My Favorite Christmas Albums

Everyone has their personal favorites when it comes to Christmas music.  We all have certain CDs and songs that are "must hear" each and every Christmas season, and I thought I would share some of mine with you today.  Your tastes may be very different, and I hope many of you will leave comments telling me of your Christmas classics!  Not included on this list are two of my favorites (on vinyl) from years gone by that I have yet to replace on CD or I-Tunes- John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas and The Beach Boys Christmas Album.  And I always wanted to have the great Carpenter's classic Christmas Portrait featuring the all-time favorite Merry Christmas Darling, but have never gotten around to purchasing it.  So with the preamble complete, here we go...in no particular order...

1. A Christmas Album-  Amy Grant-  Amy's first (of many) Christmas project, this is the one we look for every year when we start pulling out the holiday music.  It includes such classic recordings as Tennessee Christmas, Emmanuel, Love Has Come and my personal favorite (it has its own blog post) Heirloom. 
2. City On A Hill:  It's Christmas Time-  Various Artists-  I mentioned this album and its title track on my post It's Christmas Time, but there is so much great music by so many great artists on this project.  Caedmon's Call singing Babe In the Straw; Michael Tait and Leigh Nash perform O Holy Night;  and Jars of Clay do Bethlehem Town.  A very worshipful Christmas album.

3. A Very Special Christmas-  Various Artists-  Where else can you find Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Run-D.M.C., John Mellencamp and Madonna on the same Christmas album?  No where!  Among my many favs on this one are Bryan Adam's Run Rudolph Run, the Pointer Sisters' Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and U2's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).  It's been around since 1987, and it is still be best of the series.
4. Christmas-  Michael W. Smith-  This was MWS's first Christmas effort as well.  As you can tell, I love the originals!  Another very worshipful project, the album mixes originals and classics to great effect.  It would be required listening for me every year if the only song on it was All Is Well.  Song always gives me chills.

5. Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand-  Relient K-  Great stuff from the punk/pop band that never fails to make me smile!  Their high-speed version of  12 Days of Christmas is irresistible, and Angels We Have Heard On High will rock your world!  I Celebrate the Day just might be the best Christmas song written in the last 10 years.  Plus, their note-by-note, word-for-word copy of the Beach Boy's version of Auld Lang Syne is absolutely perfect.  Celebrate the day!
6. The Lost And Found Christmas Album-  Lost And Found-  OK, so I am probably by myself on this one- it is an acquired taste.  Even Michael Bridges, the lead singer of this duo, says that this is the CD you play at a Christmas party when you are ready for the guests to go home!  Still, I love No Room, Mary, Mary and O Come All Ye Faithful.  Different, yet wonderful- Stein Auf!!!

7. Christmas Island-  Jimmy Buffett-  If you are going to survive Christmas in Florida, then you have to listen to a little Jimmy.  This 1996 collection includes a few traditional Christmas songs and some great island tunes as well.  The title track, Ho Ho Ho (And a Bottle of Rum), Mele Kalikimaka and a remake of John Lennon's Happy Christmas (War Is Over) are among my favorites. Getting the Christmas spirit in a tropical climate in not easy, but a little JB always helps ring in the season amongst the palm trees!
8.  A Very Veggie Christmas- The Veggietales! Great songs and a sense of humor too- what could be better! Plus Junior Asparagus singing While By My Sheep is simply priceless, and Pa Grape and the gang doing Go Tell It On the Mountain is a blast!
9. Christmas- Michael Buble- The newest addition to our inventory of "MUST HEAR" CDs is a sparking collection of Christmas classics done in the Buble's signature jazzy style, with lots of great orchestration and pizazz. I'm not sure that he and Harry Connick, Jr. are not the same person, but I still love this music!

 So there you are- lots of music my family loves to listen to this time of year!  Let me know your favorites, either by clicking the little comment button or by e-mailing me at youthguy07@aol.com and we will compile a master list for all to enjoy! Enjoy the many blessings of the season!

Jesus- the only hope for me is you...and You alone!