Before you begin wondering why there’s no Mariah Carey or Michael Bublé included on this list, you have to remember that these are my favorite Christmas songs. In no way did I mention that they had to be the overplayed mall tunes that you won’t be able to get out of your head post-Christmas-shopping. And they definitely don’t need to be these “classic” tales about snowmen dying or reindeers that need nose jobs.

 

  1.     “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber
courtesy of weheartit.com

Courtesy of weheartit.com

Though my grandmother may wonder why he “never pulls up his pants” and thinks he “has too many tattoos,” I’ve never fallen off the Bieb-waggon. In fact, I think I like him more now than I did when this song came out, and this song is pretty great. Sorry, Grandma.

 

  1.     “Mary, Did You Know?” by Pentatonix
courtesy of headlineplanet.com

Courtesy of headlineplanet.com

Try to tell me you haven’t attempted singing all five parts of this harmony simultaneously while staring at yourself in the mirror. If you seriously haven’t, you should.

 

  1.     “Last Christmas” by Taylor Swift
courtesy of tumblr.com

Courtesy of tumblr.com

Oh, Taylor, how I long for the days when you were young and innocent. Yet, you still sing about boys breaking your heart at every chance you get, somehow even with a Christmas song. Although we all have our questionable opinions about T-Swizzy now, we can still appreciate her country days when we were almost all fans of her and her music.

 

  1.     “My Only Wish (This Year)” by Britney Spears
courtesy of flickr.com

Courtesy of flickr.com

The only thing better than this 19-year-old Britney classic is the fact that the title needed clarification that this is her only wish this year. Meaning that there will be future, more impossible wishes in years to come. I would love to ask Britney if this method really worked for her; did Santa ever bring you the perfect man?

 

  1.     “You Don’t Have To Be Alone (On Christmas)” by *NSYNC
courtesy of popsugar.com

Courtesy of popsugar.com

Don’t remember this song from the Jim Carrey “Grinch” remake? Neither did I. I’m like 70 percent positive that it plays during the ending credits. But nothing says Christmas like this classic *NSYNC song that honestly only uses the word “Christmas” one time during each chorus. It could easily be a song you could play year round. Which I do. Every. Year.

 

  1.     “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande
courtesy of playbuzz.com

Courtesy of playbuzz.com

Although it took me a few tries to figure out what Ari was saying, this song is still one of the catchiest Christmas songs out there. Besides, it’s an Ariana Grande song, which means with all the riffs and high notes I can’t really sing along very well anyway. Knowing the words isn’t essential for this one.

 

  1.     “O Holy Night” by Tori Kelly
Mireya Acierto / Getty Images

Mireya Acierto / Getty Images

Before you wonder where this has been all your life, fear not, because this addition is brand new. I am a firm believer that Tori Kelly can do no wrong and is easily one of the best female vocalists of this generation. When she comes out with more Christmas songs, they may replace this addition, but until then this will serve as a placeholder. Fight me.

 

  1.     “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms
courtesy of giphy.com

Courtesy of giphy.com

The fact that I had to look up who sang this song probably doesn’t support the claim that I’d heard it before “Mean Girls.”

 

  1.     “Carol of the Bells a.k.a. Opera of the Bells” by Destiny’s Child
courtesy of giphy.com

Courtesy of giphy.com

To find this song, you really have to do some digging. Other than the fact that this version of “Carol of the Bells” is unique and totally amazing, it adds to the fun that it’s kind of like a secret. You have to be a true fan of Christmas music and Destiny’s Child to know about it.

 

  1.  “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” by *NSYNC
courtesy of hits92chicago.com

Courtesy of hits92chicago.com

Finally, my absolute favorite Christmas song. To me it is quintessential. Christmas in a nutshell. And, yes, I do have two *NSYNC songs on this list. Just consider yourself lucky that this isn’t just a tracklist of the entire Home For Christmas album. That album is magical.

 

Sorority Sally describes herself as that person you hate that plays Christmas music in July and keeps her lights up year-round.

Print