Christmas Music

My favorite Christmas records of all-time:

1)  A Very Special Christmas--Various Artists (1987)
Could you do better than a Christmas album featuring Run D.M.C. ("Christmas in Hollis") and U2 ("Baby, Please Come Home")?

2) Christmas Album--Jackson 5 (1970)
Playing Nerf basketball in the basement with Tuck and Jim, our soundtrack was invariably the Jackson 5.

3)  Starbucks Winter Wonderland--Various Artists (2008)
How can you beat a mix of Dean Martin and KT Tunstall? Lena Horne and the Vince Guaraldi Trio? Goldfrapp's rendition of "Winter Wonderland" is perhaps my favorite secular Christmas song ever.

4)  Songs for Christmas--Sufjan Stevens (2006)
A spectacular 5-disc set of worship, tradition, nostalgia, and fun.

5) Christmas with Johnny Mathis--Johnny Mathis (1990)
Only because a) it was on all the time growing up and, b) Mathis is one silky smooth cat.

6) A Charlie Brown Christmas--The Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965)
This one is still on our cd player at home. Outstanding in every way.

7)  Elvis' Christmas Album--Elvis Presley (1957)
The king singing his heart out for the King.

8) Christmas--Michael W. Smith (1989)
"Lux Venit," and "Christ, the Messiah" captivated me, but when Amy Grant hit those first few notes in "No Eye Had Seen"...I came undone.

9) Home for Christmas--Amy Grant (1992)
Lovely and sentimental.

10) Silver & Gold--Sufjan Stevens (2012)
Refrain of a familiar theme (see #4 above). Solid.