Jazz up Your Christmas Music Playlist
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It’s that time of year again! Time to break out the Christmas music and get into the holiday spirit. But what if your Christmas music playlist is feeling a little stale? Here are some tips to jazz it up!
Start with some classics
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is just around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about your holiday music playlist. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll share some of our favorite Christmas classics that are sure to get you in the holiday spirit.
“White Christmas” – Bing Crosby
No Christmas is complete without hearing Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” The holiday classic was written by Irving Berlin in 1940 and was featured in the 1942 film “Holiday Inn.” The song became an instant hit and Crosby’s recording of the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1942. It remains the best-selling single of all time with more than 50 million copies sold.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – Judy Garland
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is a song written in 1944 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis.
The song is merry and optimistic, looking forward to better times in the future despite present happiness, with the lyrics “Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow”. In 1957, Frank Sinatra recorded a version with updated lyrics written by Martin himself, which are more cynical and introspective than the original.
Both versions of the song have been popular holiday standards, with Judy Garland’s recording reaching No. 11 on Billboard’s 1955 list of “The Most Popular Songs for Christmastime”, and Sinatra’s reaching No. 3 on Billboard’s 1957 list of “The Most Popular Songs for Christmastime”.
“Winter Wonderland” – Dean Martin
“Winter Wonderland” is a winter song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Dick Smith. It was originally a song for bandleader Paul Whiteman. It was a hit for Bernie Weismuller in 1945 and became widely known through recordings by Bing Crosby and, later, Dean Martin. More than 50 years after its composition, it remains popular with recordings by Tony Bennett, Darlene Love, Michael Bublé, and sense8. The song has been translated into several languages.
The first commercial recording of “Winter Wonderland” was made by Richard Himber and his RKO Orchestra on August 15, 1934. The song was released as a Victor 78 single (26318), backed with the Himber original “My Sugar”. The flip side of the single was “My Sugar”, which reached the No. 14 position in the Billboard charts during 1934–35.
Add some holiday cheer with these modern classics
Christmas music can sometimes get a little bit repetitive. If you’re looking for something new to add to your holiday playlist, look no further. These modern classics will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” – Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become a holiday staple since its release in 1994. The song, which is about wanting nothing more than to be with the one you love during the holidays, is both catchy and relatable. In 2019, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
“Santa Tell Me” – Ariana Grande
“Santa Tell Me” is a song recorded by American singer Ariana Grande. It was released on November 18, 2014, through Republic Records as the lead single from her Christmas EP, Christmas & Chill (2015). The song was written by Grande, Savan Kotecha and its producer, Ilya. “Santa Tell Me” is a mid-tempo Christmas pop and R&B ballad with festive strokes of sleigh bells throughout. Lyrically, it is about a woman asking Santa Claus for guidance to find a good man to Fall in love with during the holiday season. The song received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production and Grande’s vocal performance. Commercially, it peaked at number twenty-four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became Grande’s fifth top forty entry in the country. Additionally, it attained top ten positions in Australia and Denmark while reaching the top twenty in New Zealand and Sweden.”
Santa Tell Me was written by Grande, Savan Kotecha and its producer, Ilya Salmanzadeh. The song was recorded in 2014 at MXM Studios in Los Angeles, California. It was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia. John Hanes served as engineer for mix. Engineered for vocals were Jeremy Lertola and Marcos Tovar while Salmanzadeh handled programming and instrumentation.”
“Last Christmas” – Wham!
“Last Christmas” is a song by English pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984. It was written and produced by George Michael, and has been covered by many artists since its original release. The song’s lyrics are about a young woman who is regretful about some of the choices she made during the previous year.
The song was released as a single in December 1984 and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the biggest-selling single in the UK that year. In 1997, British band Spice Girls released a cover version of the song as their debut single, which peaked at number one in numerous territories, including the UK, Australia and Canada.
In 2010, “Last Christmas” was named the best-selling Christmas single of all time in the UK. As of 2019, it has sold 1.79 million copies in the country.
Make it festive with these up-and-coming artists
It’s that time of year again – time to start thinking about your Christmas music playlist! If you’re looking for something a little different this year, why not jazz up your playlist with some up-and-coming artists? In this article, we’ll recommend some of our favorite up-and-coming jazz artists that are sure to make your Christmas music playlist more festive.
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” – Darlene Love
Darlene Love’s iconic holiday hit has been covered by everyone from Mariah Carey to Michael Bublé, but the Phil Spector-produced original is the definitive version. Love belts out the hopeful lyrics with such conviction that it’s impossible not to get swept up in the holiday spirit.
“Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” – *NSYNC
It’s that time of year again! Time to break out the eggnog, put up the Christmas tree, and most importantly, get your Christmas music playlist ready. If you’re looking for some new and festive tunes to add to your list this year, look no further than these up-and-coming artists.
From classics like “‘Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays'” by *NSYNC to new holiday classics like “Last Christmas” by Wham!, these artists are sure to get you into the holiday spirit. So queue up your favorite streaming service, sit back, and enjoy the show!
“Christmas Lights” – Coldplay
From the United Kingdom, Coldplay has been gracing us with their unique alternative rock sound since the late ’90s. “Christmas Lights” is a song off of their 2010 album, “Mylo Xyloto.” It’s a beautiful ballad with piano, brass, and strings that’s sure to get you in the holiday spirit.
