The Best Christmas Pop Music Songs

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

The best Christmas pop songs to get you in the holiday spirit! From classics like “All I Want for Christmas Is You” to modern hits like “Mistletoe,” these are the best Christmas pop songs of all time.

Christmas Pop Music Basics

Christmas pop music is a subgenre of pop music that is typically performed or heard around the Christmas season. Christmas pop music covers a wide range of styles, from traditional pop to contemporary pop. Christmas pop songs often include themes of love, peace, hope, and joy. They are also often characterized by their happy, upbeat rhythms.

Defining Christmas pop

Christmas pop music is a genre of popular music that is generally cheerful, lighthearted and upbeat. It often features elements of other genres such as R&B, Soul, Hip Hop, Dance and electronic music. Christmas pop songs are generally about the joys and festivities of the holiday season and often include references to Santa Claus, Christmas trees, gifts, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and other iconic Christmas symbols.

Christmas pop music first became popular in the mid-1950s with artists such as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra releasing holiday-themed albums. Since then, many chart-topping Christmas pop songs have been released by a variety of artists including Mariah Carey, Wham!, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.

If you’re looking to get into the Christmas spirit this holiday season, check out our list of the best Christmas pop songs below.

Where did Christmas pop music originate?

Christmas pop music originated in the United States in the 1920s with artists such as Bing Crosby and Patty Page releasing holiday songs. The genre really took off in the 1940s and 1950s with the release of classics such as “White Christmas” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” Today, Christmas pop music is enjoyed by people of all ages around the world.

The Best Christmas Pop Songs of All Time

Christmas is a time for joy, laughter, and most importantly, music. There are countless Christmas songs out there, but only a few can truly be considered the best. Here are the best Christmas pop songs of all time.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” is a Christmas song performed by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. She wrote and produced the song with Walter Afanasieff. Columbia Records released it on November 1, 1994, as the lead single from her fourth studio album and first holiday album, Merry Christmas. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is a pop and R&B song that includes instrumentation from a bell choir, hand claps, heavy back-up vocals, and synthesizers. The song’s lyrics declare that the narrator does not care about Christmas presents or lights; all she wants for Christmas is to be with her lover.

Carey recorded the song during October 1993 in New York City. After finishing writing “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, Carey met with Afanasieff, who had originally been recruited by Columbia to work on anothersong from Merry Christmas, “Miss You Most (At Christmastime)”. Together they composed the melody for “All I Want for Christmas Is You” in Carey’s apartment; they finished it within an hour. The piano arrangement was written by Carey and Afanasieff while they were watching television; they wanted to incorporate a throwback sound to Motown girl groups from the 1960s mixed with gospel music elements. Recording began on December 8–9th at Atlantic Recording Studios in New York City, two days after Columbia offered Carey a recording contract in October 1993; this made hers the quickest turnaround between being signed and delivering a debut recording in music industry history according to Guinness World Records.

During early recording sessions for the album, Carey became SNL’s first-ever musical guest during its 19th season episode hosted by Drew Barrymore where she performed “All I Want For Christmas Is You” along with “Miss You Most (At Christmastime)” live before an audience. The live performance was considered controversial as NBC had never had a musical guest perform twice in one evening before or since.

“Last Christmas” by Wham!

“Last Christmas” is a song by English pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984, on a double A-side with everything she wants. It was written and produced by George Michael, and has been covered by many artists since its original release. The song reached number one in Denmark, Slovenia and Sweden and peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. “Last Christmas” is one of the best-selling singles of all time, with worldwide sales of over 20 million copies.

“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid

“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is a song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in reaction to television reports of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded in a day on 25 November 1984 by Band Aid, a supergroup put together by Geldof, and was released the same day as a single. The original version raised millions of pounds for relief efforts; it was re-recorded three times: first in 1989, again in 2004, and most recently in 2014.

The song has been covered by many artists including, but not limited to: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, Lily Allen and Cher Lloyd. In 2013 the original Band Aid 20 supergroup re-recorded the song to raise money for the Typhoon Haiyan appeal, with artists such as One Direction and Ellie Goulding taking part.

“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by Bruce Springsteen

This song is from Bruce Springsteen’s 1985 album Born in the U.S.A. and was written by Springsteen with help from his E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt. It was originally released as a single in November of 1985 and later appeared on Springsteen’s 1986 holiday-themed EP, titled Chimes of Freedom. The song is an uptempo rocker with a strong rhythm section, driving guitars, and horns that give it a festive feel. The lyrics tell the story of Santa Claus making his preparations for Christmas Eve as he gets ready to “fill all the stockings by the fireside.”

“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir

Released in 1971, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” was written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono as a protest song against the Vietnam War. It quickly became a Christmas classic, thanks to its simple, catchy melody and repeated chorus of “So this is Christmas / and what have you done?” The song has been covered by everyone from Mariah Carey to U2, but nothing can top the original.

Why Are These Songs the Best?

This year has been tough, no doubt about it. We could all use a little bit of nostalgia and cheer to help us get through the rest of 2020. What better way to do that than through music? Christmas pop songs have a way of putting us in the holiday spirit and making us feel nostalgic for simpler times. But what makes a Christmas pop song great? Is it the melody? The lyrics? The artist? We think it’s a combination of all three.

They’re timeless

It’s that time of year again! Time to break out the eggnog, hang the mistletoe, and light the candles. It’s also time to start thinking about what Christmas music you’re going to listen to.

If you’re anything like me, you want to make sure that you’re listening to the best Christmas music possible. After all, Christmas only comes around once a year, so you might as well make the most of it!

So, why are these songs the best? Simple! They’re timeless. No matter how many times you hear them, they never get old. They’re also classics that have been loved by generations.

Whether you’re looking for something upbeat or something more mellow, these songs are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit!

They have mass appeal

Most people like Christmas pop music because it is happy and upbeat. The best Christmas pop songs are ones that have mass appeal and are enjoyed by people of all ages. They are also usually easy to sing along to. Some of the most popular Christmas pop songs of all time include:

“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
“The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” by Nat King Cole
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland
“Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Gene Autry
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by Bruce Springsteen
“Last Christmas” by Wham!
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey

They make you feel good

Christmas pop songs are special because they remind us of happy times. Christmas is a time when we reflect on the good things in our lives. The best Christmas pop songs are the ones that make us feel good.

These songs bring back memories of happiness, love, and family. They make us feel like we are kids again. They make us smile, laugh, and sing along. We can’t help but feel happy when we hear these songs.

That’s why these songs are the best. They make us feel good.

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