65 Modern Christmas Songs That Are Just As Good as the Classics
This list is full of recent re-recordings of your favorite old hits and new Christmas carols from artists like Ariana Grande and Sam Smith.
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Nothing gets us more into the Christmas spirit than Christmas music. Listening to songs about decking the halls and jingling bells put an extra pep in our step. Whether you're someone who listens to Christmas music the minute Halloween ends or likes to wait until Thanksgiving has passed, there's no denying that the best way to enjoy these festive tunes is by playing a mix of old-school classics with modern Christmas songs to create the perfect playlist.
Re-recordings of Michael Bublé singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Carrie Underwood belting out "The Little Drummer Boy" are just as magical as Judy Garland and Bing Crosby's versions. But modern Christmas tunes also offer completely new lyrics and sounds, like any of the original songs written by artists like John Legend, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. And whether you're trying to set up a holly jolly playlist for your annual Christmas party or simply want some background noise while you deck the halls, we promise you won't be able to resist rockin' around your Christmas tree while listening to these fun songs.
What do you get when you combine an iconic decades-spanning singer and songwriter with the folksy-pop song of a younger British performer? One heck of a Christmas song!
RELATED: Top Christmas Songs of All Time for the Greatest Holiday Playlist
Even rock bands enjoy rocking out to a classic Christmas song — although as the name of the song indicates, this clearly isn't just another stereotypical Christmas tune.
Kacey embraces less of her country roots and goes for a more old-school, retro twang that makes this song stand out among the many, many rest.
Not only do Sam Smith's beautiful lyrics remind us to embrace celebrating the Christmas season, but they also serve as a reminder that the end of the year is near and is yet another exciting prospect that encourages us to reflect on the previous twelve months.
Katy's cozy Christmas tune focuses on all the things that actually make the season warm and bright. It's a great reminder to enjoy the holidays instead of getting stressed with everything you need to do.
Cher — she really can do it all, huh? The lead single off her 2023 Christmas album, this upbeat tune became Cher's first song on the Billboard Hot 100 in 22 years. This holiday season we're sure it's bound to make a big resurgence once November finally hits.
As part of John Legend's first Christmas album, A Legendary Christmas, this 2018 original song credits singer Meghan Trainor as one of its writers. The lyrics focus on valuing time with loved ones rather than focusing on what's in the stockings and under the tree.
Written back in 2008 in the same year she dropped her first album The Fame, Lady Gaga put a more unique spin on her Christmas recording, as one can expect, with more adult-only lyrics and naughty innuendos.
Inspired by her childhood growing up on a Christmas tree farm (yes, really!), this festive track from Taylor Swift is filled with all the holiday magic you'll ever need this season.
RELATED: What Taylor Swift's Song "Christmas Tree Farm" Really Means
The two pop queens show off their vocal ranges and beg Santa to give them what they want for Christmas on this live version of "Santa, Can't You Hear Me."
This catchy single from Ariana Grande — in which she asks Santa not to have her fall in love if the guy won't be in her life the next Christmas — is perhaps one of the most popular holiday tracks released in recent years.
What better place to be than home for Christmas? You might recognize Bing Crosby's hit in this cover by Camila Cabello with a twist of mariachi.
Dolly Parton blessed us all with a new Christmas album titled A Holly Dolly Christmas back in 2020, and we especially love this folksy bluegrass track — which is also the title track from Dolly's Netflix Christmas film.
RELATED: Best Dolly Parton Christmas Songs to Add to Your Holiday Playlist
A Christmas song that combines the powerhouse vocals of Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson? Um, hit play, immediately!
Ne-Yo puts an R&B spin on several Christmas classics in his debut holiday album Another Kind of Christmas (2019). Our favorite is this rendition of "The Christmas Song." The album also includes five original holiday tracks.
If you've watched the Christmas rom-com Happiest Season, you probably remember this fun indie pop song from the movie's soundtrack from sister-duo Tegan and Sara.
RELATED: Romantic Christmas Movies That Will Warm Your Heart This Winter
Popular a capella group Pentatonix has plenty of great Christmas songs — but one of their most popular is this cover of "Hallelujah," and it's easy to understand why.
The Jo Bros released "Like It's Christmas" in 2019, making it the first holiday hit from Nick, Kevin, and Joe in more than a decade (the last one they released was "Girl of My Dreams" in 2007). The song is about being so in love that every day feels like Christmas. Aw!
Calling all fans of The Voice! If you love the power couple that is Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, you definitely need to add this holiday duet to your playlist.
Need a holiday tune to capture that lonely-during-Christmas feeling? This tender, wistful song released in 2020 by This Is Us actress and singer Mandy Moore is perfect for that.
Lilli (she/her) is an editorial intern at Good Housekeeping and a senior undergraduate student at Syracuse University majoring in magazine, news and digital journalism. When she’s not looking into the latest news and trends, she’s seeking her new favorite ice cream flavor or dream travel destination. She has previously covered news at The Daily Orange and The Evening Sun and lifestyle content at The Fit Magazine and Jerk Magazine.
Yaa Bofah is an editorial fellow at Good Housekeeping. She is a freelance illustrator and created original cover art for The Fashion Bomb Daily’s first e-book series. She enjoys supporting philanthropic endeavors and being an advocate for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
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