These are the top 100 Christmas songs according to Dave’s Music Database. 40 lists focused on Christmas songs were aggregated together and then the highest-ranking songs were reordered based on their overall status in Dave’s Music Database, which compiles multiple lists as well as chart performances, sales figures, and awards for songs.
Songs are listed first by songwriters and then the song in quotation marks. The year the song was published is listed in parentheses after the song title. If a specific performer is associated with the song, then that performer and the year of its release are listed in parentheses.
Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.
1. “White Christmas” (written by Irving Berlin, performed by Bing Crosby, 1942)
2. “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (written by Johnny Marks, performed by Gene Autry, 1949)
3. “Silent Night” (words: Joseph Mohr, music: Franz Gruber, English translation: John Freeman Young; performed by Bing Crosby, 1935)
4. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (written by Mel Tormé & Robert Wells, performed by Nat “King” Cole, 1946)
5. “Winter Wonderland” (music: Felix Bernard, words: Richard B. Smith, performed by Guy Lombardo, 1934)
6. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (music: Jule Styne, words: Sammy Cahn, performed by Vaughn Monroe, 1945)
7. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (written by Bob Geldof & Midge Ure, performed by Band Aid, 1984)
8. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (written by J. Fred Coots & Haven Gillespie, performed by Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters, 1952)
9. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (written by Mariah Carey & Walter Afanasieff, performed by Carey, 1994)
10. “The Little Drummer Boy” (written by Harry Simeone, Katherine K. Davis, & Henry V. Onorati; performed by the Harry Simeone Chorale; 1958)
11. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (written by Tommie Connor, performed by Jimmy Boyd, 1952)
12. “Jingle Bells” (written by James S. Pierpont, 1857)
13. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (written by Frank Loesser, performed by Johnny Mercer with Margaret Whiting, 1949)
14. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (written by Walter Kent, Kim Gannon & Buck Ram; performed by Bing Crosby; 1943)
15. “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” (written by Ross Badasarian, performed by David Seville & the Chipmunks, 1958)
16. “O Holy Night (Minuit, Chrétiens)” (written by Adolphe Adams & John Sullivan Dwight, 1847)
17. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (music: Ralph Blane, words: Hugh Martin, performed by Judy Garland, 1944)
18. “Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)” (written and performed by John Lennon & Yoko Ono, 1971)
19. “Last Christmas” (written by George Michael, performed by Wham!, 1984)
20. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (music: Felix Mendelssohn, words: Charles Wesley, 1855)
21. “O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)” (songwriters unknown, 1744)
22. “Joy to the World” (music: George Frideric Handel, words: Isaac Watts, arranged by Lowell Mason, 1719)
23. “Away in a Manger” (music: James Ramsey Murray, words: Charles H. Gabriel, 1887)
24. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (written by Johnny Marks, performed by Brenda Lee, 1958)
25. “Blue Christmas” (written by Billy Hayes & Jay W. Johnson, performed by Elvis Presley, 1957)
26. “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” (words: Rev. Edmund Hamilton Sears, music: Richard Storrs Willis, 1850)
27. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (music: Lewis Redner, words: Phillips Brooks, 1868)
28. “Frosty the Snowman” (written by Steve Nelson & Walter E. Rollins, performed by Gene Autry, 1950)
29. “The First Noel” (written by Davies Gilbert, 1823)
30. “We Three Kings of Orient Are” (written by John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1857)
31. “Jingle Bell Rock” (written by Joe Beal & Jim Boothe, performed by Bobby Helms, 1957)
32. “Fairytale of New York” (written by Jem Finer & Shane MacGowan, performed by the Pogues with Kirsty MacColl, 1987)
33. “Sleigh Ride” (written by Leroy Anderson & Mitchell Parish, performed by Anderson, 1949)
34. “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” (written by Donald Yetter Gardner, performed by Spike Jones, 1948)
35. “Wonderful Christmas Time” (written and performed by Paul McCartney, 1979)
36. “Merry Xmas Everybody” (written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, performed by Slade, 1973)
37. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich & Phil Spector; performed by Darlene Love; 1963)
38. “Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy” (written by Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman, Alan Kohan, Harry Simeone, Katherine K. Davis, & Henry V. Onorati ; performed by Bing Crosby & David Bowie, 1977)
39. “Santa Baby” (written by Joan Javits, Philip Springer, & Tony Springer; performed by Eartha Kitt; 1953)
40. “Run Rudolph Run” (written by Johnny Marks & Marvin Brodie, performed by Chuck Berry, 1958)
41. “Silver Bells” (written by Jay Livingston & Ray Evans, performed by Bing Crosby, 1952)
42. “Mary’s Boy Child” (written by Jester Hairston, performed by Harry Belafonte, 1956)
43. “Here Comes Santa Claus” (written by Gene Autry & Oakley Haldeman, performed by Autry, 1947)
44. “Please Come Home for Christmas” (written by Charles Brown & Gene Redd, performed by the Eagles, 1978)
45. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (words: John Mason Neale, music: traditional, 1851)
46. “Good King Wencelas” (written by John Mason Neale, 1860)
47. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (written by Edward Pola & George Wyle, 1963)
48. “Feliz Navidad” (written and performed by José Feliciano, 1970)
49. “Christmas Wrapping” (written by Chris Butler, performed by the Waitresses, 1981)
50. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (traditional, 1760)
51. “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays” (written by Robert Allen, performed by Perry Como, 1954)
52. “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (written by Johnny Marks, performed by Burl Ives, 1964)
53. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (written by Meredith Wilson, performed by Perry Como, 1945)
54. “Little Saint Nick” (written by Brian Wilson & Mike Love, performed by the Beach Boys, 1963)
55. “What Child Is This?” (words: William Chatterton Dix, music: “Greensleeves,” 1865)
56. “2000 Miles” (written by Chrissie Hynde, performed by the Pretenders, 1983)
57. “Pretty Paper” (written by Willie Nelson, performed by Roy Orbison, 1963)
58. “Step into Christmas” (written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin, performed by John, 1973)
59. “Father Christmas” (written by Ray Davies, performed by the Kinks, 1977)
60. “Christmas in Hollis” (written by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, & Jason Mizell; performed by Run-D.M.C., 1987)
61. “Christmas Time Is Here” (music: Vince Guaraldi, words: Lee Mendelson, performed by Guaraldi, 1965)
62. “Mistletoe” (written by Nasri Atweh, Adam Messinger, & Justin Bieber; performed by Bieber; 2011)
63. “Merry Christmas Baby” (written by Lou Baxter & Johnny Moore, performed by Chuck Berry, 1958)
64. “I Believe in Father X-Mas” (written by Greg Lake & Peter Sinfield, performed by Lake, 1975)
65. “I Saw Three Ships” (unknown, 1833)
66. “Carol of the Bells” (written by Peter J. Wilhousky & M. Leontovich, 1919)
67. “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” (written by Randy Brooks, performed by Elmo & Patsy, 1979)
68. “River” (written and performed by Joni Mitchell, 1971)
69. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” (written by Harry Simeone, performed by Bing Crosby, 1963)
70. “Thank God It’s Christmas” (written by Brian May & Roger Taylor, performed by Queen, 1984)
71. “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” (written by John Rox, performed by Gayla Reevey, 1953)
72. “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” (written by Roy Wood, performed by Wizzard, 1973)
73. “Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)” (written by Joey Ramone, performed by the Ramones, 1989)
74. “Christmas Is the Time to Say 'I Love You'” (written and performed by Billy Squier, 1981)
75. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” (words: Theodor Geisel, music: Albert Hague, performed by Thurl Ravenscroft, 1966)
76. “Santa Tell Me” (written by Ariana Grande, Savan Kotecha, & Ilya; performed by Grande; 2013)
77. “In Dulci Jubilo” (writer unknown, 1328)
78. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (words: Frederic Austin, music: traditional, 1780)
79. “Deck the Halls” (words: Thomas Oliphant, music: “Nos Galan,” 1862)
80. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” (written by John Wesley Work Jr., 1865)
81. “This Christmas” (written by Donny Hathaway as Donny Pitts with Nadine Theresa McKinnor, performed by Hathaway, 1970)
82. “Christmas All Over Again” (written by Tom Petty, performed by Petty with the Heartbreakers, 1992)
83. “O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum)” (words: Ernst Anschütz, music: “Ach Tannenbaum,” 1824)
84. “Christmas Island” (written by Lyle Moraine, performed by the Andrews Sisters, 1946)
85. “Underneath the Tree” (written by Kelly Clarkson & Greg Kurstin, performed by Clarkson, 2013)
86. “Angels We Have Heard on High” (paraphrased by James Chadwick, arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes, music: “Gloria,” 1862)
87. “We Need a Little Christmas” (written by Jerry Herman, performed by Percy Faith, 1966)
88. “Merry Christmas Darling” (written by Frank Pooler & Richard Carpenter, performed by the Carpenters, 1970)
89. “Coventry Carol” (writer unknown, 1534)
90. “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)” (performed by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 1996)
91. “Hard Candy Christmas” (written by Carol Hall, performed by Dolly Parton, 1982)
92. “Someday at Christmas” (written by Ron Miller & Bryan Wells, performed by Stevie Wonder, 1967)
93. “Nuttin’ for Christmas” (written by Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett, performed by Barry Gordon, 1955)
94. “What Christmas Means to Me” (performed by Stevie Wonder, 1967)
95. “Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian Christmas Song)” (written by Robert Alex Anderson, performed by Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters, 1949)
96. “Christmas Song” (written by Dave Matthews, performed by Dave Matthews Band, 1993)
97. “Don’t Wait Till the Night Before Christmas” (written by Lewis & Baer, performed by Eddy Duchin, 1938)
98. “Up on the Housetop” (written by Benjamin Hanby, 1864)
99. “Christmas Time Is Here Again” (written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, & Richard Starkey; performed by the Beatles; 1967)
100. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (arranged by Arthur Warrell, performed by Marian Anderson, 1968)
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First posted 12/25/2011; last updated 7/6/2021. |
