Albums:
any Amy Grant Christmas album- I grew up on these! Listening to her rendition of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" brings back memories of the days I tried to plan, choreograph, direct, and publicize special Christmas shows performed by my siblings and I.
Michael Buble- He has such a beautiful voice, and the jazzy additions to popular songs like "Jingle Bells" give the album an old-fashioned classy feel.
most Sufjan Stevens Christmas EPs- Sufjan makes so much music! He has hours upon hours of Christmas music. Some songs are lovely covers, some are originals, and some are a mix of both. His originals are very interesting, and most often seem to challenge the materialism of Christmas.
Justin Bieber's Under the Mistletoe- It's just so fun! I can't deny the Biebs's melodic flow on this album. His "All I Want For Christmas (Superfestive!)" duet with Mariah Carey is indeed superfestive-- you can't help but try to sing along and serenade the person, plant, or piece of chocolate in nearest proximity.
Songs:
DISCLAIMER! It is REALLY hard to pick favorite Christmas songs because they're all so nice to listen to. That said, I tried.
The Christmas Waltz- I feel like this is an all-encompassing classic song to reminisce of Christmases past and remember to take advantage of the season to tell people how much you love them.
Joy to the World- I love how um, joyful this song is! Hallelujah! Jesus has come to the world!
Christmas Time is Here- I could talk about how great A Charlie Brown Christmas is for a long time, and I'll probably do that later. I love it so.
Evergreen by Switchfoot- This song expresses a longing to be like an evergreen tree by living all year around and suggests that Jesus is the only way to feel "evergreen". It is definitely worth a listen or two.
I hope that my favorites of Christmas music are able to freshen up your December playlist!
Blessings, Taylor