Best Modern Original Christmas Songs

This one from Basia slipped under the radar, only appearing on a Japanese best-of compilation. Quite traditional, quite fresh:

 

Jane Siberry released this through a various-artists compilation in '95, but it was a part of a Christmas cycle she did in '97, called Child.

 

My wife and I had this same conversation in depth last Christmas-time... we both agreed the most recent addition to the list of "timeless" Christmas songs is Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You." Regardless of the fact I don't like this song. You can't deny its cultural relevance.

Also you add "original," which eliminates the TransSiberian Orchestra's "Carol of the Bells," which has become as synonymous with Christmas as any other Christmas song/arrangement I can think of.

So with the obvious gone I'll throw this fun one out there

 

This one actually gets quite some airplay here in Iceland.

 

The Blenders, Minneapolis-by-way-of-Fargo's best-kept secret. At first blush,
a boy-band with the squeaky-clean vibe of a summer theme-park pickup group,
family-safe and grandparents-approved, but! Some of the best-produced boy-pop
I've ever heard, with some seriously-lush a cappella chops. "When It Snows" is my
favorite:


They've also been the first band since Fred Waring's to come up with a perfectly-
grooving and clever arrangement to "The Night Before Christmas":
Twas the night

And a nice discofied dance number you wouldn't feel guilty-pleasured dancing
with the kids to, called "All Wrapped Up" - just plain fun:
All Wrapped Up

 

Actually, it was released in 1990.

 

I think there are a lot more really good modern Christmas songs than people realize. I posted this in another recent thread, but it's worthy of another mention.

"A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" by Glasvegas (2008):

 

This should become a modern Christmas classic -- Kelly Clarkson's "Underneath the Tree" (2013):

 

"Christmas Eve" by Blackmore's Night (2004):

 

From the more religious side of the holiday, here's BarlowGirl's "Hallelujah (Light Has Come)" from 2008:



The bridge gets me every single time.

 

Because Christmas isn't always merry and bright, here's "The Heartache Can Wait" by Brandi Carlile (2007):

 

In the UK we actually have another, more recent one:



One of my favourite Christmas songs, too. It's helped along in its importance by getting itself high into the charts, being played relentlessly along with the all-time classics every year, and being a song that younger people grew up hearing alongside Slade, Wizzard and Mariah Carey as "just another Christmas song you hear every year". It's definitely one of them here now.

 

This is my favourite Christmas song of this decade - crept into the UK chart too:

 

Don't knock it 'til you tried it... From the 1999 charity album A Rosie Christmas, this is Rosie O'Donnell and Celine Dion trading verses on "The Magic of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)" -- a song written by, of all people, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister:




Here's a live version from the A Rosie Christmas television special the same year:

Celine Dion & Rosie O'Donnell - "The Magic Of Christmas Day" (1999)

Celine first recorded it for her 1998 Christmas album These Are Special Times, but I love the Spectorian production of the '99 version (it uses the same backing track as the original and adds even more to it).

 

This sounds like the Andrews Sisters took a wrong turn and ended up at the Grand Ole Opry.... Point of Grace, "Candy Cane Lane" (2010):

 

"The uploader has not made this video available in your country" (I'm in the USA). This works for me:

Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)

 

Josh Groban has an incredible voice, but he sometimes sounds as if he's singing with all the excitement of the man reciting "number nine, number nine" in "Revolution 9."

But this is an exception to me -- "Believe" from The Polar Express (2004):

 

Part of the melody sounds like the theme from I Dream of Jeannie played sideways, but so what... this is a lot of fun.

Sia, "Santa's Coming for Us" (2017):

 

Pentatonix, "That's Christmas to Me" (2014):

 

I think this made the top 40 in the Hot 100 the year this came out. It sounds like two songs grafted together, but it works... "Christmas Lights" by Coldplay (2010):

 

Tim Minchin White Wine in the Sun

 

"Stay a Little Longer, Santa" by Shemekia Copeland (2003):

 

From 1996, Jorma p!sses off both Santa and his wife for Christmas.

Jorma Kaukonen — Christmas Rule

 

I first heard this on Cities 97's "24 Hours of Christmas," a radio show that the legendary Minneapolis-St. Paul radio station used to air from 6 pm December 24 to 6 pm December 25. It was the most eclectic assortment of Christmas music ever on terrestrial, commercial radio. If I could program a holiday music radio station, it would sound a lot like that.

Here's the original studio version of "I Can't Wait for Christmas" by Mindi Abair (2003):

 

A terrific modern country Christmas song, here's "Let It Be Christmas" by Alan Jackson (2002):