Without those pleasant tunes that have you sashaying around that gorgeous blue spruce and dining table, your Christmas party and feasting would be incomplete. Music is wonderful for any occasion, but it is especially amazing at Christmas.
And that’s why I have selected these 3 albums for you. If you’re alone or with friends and family, listening to these Christmas song albums is one of the many ways to celebrate the season.
The Gift: A Christmas Compilation — 116
Whether you waited till after Thanksgiving to listen to Christmas music or have been enjoying the beautiful tunes of the season since the first day of December, you should listen to this album.
“The Gift: A Christmas Compilation” is the first-ever Christmas album by 116 Clique — a Hip-Hop/Rap group based in Atlanta, GA. Their name is derived from Romans 1:16 in the Bible and they are managed by Reach Records, a Christian hip-hop record label. “O’ Come,” “Joy,” “Silent Night,” and “Noel” are among the album’s well-known Christmas songs. It does, however, include the popular title “This Christmas.” Each track proudly maintains their own diverse mixes of pop, r&b, and hip-hop while presenting popular Christmas songs.
The record isn’t all bliss in a time when darkness of all kinds—political and religious strife, racism, misogyny, and broken marriages—seems to be an ever-growing and pervasive force lurking around every corner of our planet. It acknowledges the current and historical hardships that we all encounter on a yearly basis. “The Gift” is a timely and fresh reminder of the cause for the season’s celebrations, conveying a hope that will last long after the Christmas trees have been put down and the Christmas lights have gone out.
The album contains 12 tracks:
- O’ Come (feat. Tedashii, CASS & nobigdyl.)
- This Christmas (feat. Jon Keith, Jaylon Ashaun & Evan, and Eris)
- Joy (feat. Trip Lee, Lecrae & Abe Parker)
- What a Time
- Silent Night
- All is Bright (feat. Wande, 1K Phew & Derek Minor)
- Noel (feat. Trip Lee & Dave James)
Angels - We Three Kings (feat. Paul Russell, Lecrae & Abe Parker)
- Thanking You (feat. Hollyn & GAWVI)
- Nothin But You (feat. Hulvey, Andy Mineo, Montell Fish & Becca VanDerbeck)
- Real Love (feat. Itstaylormade, Wande & Byron Juane)
I Don’t Want Christmas To End — Zach Williams
“I Don’t Want Christmas To End“, Zach Williams’ first full-length Christmas album, was just released on Provident Label Group/Sony Music a couple of months ago. Williams went all out with his southern rock skills with songs like “Merry Christmas Baby” and “Run Run Rudolph,” as well as his self-penned title track and favorites “Christmas Time Is Here” and “This Christmas.”
No one really wants Christmas to end, and the two-time GRAMMY winner understood he needed the appropriate tone and atmosphere to commemorate the season each year. I personally enjoyed listening to this album, it’s a jolly-party-turned-jam-session that lives up to its name.
Zach Williams has crafted a holiday record that rocks around the Christmas tree while remaining loyal to his artistry with I Don’t Want Christmas To End. This classic-inspired album is certainly a new Christmas favorite, for now, and for years to come. Its equal parts fun and nostalgic, with a splash of spiritual hope.
I Don’t Want Christmas To End contains 10 tracks:
- Christmas Time Is Here
- Merry Christmas Baby
- Mary Did You Know
- White Christmas
- Go Tell It On The Mountain
- The Spirit Of Christmas
- Silent Night
- This Christmas
- Run, Run, Rudolph
- I Don’t Want Christmas To End
A Drummer Boy Christmas — for KING & COUNTRY
In 2020, for KING & COUNTRY — a Christian pop duo composed of Australian brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone — released a project titled “A Drummer Boy Christmas”. Following the success of the Into The Silent Night EP and Christmas: Live from Phoenix, which was a live Christmas project, the album is the first full-length Christmas project from the four-time GRAMMY award-winning brothers.
The album’s origins may be traced back eight years when for KING & COUNTRY embarked on their first Christmas tour despite having yet to release a Christmas album. While they’ve released other famous Christmas singles since then, including originals “Baby Boy” and “Glorious,” it’s their stirring interpretation of “Little Drummer Boy” that has garnered the most attention.
“The miracle of Christmas captivated us long ago and has been laced into the DNA of the band,” shares Joel Smallbone. “We felt it was the imperfectly perfect time for us to do our small part in telling the story of the redemption that Christmas offers to all of us.”
The sweeping “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Angels We Have Heard on High” are standouts, with collaboration highlights with Needtobreathe (the tragic take on “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”) and Gabby Barrett (“Go Tell It on the Mountain”). A Drummer Boy Christmas strikes the perfect combination of the hopeful and the melancholy, allowing for tranquil meditation in the midst of a frantic season.
The album contains 13 tracks:
- In The Bleak Midwinter (Prologue)
- Joy To The World
- O Come O Come Emmanuel (feat. NEEDTOBREATHE)
- Won’t You Come
- Heavenly Hosts
- Silent Night
- A Christmas Monologue
- Little Drummer Boy
- The Carol of Joseph (I Believe In You)
- O Come All Ye Faithful
- Go Tell It On The Mountain (feat. Gabby Barrett)
- Angels We Have Heard On High
- In The Bleak Midwinter (Epilogue)
Because it’s the holiday season, it’s entirely acceptable to blast the best Christmas tunes at a deafening decibel if that’s your thing. I hope these albums, as well as the other songs you’ll be listening to, brighten your Christmas season.
Merry Christmas.
