Christmas Music for People Who Aren't So Sure About Christmas Music - A Playlist for You
Added 2024-12-23 18:53:43 +0000 UTC
(A playful little playlist made for you by Sarah Marshall and Carolyn Kendrick. Maybe you need some new songs to play, or a reminder of the ones you used to. Maybe you haven't heard these ones one million times in the past week. The point is, if we could send you all mix tapes, we would. Thank you so much for sharing this season with us. We can't wait to be together for whatever comes next.)
Side A:
This Christmas -- Donny Hathaway
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring -- Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
Christmas Wrapping -- The Waitresses
To Heck with Ole Santa Claus -- Loretta Lynn
It's Christmas! Let's Be Glad -- Sufjan Stevens
Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord -- Boney M
Santa Claus is Coming to Town -- Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Swingin' Them Jingle Bells -- Fats Waller
Listen, the Snow is Falling -- Harry Nilsson
Presents for Christmas -- Solomon Burke
River -- Joni Mitchell
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -- Judy Garland
Side B:
A Marshmallow World -- Los Straitjackets
What Child Is This -- Vince Guaraldi Trio
Back Door Santa -- Clarence Carter
Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis -- Tom Waits
Fairytale of New York -- The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl
White Winter Hymnal -- Fleet Foxes
Ave Maria -- Stevie Wonder
Silent Night -- Stevie Nicks
Christmastime -- The Smashing Pumpkins
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -- Carpenters
Auld Lang Syne -- Milk Carton Kids
Amazing Grace (Live at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 1/13/72) -- Aretha Franklin
Comments
This playlist is a warm, genre-bending hug for anyone craving holiday tunes with soul, grit, and surprises. Love the blend of timeless classics (Donny Hathaway! Judy Garland!) and left-field gems (Tom Waits! Smashing Pumpkins!)—it feels cozy yet refreshingly human. Perfect for those who want Christmas spirit without the sugar rush. Kudos to Sarah & Carolyn for curating a mix that honors tradition while side-eyeing the sleigh bells. 🎄✨
Amanda
2025-01-28 10:38:17 +0000 UTCsomeone needs to make this into a spotify playlist for me
Lizzie Schoon
2025-01-16 21:38:59 +0000 UTCI love Sufjan Stevens.
Nancy Jean Ross
2024-12-26 23:27:23 +0000 UTCThis was so lovely to play in the background on Christmas morning, thank you! 💕💕
Libby Sanders
2024-12-26 20:52:32 +0000 UTC🙋🏻♂️🙏🏻♥️
Bevan
2024-12-25 19:18:14 +0000 UTChttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/3sCSwWjNz3N24BhoVb0Ldl?si=DNyX3PjLR52dojFqHGUc1w&pi=UwihUQ4uTKuqv here's the playlist my partner and I have been building for years ... added a bunch of the songs from YWA's playlist and the chat!
Marcus Wrightus
2024-12-25 13:35:10 +0000 UTCThis is wonderful, thank you audio angels!
Amelia
2024-12-25 01:59:23 +0000 UTCI created an Apple Music playlist of all these awesome songs. If anyone’s interested I can share it here. Merry Christmas, Sarah and Carolyn. And thank you! 🎄
Jen B.
2024-12-24 22:39:13 +0000 UTCThank you so much. You're so kind, and what thoughtful advice 💜
Emma Saxon
2024-12-24 17:42:12 +0000 UTCI’m so sorry, Emma. Never a good time to go through pregnancy loss, but this time of year is especially hard 💔 Set the holly jolly aside and let yourself lament.
Jen Turner
2024-12-24 17:38:58 +0000 UTCFor Those Who Can’t Be Here (Tom Walker) is a soothing anthem for anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (Johnny Reid) is a beautiful new arrangement of an old standard See Amid The Winter’s Snow (Annie Lennox) perfection The Huron Carol (Sarah McLaughlin’s version is widely available) This is the first Christmas carol written in North American back in the 1600’s Christmas Must Be Tonight (The Band) Magical Come And I Will Sing You (Great Big Sea) another very, very old carol Joel The Lump Of Coal (The Killers) laugh along then get all up in your feels in the span of one song
Jen Turner
2024-12-24 17:34:20 +0000 UTCThat whole album is fantastic! A family favourite since it was released lo these many years ago. The Elf’s Lament and It’s Christmastime are my two faves.
Jen Turner
2024-12-24 17:22:22 +0000 UTCThe little Brummy children's choir in I Wish it Could Be Christmas 😭
Emma Saxon
2024-12-24 17:13:03 +0000 UTCAppreciate you!
Jade Olson
2024-12-24 15:20:15 +0000 UTCIn case you're a Tidal person, I've made the playlist there!: https://tidal.com/playlist/4c76098f-3f6b-4736-ad5a-7c00417d68d3
Laurel Hall
2024-12-24 15:10:22 +0000 UTCThank you for this 💜 currently going through a pregnancy loss, and all my go-to Christmas songs just aren't doing it. This is really getting me through today! 🙏🏻
Emma Saxon
2024-12-24 13:44:41 +0000 UTCThank you! I was hoping someone in the comments would have put in the legwork for me. May you get all the cheeses for your meeces this year
Ashley Petty
2024-12-24 13:20:53 +0000 UTCThank you! ❤️
Katharina
2024-12-24 12:22:28 +0000 UTCHero 🧡
Noel LH
2024-12-24 09:17:54 +0000 UTCYour inclusion of The Milk Carton Kids has me absolutely kvelling. Can’t wait to listen to it all!
Alison Koch
2024-12-24 05:43:39 +0000 UTCThe Barenaked Ladies Holiday Album is actually great and has two excellent Hanukkah songs!!
Rachel Perry
2024-12-24 04:37:53 +0000 UTCIf you’re lame like me and use Pandora, hopefully you can access the playlist I created: https://pandora.app.link/6mjKHYnUzPb Fabulous collection, Sarah and Carolyn. Happy holidays to the You’re Wrong About family!
Rebekah
2024-12-24 03:18:56 +0000 UTCYes to all of this! Sufjan Stevens' Christmas In The Room got me through some times for sure. For the little kid at Christmas feeling, Alien for Christmas covered by I Fight Dragons is excellent.
Robin Kuehn
2024-12-24 02:05:43 +0000 UTCFor some reason the existence of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass is wildly funny
Lauren Bickel
2024-12-24 00:02:29 +0000 UTCAlso Sleddin' Hill by August Burns Red is an excellent instrumental Metal Xmas album
Schwartz666
2024-12-23 23:40:05 +0000 UTCOi To The World by The Vandals is the best Xmas album of all-time! 🤘🏻
Schwartz666
2024-12-23 23:33:25 +0000 UTC“Fruitcake” by the Superions was my surprise delight at the onslaught of aggravating Christmas music. “It’ll kill your dad! FRUITCAKE!
Dino
2024-12-23 23:18:26 +0000 UTCThis is great! Thanks! A few of my faves not already mentioned: Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney - Ella Fitzgerald Must Be Santa - Bob Dylan Dear Santa (Bring Me a Man This Christmas) - The Weather Girls Jesus Christ - Big Star White Christmas - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings Blue Xmas - Miles Davis and Bob Dorough We Three Kings - Patti Smith
Chuck Falzone
2024-12-23 23:11:24 +0000 UTCCarolina Christmas by Squirrel Nut Zippers! Also, Merry Christmas Eve by Better than Ezra.
Jennifer Tamir
2024-12-23 23:07:05 +0000 UTCI can't wait to listen to these! I like "Christmas will break your heart" by LCD Soundsystem, just to balance out the happiness and cheer.
Sarah S
2024-12-23 21:51:10 +0000 UTCThank you for a rebuttal to the folks that look concerned when they find out your spending Christmas by oneself ' aloneness and loneliness are not the same thing' xoxo
Layla Bell
2024-12-23 21:49:00 +0000 UTCIt gets played to death over here (even getting its own day on 21 Dec), but if you haven't heard Paul Kelly's How to Make Gravy you should give it at least one play.
Richard
2024-12-23 21:37:33 +0000 UTCThank you!
Sarah Cady
2024-12-23 21:19:06 +0000 UTCSome great choices here! A lot of overlap with my personal taste, which always makes me happy. I also really like the Neko Case cover of "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis", partly because I really like hearing a woman's voice singing those sad, beautiful words.
Dan S.
2024-12-23 20:56:53 +0000 UTCThanks so much!
re rahrich
2024-12-23 20:40:36 +0000 UTCCreated a YouTube Music playlist and added all song suggestions in the comments (as of 1240 PT): https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmwUx64qTPmlcpHB0F_DCy3qSLPIyEG44&si=AnTGjTDVtMkR37Sc
Devlyn
2024-12-23 20:39:47 +0000 UTCI love the baby it’s cold outside by Lydia Liza and Josiah Lemanski - aka the one that doesn’t make you feel weird. And Winter Song by The Head and the Heart
Jenni Stewart
2024-12-23 20:35:49 +0000 UTCAnd for a 90s addition, east 17 in their puffy puffy coats has to be in there too
Jenni Stewart
2024-12-23 20:32:36 +0000 UTChttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ks9pLq1JymXVjQm5Vt351?si=f9St0QEVTeSPw_0ilF0gkA&pi=Txqk9Gs5RauIS
Libby Smith
2024-12-23 20:25:23 +0000 UTC🤍
Elisabeth Pedersen
2024-12-23 20:08:47 +0000 UTCThis is great! My personal favorite, John Prine’s Christmas in Prison would fit in well ❤️
Lily
2024-12-23 19:49:36 +0000 UTCWinter Ahead by V and Park Hyo Shin is a great jazzy Christmas-y song!
Tinkerlord
2024-12-23 19:49:00 +0000 UTCThis is awesome! Going to add some of these to our Xmas playlist
Marcus Wrightus
2024-12-23 19:44:59 +0000 UTCBarbra Streisand - Jingle Bells
Fallon X Gold
2024-12-23 19:43:10 +0000 UTCOn the YAG Discord we shared Christmas playlists, and I would like to commend you both for also appreciating the beauty of Boney M at Christmas. 🎄
beesher
2024-12-23 19:40:47 +0000 UTChttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/4h7lgHGd36eLYYShcJrbIK?si=rLkOU-QoRWeoRm__PX3RDA&pi=THBTYAwqSfiyD
Emily
2024-12-23 19:40:22 +0000 UTCHappy Xmas by John Lennon and Yoko Ono is another good one!
Lisa
2024-12-23 19:30:01 +0000 UTCDo you have a link? I can't seem to find the playlist by simple searching on Spotify 😔
Bailey Doolittle
2024-12-23 19:29:22 +0000 UTC🎶I'll be just fiiiiiiiii-ne and daandy!!🎶😭
Ijeoma (pajamagirl) O.
2024-12-23 19:28:59 +0000 UTCAdding all of these to my Christmas playlist!! My only suggestion is White Wine in the Sun. I think Kate Miller-Heidke’s version is particularly beautiful
Mallory Simons
2024-12-23 19:26:04 +0000 UTCCan't believe I forgot The Darkness! Absolutely seconding.
Eleanor Hawtin
2024-12-23 19:22:26 +0000 UTCI also love Father Christmas by the Kinks and Christmas Time by The Darkness.
Brooke Opie
2024-12-23 19:19:57 +0000 UTCLove it! My humble suggestion: Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton would fit right in here!
Helen Herrick
2024-12-23 19:19:19 +0000 UTCThere are a lot of UK Christmas classics that never made it across the pond! I recommend Shakin' Stevens "Merry Christmas Everyone", Slade "Merry Xmas Everybody", Wizzard "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", Mud "Lonely This Christmas", Greg Lake "I Believe in Father Christmas", Jona Lewie "Stop the Cavalry".
Eleanor Hawtin
2024-12-23 19:17:02 +0000 UTCI've created the playlist on Spotify under the same name for anyone who wants a listen but doesn't want to do the work of compiling!
Emily
2024-12-23 19:14:42 +0000 UTCGreat list! The right wing radio station my mom is addicted to (WLW Cincinnati) is very upset with 'Happy Holidays' (the war against Merry Christmas). Bing Crosby, noted woke liberal pussy-man from 1942! Can't stop giggling.
Juliane Schneider
2024-12-23 19:11:26 +0000 UTCGreat choices! May I suggest the addition of Vienna Teng's "The Atheist Christmas Carol"?
Chiara Whiting
2024-12-23 19:02:01 +0000 UTCThank you! ❤️ Now I know what I will be listening to while baking and wrapping gifts🎄 Merry Christmas!
Katharina
2024-12-23 19:01:13 +0000 UTCA truly well-thought gift! 🤩
Ragusa
2024-12-23 18:58:50 +0000 UTCYaaas!! Just the gift I needed.
Rachel Furlong
2024-12-23 18:57:19 +0000 UTC
