The Ultimate Christmas Playlist – Classic Songs to Modern Favourites

An instant hit for Sia and co-writer Greg Kurstin in 2017, this comes from her eighth studio album (and first Christmas album) 'Everyday Is Christmas'.

A huge favourite amongst musicians in particular, this unusually funky Christmas track was released in 2015 by the band who brought us 'Dean Town' and 'Back Pocket'.

This husband and wife duo met and fell in love whilst filming 'The Voice', and the world fell in the love with them! It's no wonder their Christmas duet is now a firm favourite.

The American pop princess released this R&B influenced Christmas track in 2014, which features lyrics about her new love interest and her usual flawless vocals.

A mid-tempo, sad song about how it doesn't feel like Christmas after a break-up, this is a classic keys-led Coldplay number with a great performance from Chris Martin.

After winning 'The X Factor' in 2006, Leona released this festive number in 2013 and it's now a British Christmas staple, and certified platinum!

Released in 2013 to critical acclaim, this song by 'American Idol' winner is now a recurring hit every Christmas all over the world.

A brand new offering last year in 2019 from The Jonas Brothers (of Disney Channel fame) that climbed to number one on The US Adult Contemporary Chart.

Bieber's Christmas offering from 2011 is a stripped down and catchy track loved by his fans year after year, and a huge hit all over the world.

A staple of every Christmas playlist, we couldn't be without this one. Originally released in 1994, it finally got to number one on the Billboard Top 100 in 2019, 25 years later!

Runner up in the Christmas number one race in 2003, this fun and rocky track features the choir from Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College school.

A Christmas karaoke classic, this 1988 hit absolutely can't be missed. Moody and emotive, Kirsty MacColl's performance is iconic.

Recorded on 24 November 1984 by a super group of British and Irish pop stars, this was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the famine in Ethiopia.

This is a 12 bar blues track similar to Berry's hit 'Johnny B. Goode', and has been covered extensively, sometimes titled 'Run Run Rudolph'.

Queen's Christmas hit was released in 1984, written by Brian May and Roger Taylor, and spent six weeks in the charts that year, peaking at number 21.

Slade and Noddy Holder's Christmas offering, this hit sold over a million copies when it was first released and was their sixth and final number one.

British glam rock band Wizzard released this Christmas staple in 1973, which features the choir of Stockland Green School, credited as 'Miss Snob and Class 3C'.

Released in 1985, this was the Welsh singer-songwriter's fourth and final number one. It shot back up the charts in 2007 when downloads were first counted!

Lennon's seventh solo single outside The Beatles reached number four in 1971 when it was released, and peaked at number two in 1980 after the artist's death.

One of the all-time greats, this song has been recorded over 200 times since it was written in 1934, notably by The Jackson 5, Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey.

Written on a hot July day, songwriting duo Mel Torme and Bob Wells chanelled the images of Christmas time to keep them cool, and ended up with an iconic Christmas hit.

This track originally featured much more melancholy lyrics, but Judy Garland changed them to the words we know today while filming 'Meet Me In St. Louis'.

Written by Meredith Willson and originally recorded by Perry Como, it first charted in 2011 with Michael Bublé's version, which is widely know and loved.

Written in 1945, this has been covered extensively by artists including Patsy Cline, The Carpenters, and Rod Stewart - who reached number one!

An eight line classic Christmas song with a movie to match, this old favourite deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Song in 1942.

Christmas jazz at its finest. Penned by Leroy Anderson during a heatwave in 1946, this song has been covered by The Spice Girls, Natalie Cole and Vera Lynn.

One of the very first novelty Christmas songs about a good who's been good hoping for expensive gifts, there are cover versions by Kylie Minogue and Taylor Swift.

A Christmas staple that doesn't actually refer to Christmas at all, this is a jolly tune about enjoying spending a snowy winter day with your beau.

Written by songwriter who brought us 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer', Johnny Marks, in 1964, the original by Burl Ives first charted in 2011.

This song was passed over for the single of his first Christmas album, got the number one anyway, and appeared on all eight of William's Christmas albums.

Mind-blowingly, Brenda Lee was just 13 years old when she recorded this song in 1958. It first charted two years later after she'd racked up a few hits.

Featured prominently in the film 'Mean Girls' (2004), this song flew up to number six in the pop charts, despite only being released two days before Christmas.

Written by Bernie Taupin and Elton John, it was meant as a thank you to their fans after a very successful year for Taupin and John in 1973.

An extensively covered song, with much loved versions by John Legend, Train, Cee Lo Green, Darlene Love, Hanson and En Vogue.

Although all four members of The Beatles released solo Christmas songs, only this one and Lennon's 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' have endured.

A play on Kurtis Blow's 1979 'Christmas Rappin'' which was the first rap song released on a major label, The Waitresses used a spoken style in tribute.

This was released as a single of Phil Spector's Christmas album on the day US President John F. Kennedy was shot, and the album had to be withdrawn.

Written by Steve Edward Nelson and Walter 'Jack' Rollins, this was a follow up to 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' which was a number one the previous year.

Originally recorded by 13 year old Jimmy Boyd, it was banned that year (1953) on radio stations for its suggestive nature. A married woman kissing Santa, well I never.

This classic carol is believed to have been translated into over 300 languages around the world, and there are over 26,000 versions on Spotify!

Featured in 'Love Actually' and 'Ally McBeal', this is a melancholy Christmas staple, recently covered by Ellie Goulding and Sam Smith.

Believed to depict a pair of separated lovers, the song is actually about the band's first guitarist James Honeyman-Scott who died the previous year.

Recorded in 1943, this song was popular with US GIs and their families waiting for them to come home from serving abroad in WWII and raised morale significantly.

Following its release in 1986, this track has been in the UK top 75 every year since 2007. It was written on a drive from London to Middlesbrough!

The band's first attempt at Christmas music, it was released in 1970, but hit number 25 in the charts with '(They Long To Be) Close To You' in 1990.

English glam rock band Mud's second number one single was performed in the style of Elvis Presley's later, slower songs, though he never recorded it!

Elvis performed 'Blue Christmas' on his 1968 TV special, which helped to revitalize his career, and features the only footage of him singing a Christmas song.

Not originally intended to be a Christmas single, it was written by band member Tony Mortimer about his brother sadly taking his own life.

Behind Band Aid, this is the biggest selling Christmas song in the UK, and was originally released as a charity single for the famine in Ethiopia.

One of two country pop originals on Swift's six track Christmas EP, which was released in partnership with Target to critical acclaim, though many wished it were longer!