Some people love to decorate for Christmas early. I know people who simultaneously take Halloween decorations down and put Christmas decorations up. I’ve never been one of those people who go all-out early in the season.
Growing up, we decorated on Thanksgiving Day. That was a hard and fast rule, and we never deviated from it. Nowadays, I bring Christmas stuff out gradually. I have a few things up now, but I won’t have all of it up until Thanksgiving.
I also don’t do outdoor decorations — and I probably won’t unless I can find a solar-lit outdoor tree I can put on the front porch. One year when I was a teenager, my dad and I went to the trouble to put lights around all of the windows facing the road. This was before timers were readily available, so we had to remember to plug the lights in every night. Most nights, we forgot.
So, while decorating early isn’t a big deal for me, Christmas music is. Most years, I start listening to a playlist that’s half Christmas music and half regular music around the beginning of November. This year, I waited until the day after the election because I didn’t want bad election results to ruin Christmas music for me this year. (Thank God those fears were in vain.)
Christmas music has always been like “comfort music” for me. You know, the same way certain foods are “comfort foods,” Christmas music gives me a sense of nostalgia and satisfaction.
I can’t remember a ton of specific Christmas gifts as a kid, but I can remember pulling out the Carpenters Christmas album along with other holiday music LPs. I still have that album in my vinyl collection alongside the newly remastered Carpenters Christmas collection.
My mom forbade “Merry Christmas, Darling” in the house for several years after my aunt and uncle moved away to Washington. That song about being separated from loved ones made her even sadder.
John Denver recorded some wonderful Christmas music, whether on his own...
...or with the Muppets.
Amy Grant was the next artist whose music dominated my Christmas listening. Her first Christmas album in 1983 coincided with my long-time crush on her:
Nine years later, she recorded a more grown-up Christmas album:
Grant has released several more Christmas albums, but none of them hold a candle to those first two unadulterated classics.
Related: Carols From King's: A Welcome Respite From the Obnoxious Christmas Music We Hear Everywhere Else
Naturally, the "Charlie Brown Christmas" soundtrack by the Vince Guaraldi Trio is my go-to for classy jazz Christmas music.
I’m a fan of roughly the first 15 years of Over the Rhine’s music, and that includes their first two Christmas albums. “The Darkest Night of the Year” came out when I was in college, and it’s stark and delicate.
“Snow Angels” followed about a decade later, and it was far more eclectic.
Over the Rhine lost me when they got political, and that included their depressing third Christmas album, but I still have great memories of their music that I love.
Related: Top 10 Worst Modern Christmas Songs
More recent Christmas music that I love includes Maverick City Music’s two Christmas albums in which they blend Christmas songs with worship music:
This one isn’t Christmas at all, but it appears on one of the Christmas albums, so it counts for me:
My friend Melanie Penn recorded a lovely set of songs from the point of view of various players in the Christmas story.
Liz Vice recorded a gloriously retro soulful Christmas EP a couple of years ago, too.
A few years ago, I stumbled upon some medieval Christmas music by New York Polyphony. This is different from anything else you’ll hear throughout the season.
Of course, I enjoy traditional Christmas music by artists like Nat “King” Cole, Jo Stafford, Johnny Cash, and Harry Connick, Jr.
Roberta Flack did one of my favorite twists on a traditional carol for a compilation album in the early ‘90s.
If you want to go with something far less traditional yet respectful, Weezer’s Christmas album is surprisingly good.
My Christmas listening wouldn’t be complete without some of the music loops from the Disney Parks:
This is a decent representation of my typical Christmas music tastes. What’s your Christmas “comfort music”? Let me know in the comments.
