Scan through the current holiday album charts and you might have a hard time believing that we are indeed in 2023.
That’s because so many of the top sellers — to this very day — remain Christmas records that came out years, if not decades ago.
We’re talking about such multiplatinum efforts as Michael Buble’s “Christmas” (released in 2011), NSYNC’s “Home for Christmas” (1998), Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas” (1994), the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965) and Nat King Cole’s “Christmas Song” (1960) — all of which ranked among the top 10 sellers when Billboard’s holiday album charts returned this season.
We totally get it. Those are some of our favorites, too. (OK, maybe not the NSYNC one.)
Yet, as much as we enjoy listening to Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time Is Here” and Johnny Mathis’ “Sleigh Ride” each December, we also dig hearing new Christmas releases as well.
And there is never a shortage of new ones to choose from, as artists from all kinds of different genres — from classic rock to, of course, smooth jazz — rush to put their own spins on the Christmas songbook.
Here is a look at some of the top seasonal offerings for 2023, all of which might deserve a spot (at least temporarily) on your Christmas play list next to Bing Crosby and other longtime holiday music greats.
1. “Christmas,” Cher
How is it even possible that Cher is just now releasing her first seasonal collection? This seems like something that should have happened — most likely with help of Sonny Bono — back in the ‘60s.
Still, Cher’s “Christmas” proves worth the wait, as the legendary vocalist delivers a diversely appealing 13-song set. It kicks off with the throbbing dance track “DJ Play a Christmas Song” — which should be lighting up clubs for seasons to come — and then continues through rockers like “Run Rudolph Run” and such heartfelt offerings as “Please Come Home for Christmas.”
The album features a Christmas party’s worth of all-star guests, including Stevie Wonder, Darlene Love, Michael Bublé and Cyndi Lauper.
2. “Every Christmas,” Michael W. Smith
Michael W. Smith has delivered so much great holiday season music over the decades, beginning with the gold-certified classic “Christmas” in 1989 and continuing through such favorites as 1998’s “Christmastime” and 2014’s “The Spirit of Christmas.”
He’s got another winner on his hands with “Every Christmas,” which collects the six tunes from his 2022 EP “Christmas at Home” and adds another half-dozen numbers.
Smith’s voice is in top form, wonderfully accompanied by some great musical arrangements and orchestration on this nostalgic collection.
And you might want to grab a hankie before listening to “Freeze the Frame,” which is the kind of rare holiday tearjerker that can stop you right in your tracks this time of the year.
3. “It’s Christmas,” Tower of Power
East Bay funk masters Tower of Power light up the holidays with this seven-song EP, filled with a half-dozen Christmas classics as well as the original “It’s Christmas (A Long Way from Home).”
Yet, don’t try to listen to it on any of your favorite streaming sites, since this one is a CD exclusive. Fans can order “It’s Christmas” on the band’s website or, even better, pick up a copy in person during one of Tower of Power’s Holidays and Hits tour, which stops at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Dec. 15 and the Heritage Theatre in Campbell on Dec. 16). Visit towerofpower.com for details.
4. “Last Christmas,” Alanis Morissette
Back when she was telling off her ex in dramatic fashion in the defiant anthem “You Oughta Know,” Alanis Morissette probably seemed like the last person on the planet who would someday deliver a charming Christmas offering.
Yet, that’s exactly what the “Jagged Little Pill” star has done with “Last Christmas,” a four-song EP that consists of versions of Wham’s “Last Christmas,” John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over),” William Chatterton Dix’s “What Child Is This?” and Katherine Kennicott Davis’ “Little Drummer Boy.”
It’s a diverse batch of material — and Morissette sounds good throughout. Yet, the true standout track is the softly mesmerizing version of “What Child Is This?”
5. “A Joyful Holiday,” Samara Joy
Samara Joy, the stunningly talented jazz singer who was named best new artist at the 2023 Grammy Awards, absolutely melts listeners as she warmly croons through this six-track EP.
This is top-tier jazz, sacrificing none of the style and artistry that has made Joy the toast of the genre while still managing to call out to listeners of other styles of music. The result is an album that should be required on the playlists at every cool coffee house this season.
It’s all great, but “O Holy Night” — performed with the McLendon Family — is the one that will truly keep calling us back.
6. “Merry Christmas from Jon Pardi,” Jon Pardi
The California cowboy, who grew up in the Solano County city of Dixon before heading off to start his country music career in — where else? — Nashville, has released his first Christmas album.
The 12-track offering is Pardi’s fifth full-length, following such success stories as 2016’s “California Sunrise” (which hit No. 1 on the country charts).
The album kicks off with “Beer for Santa,” which might just be the worst Christmas song you’ll hear this decade. Yet, the collection redeems itself in latter innings, especially once you reach Pardi’s warm and capable take on Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
7. “Echo the Angels,” Elevation Worship
The Grammy Award-winning group is back with its first-ever holiday album. And it’s a definite winner, filled with moving versions of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and other cool Christmas songs.
The 10-song collection proves to be a terrific showcase for the multiplatinum-selling worship music collective’s talented vocalists, including Tiffany Hudson, Jonsal and Jenna Barrientes, Chris Brown, Mitch Wong and Isaiah Templeton.
One of the album’s many highlights is its remarkably tender closer, “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee,” featuring Templeton on lead vocals.
8. “Christmas with Brandy,” Brandy
It’s a big holiday season for Brandy, who not only has released her first Christmas album but is also starring in the Netflix comedy “Best. Christmas. Ever!”
We’ll let the film folks tell you about the movie, but we can confirm that spending “Christmas with Brandy” should be a worthwhile experience for fans of smooth R&B/pop.
It’s a nice enough collection of holiday tunes, ranging from a somewhat forgettable lead single — a so-so slow jam called “Christmas Party for Two,” which was co-written by Brandy — to enjoyable covers of “Jingle Bells,” “Deck the Halls” and other favorites.
9. “The Greatest Christmas Hits,” Pentatonix
Do we even need to mention that Pentatonix has a new holiday offering on shelves this year? Of course, they do — we are, after all, talking about Pentatonix, the a cappella troupe that shows up for the Christmas season about as regularly as Santa himself.
And people keep right on wanting more.
As amazing as it sounds, “The Greatest Christmas Hits” is the group’s 10th Top 10-charting outing on the holiday album charts, according to Billboard.
The two-disc set is built from 23 previously released cuts and eight new ones. Of the 31 in the bundle, we’re most likely to push play on Pentatonix’s take on “How Great Thou Art,” with Jennifer Hudson.
10. “A Philly Special Christmas Special,” various artists
We just can’t say no to a Christmas compilation featuring Patti LaBelle, The War on Drugs, Amos Lee, Dr. Dog, The Hooters, Waxahatchee, members of the Philadelphia Eagles and even one Kansas City Chief (yes, we were talking about the one that the Taylor Swift fan in your family is following very closely).
The collection is a follow-up to last year’s “A Philly Special Christmas,” which raised over $1.25 million for charity. Organizers are hoping to top that total this time around. Having Travis Kelce — aka, Swift’s love interest — certainly should help. The KC Chief joins brother Jason Kelce (who plays for the Eagles) on re-imagining the Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” as “Fairytale of Philadelphia.”
11. “Decker the Halls,” Jessie James Decker
Jessie James Decker possesses one of the finest voices in country music today, which she showcases in such grand style on this six-track EP. The music ranges from the cutesy “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” to a Springsteen-worthy version of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. Yet, our top pick on the album is the gorgeous take on “Away In a Manger.”
We also love the title and think that the singer (who broke onto the scene as Jessie James) may well have married former NFL star Eric Decker just so she could someday use “Decker the Halls” as the title of her Christmas album. OK, maybe not. But it’s a funny story and she’s free to use it, if she’d like, when she does interviews for the album.
12. “Christmas Time is Here,” Johnny Mathis
We might be breaking some type of law if we didn’t put Johnny Mathis on this list. So, we’ll gladly include the latest seasonal offering — and the seventh overall — from the Bay Area’s own titan of Christmas tunes.
The 10-track album takes its name from the Vince Guaraldi favorite — which was used in the animated 1965 TV special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” — and also includes such classics as “White Christmas” and “When a Child Is Born.”
And all it takes is one listen to “O Little Town of Bethlehem” to firmly realize that Mathis remains nothing short of a musical treasure.
