100 Greatest Traditional Christmas Songs

Page identification image showing Bing Crosby and Burl Ives with text title "Greatest Traditional Christmas Songs"
Criteria: Chosen for ongoing popularity, impact, importance, and strong association with the holiday. "Traditional" is defined as encompassing all pre-rock styles of popular music; Christmas songs include both religious and secular songs as well as songs about winter which are associated with the festive season.

Note: In some cases, more than one year is provided because of notable re-recordings of the song by the same artist.

Last Updated: 2022-12-08
Greatest Traditional Christmas Songs
  1. White Christmas (1942, 1947) - Bing Crosby
  2. The Christmas Song (1946, 1953, 1961) - Nat King Cole
  3. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1949, 1957) - Gene Autry
  4. Sleigh Ride (1950, 1959) - Leroy Anderson
  5. A Holly Jolly Christmas (1964) - Burl Ives
  6. The Little Drummer Boy (1958, 1965) - Harry Simeone Chorale
  7. Do You Hear What I Hear (1963) - Bing Crosby
  8. There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays (1954) - Perry Como
  9. Frosty The Snowman (1950) - Gene Autry
10. Mistletoe and Holly (1957) - Frank Sinatra
11. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (1963) - Andy Williams
12. Santa Baby (1953) - Eartha Kitt
13. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) (1958) - Chipmunks
14. Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane) (1948) - Gene Autry
15. Mary's Boy Child (1956) - Harry Belafonte
16. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (1944) - Judy Garland
17. Jolly Old St. Nicholas / The Little Drummer Boy (1962) - Ray Conniff
18. Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season (1963) - Andy Williams
19. Silent Night (1928, 1935, 1942, 1947) - Bing Crosby
20. We Need A Little Christmas (1966) - Percy Faith
21. It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas (1986) - Johnny Mathis
22. Jingle Bells (1946) - Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters
23. It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas (1951) - Bing Crosby
24. Adeste Fidelis (O Come All Ye Faithful) (1960) - Nat King Cole
25. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1947) - Frank Sinatra
26. The Star Carol (1958) - Tennessee Ernie Ford
27. Blue Christmas (1949) - Ernest Tubb
28. Sleigh Ride (1958) - Johnny Mathis
29. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (1945) - Vaughn Monroe
30. A Marshmallow World (1966) - Dean Martin
31. Christmas Time Is Here (1965) - Vince Guaraldi Trio
32. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (1952) - Jimmy Boyd
33. Happy Holiday (1956) - Jackie Gleason
34. Christmas Time's A-Comin' (1951) - Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys
35. I'll Be Home For Christmas (1957) - Frank Sinatra
36. Silent Night, Holy Night (1941, 1962) - Mahalia Jackson
37. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing (1960) - Nat King Cole
38. We Wish You A Merry Christmas (1951) - Weavers
39. The Twelve Days of Christmas (1962) - Ray Conniff
40. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1960) - Peggy Lee
41. Mele Kalikimaka (1950) - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
42. All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth) (1948) - Spike Jones and his City Slickers
43. Winter Wonderland (1958) - Johnny Mathis
44. Baby It's Cold Outside (1959) - Dean Martin
45. I Love The Winter Weather/I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (1968) - Tony Bennett
46. Caroling, Caroling (1960) - Nat King Cole
47. (Everybody's Waiting For) The Man With The Bag (1950) - Kay Starr
48. Zat You, Santa Claus? (1953) - Louis Armstrong
49. White Christmas (1954) - Rosemary Clooney
50. Must Be Santa (1961) - Mitch Miller & The Gang
51. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (1957) - Frank Sinatra
52. Dominick the Donkey (The Italian Christmas Donkey) (1960) - Lou Monte
53. Sleigh Ride (1960) - Ella Fitzgerald
54. We Wish You The Merriest (1964) - Frank Sinatra & Bing Crosby
55. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1959) - Dean Martin
56. Jingle Bells (1955) - Singing Dogs
57. Up On The Housetop (1953) - Gene Autry
58. Winter Wonderland (1968) - Tony Bennett
59. Nuttin' For Christmas (1955) - Barry Gordon with Art Mooney and his Orchestra
60. Christmas Island (1946) - Andrews Sisters
61. O Tannenbaum (1965) - Vince Guaraldi Trio
62. Joy to the World (1960) - Nat King Cole
63. Donde Esta Santa Claus (Where Is Santa Claus) (1958) - Augie Rios
64. Toyland (1964) - Doris Day
65. Sleep In Heavenly Peace (Silent Night) (1967) - Barbra Streisand
66. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (1967) - Ella Fitzgerald
67. It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (1986) - Johnny Mathis
68. 'Twas The Night Before Christmas (1942, 1950) - Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians
69. It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas (1951) - Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters
70. I Want A Hippopatamus For Christmas (1953) - Gayla Peevey
71. Silver Bells (1950) - Bing Crosby & Carol Richards
72. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) - Burl Ives
73. The Night Before Christmas Song (1952) - Gene Autry & Rosemary Clooney
74. Jingle Bells (1957) - Frank Sinatra
75. There's No Christmas Like A Home Christmas (1950, 1968) - Perry Como
76. Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy (1965) - Buck Owens
77. Deck The Halls (1960) - Nat King Cole
78. Sleigh Ride (1949, 1959) - Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops
79. The Twelve Gifts of Christmas (1963) - Allan Sherman
80. Frosty The Snowman (1950, 1969) - Jimmy Durante
81. Baby It's Cold Outside (1949) - Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer
82. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1959) - Ray Conniff
83. Christmas Carols by the Old Corral (1945) - Tex Ritter
84. Christmas In New Orleans (1955) - Louis Armstrong
85. Joy to the World (1954, 1959) - Percy Faith
86. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1960) - Ella Fitzgerald
87. Christmas Waltz (1954) - Frank Sinatra
88. Go Tell It On The Mountain (1950) - Mahalia Jackson
89. Christmas In Killarney (1951) - Bing Crosby
90. Will Santy Come To Shanty Town (1953) - Eddy Arnold
91. Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow (1959) - Dean Martin
92. When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993) - Harry Connick, Jr.
93. Silver Bells (1966) - Earl Grant
94. O Holy Night (1968) - Mahalia Jackson
95. Here We Come A-Caroling (1965) - Ray Conniff
96. Christmas Is (1966) - Percy Faith
97. Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells (1963) - Andy Williams
98. Happy Holiday (1942) - Bing Crosby
99. An Old Christmas Card (1963) - Jim Reeves
100. Snowfall (1968) - Tony Bennett

Image of singer Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby
Image of singer Nat King Cole
Nat "King" Cole
Image of singer Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Image of singer Doris Day
Doris Day
Image of singer Perry Como
Perry Como
Image of singer Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis





DigitalDreamDoor Traditional Christmas Songs playlist on Spotify









More Music Lists