When you think about Christmas songs, you think of huddling around the fireplace with family, singing holiday cheers, standing under the mistletoe, or any other good feeling attached to Christmas.
Secular Christmas songs began its rise in popularity in the mid-1900s. Songs like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Sleigh Ride” and countless others stayed prominent on the Top 25 most-performed “holiday” songs list. Year after year, veteran, and new artists cover or re-imagine these classics.
According to Wesley Theological Seminary professor Eileen Guenther, Christmas songs “embody the meaning of Christmas.”
Some of our favorite R&B artists have covered or sang classic Christmas songs, and although there may be too many to count, we’ve chosen some of the all-time best renditions for our list.
To celebrate the 2016 Christmas season, Singersroom has compiled a playlist of our TTop 25 Best R&B Christmas Songs, Covers, and Classics of all time.
As you bake, decorate, wrap presents or hang we loved ones, leave these classics playing in the background. You could even have some fun together singing karaoke!
Hit the images below to scroll through our list, and feel free to leave any comments or feedback.
Happy listen!
Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song
Cole’s version of “The Christmas Song” was the first holiday standard ever introduced by an African-American. It opened the door for Lou Rawls, Ray Charles and many others to record their own takes on yuletide classics.
Stevie Wonder, Andra Day – Someday At Christmas
Donny Hathaway – This Christmas
Alicia Keys – Little Drummer Girl
Temptations – Silent Night
Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You
Boyz II Men- Let It Snow
Otis Redding – Merry Christmas Baby
K-Ci & JoJo – In Love At Christmas
Jackson 5 -Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
Chris Brown – This Christmas
Ne-Yo – I Want To Come Home for Christmas
Monica – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
R. Kelly – Christmas I’ll Be Steppin’
TLC – Sleigh Ride
Sounds Of Blackness – Soul Holidays
Luther Vandross – Every Year, Every Christmas
Johnny Gill – Give Love On Christmas Day
Musiq Soulchild – O’ Christmas Tree
Brian McKnight – The Christmas Song
Babyface – White Christmas
Ledisi – Be There for Christmas / Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Day26 – This Christmas
Jackson 5 – Give Love on Christmas Day
Faith Evans – O Come All Ye Faithful
Joy To The World – Whitney Houston,”The Preacher’s Wife”