100 Greatest Contemporary
Christmas Songs

The Drifters and the Bobby Helms
Criteria: These Christmas songs chosen and ranked for ongoing popularity, impact, importance, and strong association with the holiday. This list includes all eras of rock as well as contemporary pop and country; Christmas songs include both religious and secular songs as well as songs about winter which are associated with the festive season.

Note: In some cases, more than one year is provided because
of notable re-recordings of the song by the same artist.


Last Updated: 2020-11-30
Greatest Contemporary Christmas Songs
  1. White Christmas (1954) - Drifters
  2. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (1958) - Brenda Lee
  3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (1963) - Darlene Love
  4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1975, rel. 1981) - Bruce Springsteen
  5. Do They Know It's Christmas? (1984) - Band Aid
  6. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1971) - John & Yoko
  7. Jingle Bell Rock (1957) - Bobby Helms
  8. Run Rudolph Run (1958) - Chuck Berry
  9. Blue Christmas (1957) - Elvis Presley
10. Little Saint Nick (1963) - Beach Boys
11. Please Come Home For Christmas (1960) - Charles Brown
12. This Christmas (1970) - Donny Hathaway
13. Feliz Navidad (1970) - Jose Feliciano
14. Sleigh Ride (1963) - Ronettes
15. Merry Christmas Baby (1968) - Otis Redding
16. All I Want For Christmas is You (1994) - Mariah Carey
17. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1970) - Jackson 5
18. Christmas Wrapping (1980) - Waitresses
19. Wonderful Christmastime (1979) - Paul McCartney
20. Santa Claus Is Back In Town (1957) - Elvis Presley
21. Merry Christmas Darling (1970) - Carpenters
22. Frosty The Snowman (1963) - Ronettes
23. What Christmas Means To Me (1967) - Stevie Wonder
24. Merry Christmas Baby (1947, 1956, 1962, 1968) - Charles Brown
25. Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) (1995) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
26. Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth (1977, rel. 1982) - David Bowie & Bing Crosby
27. Silent Night (1968, 1980) - Temptations
28. Fairytale of New York (1987) - Pogues with Kirsty MacColl
29. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1956) - Cadillacs
30. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (1963) - Ronettes
31. Step Into Christmas (1973) - Elton John
32. Grown-Up Christmas List (1992) - Amy Grant
33. Someday At Christmas (1967) - Stevie Wonder
34. Last Christmas (1984) - Wham!
35. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1963) - Crystals
36. Give Love on Christmas Day (1970) - Jackson 5
37. Father Christmas (1977) - Kinks
38. Santa, Bring My Baby Back To Me (1957) - Elvis Presley
39. Same Old Lang Syne (1980) - Dan Fogelberg
40. Pretty Paper (1963) - Roy Orbison
41. I Believe in Father Christmas (1975) - Greg Lake
42. Silent Night (1962) - Huey "Piano" Smith & The Clowns
43. Hey Santa (1993) - Carnie & Wendy Wilson
44. Please Come Home For Christmas (1978) - Eagles
45. O Holy Night (1998) - Celine Dion
46. Baby It's Cold Outside (1962) - Ray Charles & Betty Carter
47. Christmas in Hollis (1987) - Run-D.M.C.
48. Snoopy's Christmas (1967) - Royal Guardsmen
49. (It's Gonna Be a) Lonely Christmas (1948) - Orioles
50. Winter Wonderland (1987) - Eurythmics
51. Sleigh Ride (1992) - TLC
52. Christmas Rappin' (1979) - Kurtis Blow
53. Christmas Ain't Christmas New Year's Ain't New Years Without The One You Love (1969) - O'Jays
54. Baby's First Christmas (1961) - Connie Francis
55. Jingle Bell Rock (1961) - Chubby Checker & Bobby Rydell
56. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1968) - Temptations
57. Hark The Herald Angels Sing (1988) - Mannheim Steamroller
58. The Man With All the Toys (1964) - Beach Boys
59. Here Comes Santa Claus (1957) - Elvis Presley
60. White Christmas (1948) - Ravens
61. Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You (1981) - Billy Squier
62. All I Want For Christmas is You (1989) - Vince Vance & The Valiants
63. 2000 Miles (1983, 1995) - Pretenders
64. Sleigh Ride (1965) - Ventures
65. This Time of the Year (1959) - Brook Benton
66. Merry Christmas All (1976) - Denise Montoya & the Salsoul Orchestra
67. A Marshmallow World (1963) - Darlene Love
68. Santa Baby (1987) - Madonna
69. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (1979, 1982, 1984) - Elmo & Patsy
70. Mary's Boy Child/O My Lord (1978) - Boney M
71. Rock and Roll Christmas (1983) - George Thorogood
72. White Christmas (1968) - Otis Redding
73. Winter Wonderland (1964) - Aretha Franklin
74. It Doesn't Have To Be That Way (1973) - Jim Croce
75. Don't Believe In Christmas (1965) - Sonics
76. Lonesome Christmas (1950) - Lowell Fulson
77. It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (1992) - Amy Grant
78. Do You Hear What I Hear (1987) - Whitney Houston
79. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (1973) - Roy Wood & Wizzard
80. Back Door Santa (1968) - Clarence Carter
81. Please Come Home For Christmas (1993) - Aaron Neville
82. Christmas in Dixie (1982) - Alabama
83. Jingle Bell Rock (1983) - Daryl Hall & John Oates
84. Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto (1968) - James Brown
85. Christmas in Jail (1956) - Youngsters
86. Merry Xmas Everybody (1973) - Slade
87. If We Make It Through December (1973) - Merle Haggard
88. Jingle Bells (1990) - Barry Manilow & Expose
89. Mary, Did You Know (1996) - Kenny Rogers & Wynonna Judd
90. Happy Holiday (1962) - Shells
91. There's a New Kid in Town (1991) - Keith Whitley
92. The Christmas Shoes (2000) - Newsong
93. Celebrate Me Home (1977) - Kenny Loggins
94. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1962) - Four Seasons
95. Deck the Halls (1984) - Mannheim Steamroller
96. River (1971) - Joni Mitchell
97. Hey Santa Claus (1953) - Moonglows
98. White Christmas (1963) - Darlene Love
99. Christmas Auld Lang Syne (1960) - Bobby Darin
100. Merry Christmas Everyone (1985) - Shakin' Stevens

Doo-Wop singing group The Drifters
The Drifters
Popular music singer Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Surf Rock group the Beach Boys
Beach Boys
Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid
Band Aid
Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms
Bobby Helms
Blue Christmas record by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley






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