Hark Noel! My 2011 Advent Playlist

It’s simple: no Christmas music until December. That’s my rule. So every year after Thanksgiving ends and the Advent season approaches, I’m thinking about three things: snow, eggnog, and what music will help me enjoy them.

Some songs here are old classics, others modern takes. Heard as a whole, they’re but a slice of my Advent aural feast. (I’ll be updating as I hear more and better Christmas music – let me know your favorites in the comments.)

  • “Why Can’t It Be Christmas All Year?” by Rosie Thomas, A Very Rosie Christmas
  • “Darlin’ (Christmas Is Coming)” by Over the Rhine, Snow Angels
  • “Sleigh Ride” by She & Him, A Very She & Him Christmas
  • “Only At Christmas Time” by Sufjan Stevens, Songs for Christmas
  • “Winter Song” by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson, Hotel Cafe Presents
  • “Frosty The Snowman” by The Ronettes, A Christmas Gift for You
  • “Joy to the World” by Future of Forestry, Advent Christmas EP: Vol. 2
  • “Little Drummer Boy” by Bob Dylan, Christmas In The Heart
  • “Let It Snow!” by Dean Martin, Christmas With the Rat Pack
  • “I Celebrate The Day” by Relient K, Let It Snow, Baby…Let It Reindeer
  • “Come Thou Fount” by Sufjan Stevens, Songs for Christmas: Vol. 2
  • “O Holy Night” by Sleeping At Last, Christmas Collection 2011
  • “Marshmallow World” by Darlene Love, A Christmas Gift for You
  • “Merry Christmas, Here’s To Many More” by Relient K, Let It Snow, Baby…
  • “Snowed In With You” by Over the Rhine, Snow Angels
  • “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, Bing Crosby Christmas
  • “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” by Frank Sinatra, Christmas With the Rat Pack

4 responses to “Hark Noel! My 2011 Advent Playlist”

  1. Great list here, Chad! I love the entire Relient K Christmas CD, and I totally concur with the handful of “classic” interpretations of Christmas songs you have on here.

    I’m also a huge fan of anything Barry Manilow does for holiday songs. Maybe sharing a name with his hit song makes me bias, but his mash up of classics with original songs can sometimes be fairly profound.

    I think I’ll be pulling up the Relient K Christmas album for the afternoon. 🙂

  2. I found it tough to pick just one or two songs off a lot of these albums because there are many great ones, especially from the Rat Pack and Relient K. I’m usually not a Manilow fan, but maybe I’ll check out his Christmas stuff.

  3. I’m also a fan of Jack’s Mannequin’s “The Lights and the Buzz!”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzg2iZoUFeo

  4. So…I happened to come upon your wonderful blog! And I may or may not have listened to every song.

    Thanks for the festivity while I worked today 🙂 Merry Christmas!

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