25 Songs for Your Holiday Playlist
Besides Halloween, the holiday season is my favorite time of the year. I love the classic traditions of exchanging gifts, drinking hot chocolate, decorating the tree, watching holiday movies, eating a traditional Mexican dinner spread and spending time with my family. I’m even a sucker for those cheesy decals on cars like the reindeer antlers and Rudolph’s red nose. This year is particularly special because, for the first time in years, my family and I have planned a whole host of activities to do together including gingerbread house making, cookie baking and attending an outdoor showing of Elf.
There’s this misconception that Christmas in Los Angeles doesn’t feel any different compared to other months because of the weather but I’d argue that that couldn’t be more untrue. Not only is it way colder than it is the rest of the year but there’s also an undeniable sense of holiday cheer in the air everywhere you go. In fact, one of my favorite traditions is to go to the Grove, where they blast Christmas jazz music 24/7 during the holiday season and make me feel like I’m in a movie. Especially this year, something different is in the air this year and I couldn’t be more excited to take time off work, rest, reflect on the year and remain hopeful for all the good that’s to come.
But easily the best part of the holidays – whether it’s in the background of a party or a day when we’re just hanging out at the house wrapping gifts and cooking our Christmas meal – is the music. I start playing my playlist the day after Halloween because I’m excited for the end of the year to come and honestly, I just love the way it makes me feel – hopeful, ready to rest, warm and bubbly. It makes me feel good. Especially when it’s blasting out of a speaker, just hearing those first few notes of a holiday classic like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” makes me excited for all the coziness, warmth and beauty that’s to come.
Music makes it easy to romanticize the holidays and during this time, I especially find myself drawn to a wide mix of songs in terms of style. In my mind, there are three tiers one must achieve in a holiday playlist: one, classics from the 90s and prior that everyone knows and can sing along to; two, modern covers of these classics by contemporary artists that can liven up a young audience; and three, completely original songs that add something fresh and to the legacy of the holiday music genre overall.
Songs in the first tier are essential staples, especially in great Christmas movies, and the oldies are often so popular that they’re now considered jazz standards. This would include any holiday song by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Andy Williams, Brenda Lee and slightly more contemporary, Wham! And Mariah Carey. In the second tier are Phoebe Bridges’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and pretty much the entire Christmas album by Michael Bublé. Finally, my personal favorite, are songs in the third tier from artists like Kacey Musgraves, girl in red, Justin Bieber (whose album Under the Mistletoe is a staple of my Christmas listening every year), Ariana Grande, and, of course, “‘tis the damn season” queen herself, Taylor Swift.
But to be honest, it doesn’t matter the tier that any song comes from. All of the following holiday tracks make December feel special to me and I couldn’t be more thrilled to blast them unapologetically throughout the month.
This playlist is for those who love the holiday season as much as I do and can’t wait for this beloved time of year to begin. No matter what kind of holiday music you like, I hope these songs will get added to your playlist this year and help you round out 2023 in style.