I’ve been carefully building a Christmas playlist for over two decades, adding one track a year. There are now twenty-two songs on the list.

  1. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Darlene Love
  2. “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley
  3. “The Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues
  4. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland
  5. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee
  6. “A Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burl Ives
  7. “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
  8. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” By Dean Martin
  9. “Christmas Time is Here (Instrumental)” by Vince Guaraldi Trio
  10. “The Christmas Song” by Nat “King” Cole
  11. “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson
  12. “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by John Lennon
  13. “Step into Christmas” by Elton John
  14. “I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday” by Wizzard
  15. “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses
  16. “Here Comes Santa Claus” by Elvis Presley
  17. “What Christmas Means to Me” by Stevie Wonder
  18. “All I Want For Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey
  19. “What a Wonderful World” by Joey Ramone
  20. “Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy” by David Bowie & Bing Crosby
  21. “Father Christmas” by The Kinks
  22. “Merry Xmas Everybody” by Slade

I typed up this year’s post a week ago with another song on the list, but then Elton John played his last US show and I realized that “Step into Christmas” needed to be the pick. I’m not quite sure what saves this song from being—I don’t know—a bit too top 40?—like it totally is, but I dig it.

Listen on Apple Music