Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols, may employ lyrics about the nativity of Jesus Christ, about holiday traditions such as gift-giving and merrymaking, about cultural figures such as Santa Claus, or other topics. Many songs simply have a winter or seasonal theme, or have been adopted into the canon for other reasons.
Barenaked for the Holidays is a holiday-themed studio album released by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies on October 5, 2004. The album includes Christmas and Hanukkah songs as well as "Auld Lang Syne", which is traditionally sung on New Year's Eve. There are also several songs that are simply about the winter season. The album was the first album recorded at Steven Page's studio, Fresh Baked Woods and was the first released independently by Barenaked Ladies' Desperation Records label. It was the band's first studio album for which a "naked track" was not recorded. This album achieved Gold status in Canada.
These Are Special Times is the seventeenth studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, and her first English-language Christmas album. It was first released in Europe on 30 October 1998, by Columbia Records. In the United States, it was released on 3 November 1998 through Epic Records. The album features cover versions of popular Christmas songs and original material, including "I'm Your Angel", a duet with R. Kelly. Dion worked with David Foster and Ric Wake, who produced most of the album. Other producers include Bryan Adams, R. Kelly and Humberto Gatica. These Are Special Times was released after two of Dion's most successful albums, Falling into You (1996) and Let's Talk About Love (1997).
Rosie Thomas is an American singer-songwriter and comedian, originally from Michigan.
If Songs Could Be Held is the third album by American singer/songwriter Rosie Thomas, released in 2005.
Ann Hampton Callaway is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and actress. She wrote and sang the theme song for the TV series The Nanny.
Acoustic Hearts of Winter is a Christmas album and the second studio album by American pop duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on September 26, 2006 in the United States, via Hollywood Records. The album was conceived as a project after completing the deluxe edition of their debut album, Into the Rush (2005). All production of the album was done by Antonina Armato and Tim James. The majority of songs are cover versions of religious Christmas carols or contemporary classics. Two originals appear on the set, which were written by Aly & AJ with Armato and James. Musically, the album has an instrument-driven acoustic feel, primarily by guitar. It utilizes pop music influences on Christmas music. The album sold 110,000 copies in the United States.
"My Only Wish (This Year)" is a teen pop Christmas song by American singer Britney Spears. It was written and produced by Brian Kierulf and Josh Schwartz. It was released originally in the Christmas compilation album Platinum Christmas. In the song, Spears asks Santa Claus to find her a lover during the holidays.
Straight No Chaser (SNC) is a professional American a cappella group that originated in 1996 at Indiana University. Originally a student group at Indiana University, they recorded a video in 1998 of a comical version of "The 12 Days of Christmas". The founding members all graduated, to be replaced by other students, in 1999. In 2007, the 1998 video went viral on YouTube, and subsequently led to a reunion of the founding members and a five-album record deal with Atlantic Records in 2008. The YouTube video has been viewed over 24 million times.
"Wonderful Christmastime" is a Christmas song by English musician Paul McCartney. Recorded during the sessions for his solo album McCartney II (1980), it was released in November 1979 following Wings' final album Back to the Egg earlier that year. It was McCartney's first solo single in over eight years since "Eat at Home" in 1971. "Wonderful Christmastime" has charted within the top 10 in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom as well as the top 20 in Canada, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland. Despite being regarded as one of McCartney's weaker compositions by some music critics, it is a popular song during Christmas and has been covered throughout the years by numerous artists.
"Christmas Tree" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on December 16, 2008, for digital download. It was written and produced by Gaga, Martin Kierszenbaum, and Space Cowboy, who also provides guest vocals. Musically, "Christmas Tree" is a Christmas song with dance-pop and synthpop influences. It samples the classic Christmas song "Deck the Halls", as well as briefly using the lyrics "Rum pum pum pum" from the Christmas song "The Little Drummer Boy" in its intro. Lyrically, the song uses sexual innuendos.
Gift Wrapped - 20 Songs That Keep on Giving! or Gift Wrapped is a Christmas compilation album which was released in the United States on 1 December 2009 to iTunes and 8 December 2009 on Amazon.com. The album contains covers, live tracks and an original songs from artists under the Warner Bros. Records Inc label and its subsidiaries. The cover of Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You by My Chemical Romance appears on the 2004 album Kevin & Bean's Christmastime in the 909.
Christmas Time, Christmas time or Christmastime may refer to:
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent and recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby, who scored a top ten hit with the song. Originally written to honor soldiers overseas who longed to be home at Christmas time, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has since gone on to become a Christmas standard.
"Christmas Time Is Here" is a popular Christmas standard written by Vince Guaraldi and Lee Mendelson for the 1965 television special A Charlie Brown Christmas, one of the first animated Christmas specials produced for network television in the United States.
Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection is the eleventh studio album and second full-length Christmas album from Jewel, released on September 24, 2013, through Reflections Records.
"4 Carats" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson, from her sixth studio album, Wrapped in Red (2013). Written by Clarkson, Cathy Dennis, Livvi Franc, with Greg Kurstin, who helmed the song's production. A Christmas pop song, "4 Carats" was originally written for Clarkson's seventh studio album that would have followed-up Wrapped in Red. Lyrically, the song explores the themes of holiday gift giving and materialism, with the singer asking Santa Claus for a four carat gemstone ring for Christmas day. Clarkson took inspirations from the songs "Santa Baby" (1953) and "Material Girl" (1984), sung by Eartha Kitt and Madonna, respectively, and described it as a crossover between the two.
"It Was a... " is a song by American television host, actor, and comedian Jimmy Fallon, featuring American singer Ariana Grande and American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on December 7, 2021, via Republic Records. The song was written by Fallon, Gregory Hein, Ido Zmishlany, Myles William, and Rami Yacoub, and produced by Zmishlany and William. It is Fallon's first Christmas single in nearly four years since his 2017 cover of "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney, and also his first official single since "Ew!" with will.i.am (2014).
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Original Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the Marvel Studios television special The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, featuring the superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy based on Marvel Comics. It was released by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on November 23, 2022. The album featured the original score composed by John Murphy, while also includes songs from the Old 97's who also play the fictional alien band in the special.
