Christmas songs: 50 classics, carols and modern hits for your playlist

The short answer: this christmas songs list gathers 50 favorites grouped by style, so you can build a playlist for a party, a road trip, a classroom or a night of caroling.

• Cozy and calm: The Christmas Song, Silent Night, White Christmas
• Upbeat party: Jingle Bell Rock, Feliz Navidad
• Kids sing-along: Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells
• Caroling night plan at the end
• Next step: Plan it with the Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99).

Christmas songs are the soundtrack of the season, from carols that are hundreds of years old to pop hits that climb the charts again every December. This Christmas songs list gathers 50 favorites grouped by style, so you can build a playlist for a party, a road trip, a classroom or a night of caroling. Each group includes a bit of background on where the songs came from, and at the end you will find a simple plan for a caroling night with friends or neighbors.

Music is just one part of holiday planning. The Holiday Season Bundle keeps your holiday calendar, menus and Christmas card list in one place, and the Christmas Budget and Gift Planner helps you track gifts and spending.

Traditional Christmas carols

Carols are the oldest Christmas songs most people still sing. Britannica describes the carol as a song of joy that grew out of medieval dance songs and later became closely tied to Christmas. Joy to the World uses words Isaac Watts published in 1719. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing started with a hymn by Charles Wesley in 1739. Silent Night was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 in Oberndorf, Austria, with words by Joseph Mohr and music by Franz Gruber. O Holy Night was composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847, and O Little Town of Bethlehem was written by Phillips Brooks in 1868. Other carols that belong on any list are O Come, All Ye Faithful, Deck the Halls, The First Noel, Away in a Manger, Good King Wenceslas, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Angels We Have Heard on High and What Child Is This.

Classic Christmas songs from the 1930s to 1960s

The mid-twentieth century produced many of the Christmas standards heard in stores every December. Winter Wonderland (1934) and Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1934) came first. Irving Berlin's White Christmas, sung by Bing Crosby in the 1942 film Holiday Inn, became one of the best-selling singles ever. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas premiered in Meet Me in St. Louis in 1944, and The Christmas Song, written by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells, became a signature for Nat King Cole. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (1945), Here Comes Santa Claus (1947), Sleigh Ride (1948), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1949), Frosty the Snowman (1950), Silver Bells (1950), I'll Be Home for Christmas (1943), Blue Christmas, Jingle Bell Rock (1957), Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (1958), Run Rudolph Run (1958), It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (1963) and A Holly Jolly Christmas (1964) complete this era.

Modern Christmas hits

Newer songs keep the holiday fresh. Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano (1970) mixes Spanish and English and is a party favorite. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono (1971) and Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney (1979) are staples. Last Christmas by Wham! and Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid both arrived in 1984. All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey (1994) became a modern standard that returns to the charts nearly every year. Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson (2013), Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande (2014), Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love (1963, often covered) and Mary, Did You Know? (1991) round out a modern playlist.

Christmas songs for kids

Kids love songs with simple words, repetition and motions. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells, Up on the Housetop, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Must Be Santa and Here Comes Santa Claus all work well for car rides, classrooms and holiday programs. Jingle Bells, written by James Lord Pierpont in the 1850s, was actually first written for a winter sleigh-riding theme rather than for Christmas, but it is now one of the first holiday songs many kids learn.

Build a Christmas playlist by mood

How many Christmas songs you need for a party playlist

Most songs run about 3 minutes, so a playlist needs roughly 20 songs for every hour. Use this to size it.

Mix the lists above by mood, with quieter carols while people arrive and eat, and upbeat modern hits later. Play the list on shuffle only after you have removed anything you do not want in the mix. For the evening itself, see our Christmas party planning checklist.

How to plan a caroling night

1. Pick five or six songs most people know, mixing carols with fun classics.
2. Print the words for traditional carols, which are in the public domain, and keep copies in a folder.
3. Practice once together before heading out.
4. Choose a short route of 8 to 10 homes, and let neighbors know ahead if you can.
5. Bring flashlights, warm layers and a thermos of cocoa.
6. End back at one home with snacks and a movie.

Caroling pairs well with other traditions. After you sing, settle in with one of our best Christmas movies and a tray from our Christmas snacks list, or plan a full evening with Christmas party games.

Why Christmas music feels so familiar

Part of the appeal of Christmas songs is that they come back every year. Britannica's history of Christmas describes how carols, trees and gift giving became woven into the holiday over centuries, and recorded music added a new layer in the twentieth century. Radio stations, stores and now streaming playlists play the same favorites each season, so the songs become tied to memories of family, school concerts and holiday road trips. That is why a single song can instantly make it feel like December.

The bottom line

The best Christmas songs list mixes traditional carols, mid-century classics, modern hits and a few kids' favorites. Build a playlist by mood, print the words to a few public domain carols, and make room for at least one night of singing together.

Turn the playlist into a game with our music trivia, including a 10-question holiday songs round.