Christmas music is arguably the best part of the holidays behind family and food, of course. Those of us with good judgement and a semblance of self control wait until after Thanksgiving to break out the gold that is Christmas music and turn it off before January. Christmas music is a tradition as old as Santa himself, so it’s been done and redone and redone again. Since your timespan is short and your music pool is overwhelming to say the least, we’ve picked out the best covers of the classics to add to your holiday soundtrack while you bake, eat, and decorate. Disclaimer: These covers, while fantastic, are not to be substituted for their original versions so we went ahead and added links to those as well. Happy Holidays!
1. Baby It’s Cold Outside– Johnnyswim
The only holiday duet, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” has been taken on by many a couple. Johnnyswim is a soulful husband and wife duo who are this close to exploding on to the music scene, having recently performed in the VH1 You Oughta Know Concert alongside Ed Sheeran, Lorde, The Lumineers, and others. Their cover of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” is not only musically sensational but also adorable to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZvPnqQi-Uc
Classic: Bing Crosby and Doris Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=009kRJKf9rg
Honorable Mention: Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjYUzpdKMZs
2. O Holy Night– Celine Dion
Reigning queen of the Christmas ballads, “O Holy Night” has become a sort of rite of passage for vocalists (similar to the Star Spangled Banner.) Most of the best singers of this generation and the last have tried to conquer the haunting and challenging hymn so picking the best cover was a pleasantly difficult task. In the end, Celine came out on top because Celine always comes out on top. She’s Celine Dion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PmI1yGKvQg
Honorable Mentions:
Kelly Clarkson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e3FX2EkOkI
Faith Hill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnOReG8sgaI
Josh Groban
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zh-yR0pbmU
3. Santa Claus is Coming to Town– Jackson 5
Jackson 5’s cover of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” has the most variation from the original version than any other cover on the list. Their motown spin on the song gives it a funky, refreshing facelift, which makes the tune much more fit for the collegiette’s iTunes library than the classic carol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCEZEOYdfwo
Classic: Fred Astaire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jQy_ppY2bI
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4. White Christmas– Michael Buble ft. Shania Twain
Let’s be honest, Michael Buble’s entire Christmas album should be on this list. His “White Christmas” featuring Shania Twain is cute and catchy and has just enough uniqueness to keep the song familiar but make it interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OsgqpnuizY
Classic: Bing Crosby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJSUT8Inl14
Fun fact: Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas” is the best-selling single of all time, having sold over 50 million copies worldwide.
5. The Christmas Song– Michael Buble
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phdrgKpmINI
The man’s voice is flawless.
Classic: Nat King Cole
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOszvL9lgSs
6. Happy Christmas (War is Over)– Maroon 5
One of the more recent (and also forgotten) Christmas classics is John Lennon’s “Happy Christmas (War is Over.)” It may not quite be a classic yet but it’s too good to not include in the list.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-c7S56HvBg
Classic: John Lennon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPm3CWvDmvc
Honorable Mention: Celine Dion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHrVG06U5MA
*Celine is not an honorable mention. Her ’80’s synth-heavy version of the song is a bit dated now, but she and her cover of this song will never cease to be phenomenal.
7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas– Coldplay
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” like many Christmas songs, tends to be overdone with full orchestras and choirs, all the bells and whistles. Coldplay’s cover of the classic is refreshingly raw and understated- a simple cover of a simple song with a simple message.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r57Fp3goxOU
Classic: Frank Sinatra
*Judy Garland originated the song but Sinatra’s version was much more popular and nabbed the ‘classic’ title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ6yQgBvuoI
Honorable Mention: Ingrid Michaelson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCOpkx3mIqY
Extra: Us, started by Appalachian alumni Michael Alvarado and his wife combine several of these classics in to an awesome Christmas medley in case you’re short on time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4OMq-viqgI
Let us know if we missed any of your favorite covers!