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1. \u201cGetting Ready for Christmas Day,\u201d Paul Simon (2011)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n As the title implies, this Paul Simon tune is the obvious place to start the party. The one-off Christmas song on his 2011 album \u201cSo Beautiful or So What\u201d blends punchy, political themes with a folksy melody. <\/span><\/p>\n Get Starting Point<\/span><\/p>\n A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 2. \u201cA Great Big Sled,\u201d the Killers and Toni Halliday (2006)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Not long after the Killers broke into the mainstream conversation with their now-classic album \u201cHot Fuss,\u201d the Las Vegas group teamed up with Curve vocalist Toni Halliday to deliver the perfect rock song about the nostalgia of Christmastime. \u201cI want to roll around like a kid in the snow,\u201d the Killers\u2019 frontman Brandon Flowers sings. <\/span><\/p>\n 3. \u201cChristmas Caller,\u201d Beach Bunny (2021)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n If the movies \u201cLove Actually\u201d and \u201cThe Holiday\u201d have taught us anything, it\u2019s that yearning is a central part of Christmastime. All the Chicago alt-rock band\u2019s lead singer Lili Trifilio wants for Christmas is for a past flame to give her a call.<\/span><\/p>\n 4. \u201cLights On,\u201d Tyler, the Creator feat. Ryan Beatty and Santigold (2018)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Tyler, the Creator cooked up a few tunes for the 2018 animated iteration of \u201cThe Grinch,\u201d and apparently had some holiday cheer to spare. The genre-jumping artist partners with Santigold and Ryan Beatty <\/b>for this catchy song about coming home for Christmas.<\/span><\/p>\n 5. \u201cSanta Stole My Lady,\u201d Fitz and the Tantrums (2010)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Santa is one sly gentleman in this song from the neo-soul-turned-pop band, best known for songs like \u201cOut of My League\u201d and \u201cHandClap.\u201d \u201cSanta Stole My Lady\u201d is like the inverse of \u201cI Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,\u201d told from the father\u2019s perspective. <\/span><\/p>\n 6. \u201cVegetarian Christmas,\u201d FEET (2019)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n This alt-rock band\u2019s Christmas song about swapping the Christmas ham for sprouts, gravy, and alternative meats is just as quirky as it is festive. Maybe grandma will get on board with a tofurkey for this year\u2019s Christmas dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n 7. \u201cDecember Back 2 June,\u201d Alicia Keys (2022)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Keys\u2019s vocals are always top-tier, and this song from her holiday album \u201cSanta Baby\u201d is no exception. Much like the Christmas classic \u201cI\u2019ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,\u201d Keys savors the toasty comfort of a relationship with her silky R&B. <\/span><\/p>\n 8. \u201cLonely Christmas,\u201d Now, Now (2019)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n File this tune under <\/b>\u201cmissing your ex-mas.\u201d The Minnesota indie rock duo\u2019s synth-laden holiday single pulls from the ambient pop sound of their critically acclaimed 2018 album, \u201cSaved.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 9. \u201cWrap Me Up,\u201d Jhen\u00e9 Aiko (2012)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Longtime fans of seven-time Grammy nominee Jhen\u00e9 Aiko first heard \u201cWrap Me Up\u201d in 2012, when the R&B singer shared it to her Soundcloud as a duet with James Fauntleroy. She\u2019s since re-released it as a solo tune, but the results are no less enchanting with Aiko at center stage.<\/span><\/p>\n 10. \u201cAin\u2019t Christmas,\u201d Alexander 23 and Laufey (2022)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Berklee grad Laufey and Alexander 23 \u2014 a singer and producer for acts such as Olivia Rodrigo and Rene\u00e9 Rapp \u2014 spin a sparse, heartstring-tugging holiday duet. \u201cPlease turn off Mariah, I\u2019m not in the mood,\u201d Alexander 23 laments. We\u2019ve all been there.<\/span><\/p>\n 11. \u201cAlways in the Season,\u201d Pomplamoose (2010)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Pomplamoose have <\/b>a vast repertoire of Christmas songs and covers, including their \u201cWinter Wishes,\u201d and \u201cChristmas in Space\u201d albums. A fine blend of pop and jazz influences, however, sets \u201cAlways in the Season\u201d apart from the rest.<\/span><\/p>\n 12. \u201cWhite Winter Hymnal,\u201d Fleet Foxes (2008) <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Folk and jingly melodies come together on this tune from Fleet Foxes\u2019 debut album \u2014 which isn\u2019t a holiday record, although you wouldn\u2019t know it from the sound of \u201cWhite Winter Hymnal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 13. \u201cThis Christmas I\u2019m Coming Home,\u201d Leon Bridges and Norah Jones (2025)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Not to be confused with Bridges\u2019s 2015 song \u201cComing Home,\u201d he and Jones trade verses and harmonize in this soulful ballad, which arrived in November. It\u2019s a perfect duet to start wrapping up the night.<\/span><\/p>\n 14. \u201cWe\u2019re the Lucky Ones,\u201d the Mar\u00edas (2020)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n This nostalgic song about getting through the year arrives wrapped in angelic vocals from Mar\u00eda Zardoya, the Mar\u00edas\u2019 lead singer. It\u2019s dreamy tunes like \u201cWe\u2019re the Lucky Ones\u201d that earned the LA band a nod for best new artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards.<\/span><\/p>\n 15. \u201cMerry Christmas, Please Don\u2019t Call,\u201d Bleachers (2024)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Bleachers\u2019 usual bounce, courtesy of lead singer and Grammy-winning producer Jack Antonoff, is absent in this standalone single. Antonoff\u2019s offering is a slight detour away from the holiday cheer, instead detailing an ill-fated relationship at Christmastime. <\/span><\/p>\n Isabella Bernstein can be reached at isabella.bernstein@globe.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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