‘Tis the season to be merry and what better way to infuse the festive spirit into your home than by listening to Christmas albums?
Whether you’re decorating your tree, sipping on hot cocoa, or hosting a holiday gathering, the right music can make all the difference.
Mariah Carey’s album Merry Christmas is considered a classic — namely because of the hit single All I Want for Christmas Is You — but it arguably is put on repeat too often during the festive season…
So, if you’re looking for the best Christmas albums to listen to this year sans Mariah, we’ve got you covered.
01
Carpenters, Christmas Portrait
First released in 1978, Christmas Portrait features covers of multiple classic Christmas songs like Deck the Halls and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, as well as the original Carpenters song Merry Christmas Darling.
Buy Christmas Portrait at Sanity or Amazon.
02
Michael Bublé, Christmas
He’s been nicknamed the King of Christmas and for good reason. Michael Bublé’s Christmas is filled with classic carols — like Jingle Bells and White Christmas — performed in Michael’s signature easy-listening jazz swing style. Plus, the deluxe edition features Michael’s original song Cold December Night.
Buy Christmas at Sanity or Amazon.
03
Jimmy Barnes, Blue Christmas
If you’re a fan of Jimmy Barnes (and let’s be honest, who isn’t?) you have to get his Christmas album! The new expanded edition features two new tracks If Santa Forgets and O Holy Night.
Buy Blue Christmas Expanded Edition at Sanity.
04
Bette Midler, Cool Yule
Bette Midler is without a doubt one of the best singers to ever grace planet Earth. And so, hearing her sing Christmas tunes is simply sublime. Songs featured on Cool Yule include I’ll Be Home for Christmas and Winter Wonderland.
Buy Cool Yule on Amazon.
05
Johnny Cash, Christmas With Johnny Cash
If you’re a country fan, you’ll love Johnny Cash’s renditions of various Christmas songs like Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, Away in a Manger and I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.
Buy Christmas With Johnny Cash at Sanity or Amazon.
06
Dami Im, Christmas Songbook
In 2023, Australia’s very own Dami Im combined her signature vocals and virtuosic piano to create a Christmas album featuring her take on holiday favourites like Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The album also features Dami’s original song Baby’s First Christmas.
Buy Christmas Songbook at Sanity.
07
Beach Boys, Christmas Album
The Beach Boys lent their signature style to several classic Christmas songs (like Frosty the Snowman) and recorded five original Christmas songs — Little Saint Nick, The Man with All the Toys, Santa’s Beard, Merry Christmas, Baby, and Christmas Day — for their joyous Christmas album.
Buy Christmas Album at Sanity or Amazon.
08
Frank Sinatra, A Jolly Christmas
Forgive the pun, but you’ll definitely have a jolly Christmas if you add this album to your collection. Frank Sinatra’s smooth vocals make songs like Silent Night and The First Noel sound magical.
Buy A Jolly Christmas on Sanity or Amazon.
09
Kelly Clarkson, Wrapped In Red
Kelly penned two new toe-tappingly good Christmas songs for this album — Underneath the Tree and, the titular track, Wrapped In Red — but she also flawlessly covered numerous holiday classics like Run Run Rudolph and Please Come Home for Christmas.
Buy Wrapped In Red at Sanity or Amazon.
10
Elvis Presley, Elvis’ Christmas Album
Elvis Presley’s Christmas album is one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time — and we can’t say we’re surprised. The late King of Rock and Roll covered popular Christmas songs, traditional Christmas carols and a few gospel songs for Elvis’ Christmas Album, but every track — no matter the genre — sounds incredible.
Buy Elvis’ Christmas Album at Sanity or Amazon.
11
Bing Crosby, White Christmas
The man who started it all; Bing Crosby was the first popular singer to record Christmas songs. His album White Christmas features the songs Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Joy to the World and Good King Wenceslas.
Buy White Christmas at Sanity or Amazon.
12
Sabrina Carpenter, Fruitcake
If you’re in the mood for some modern Christmas music, you can’t go past Sabrina Carpenter’s Fruitcake. The singer — who became next-level popular in 2024 thanks to her song Espresso — released this infectious Christmas album last year and it features five original holiday-themed tracks (The Weekly‘s favourite? Cindy Lou Who) as well as a great cover of White Christmas.
Buy Fruitcake at Amazon.
