

    Trans-Siberian Orchestra

  • I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus
    94
    447 votes

    I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus

    RuPaul