I am on a quest for some Really Good Holiday Music.
What is your favorite CD or holiday song?
Points awarded for links.
It does not get any better than Broadway Cares: Carols for a Cure
I’ve always enjoyed The Little Drummer Boy by the Harry Simeone Chorale. The vinyl is skipping so badly these days that this year I’m finally going to buy it on cd!
The four Christmas albums I would recommend (that are still in print):
-
Time-Life Records, The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas.
-
Arista, Ultimate Christmas.
-
Fantasy, A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Avoid: Any Christmas albums by American Idol contestants.
I can never select just one favorite.
A Holiday Collection - Jewel.
Boogie Woogie Christmas; Dig That Crazy Christmas - The Brian Setzer Orchestra
When My Heart Finds Christmas - Harry Connick, Jr.
Christmas Eve and Other Stories - The Trans Siberian Orchestra
December - The Moody Blues
Favorite tracks:
(Everybody’s Waitin’ for) The Man with the Bag - The Brian Setzer Orchestra
Gettin’ in the Mood (for Christmas) The Brian Setzer Orchestra
Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) - The Trans Siberian Orchestra
Rudolph the Red Nosed Raindeer - Jewel
Winter Wonderland - Harry Connick, Jr. (on the When Harry Met Sally soundtrack)
Mr. Heat Miser - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (on Everything You Want for Christmas)
'Til Santa’s Gone (Milk and Cookies) - Clint Black (on Looking for Christmas)
I’m really liking some of Lorenna McKennit’s stuff, which is more Yuletide- and Winter-solstice oriented than Christmas. Not being religious, I rather approve, and already plan to play this stuff this year instead of the traditional Christmas music when decorating.
Is there going to be an official Xmas music thread later?
Some of my favorite christmas tracks:
1.Snoopy’s christmas, The Royal Guardsmen (Snoopy fights his archnemesis, The Red Baron, on Christmas day, but shows mercy on his enemy becasue of the sounds of the church bells from nearby towns)
2.Christmas in the Drunk Tank, The Pouges (Can’t belive I’m the first one to mention this).
3.Christmas in the Trenches, John McCutcheon (Another WWI themed christmas song)
4.Christmas Story, Dave Matthews (Back when DM was good)
That’s my favorite of all time. 
Shirley, I also love both Amy Grant Christmas CDs.
My favorite Christmas CD is Songs of Angels, Christmas Hymns and Carols with Robert Shaw and the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers.
The Christmas Song, by Nat King Cole. There are no others.
There really is only one.
Johnny “Bowtie” Barstow -A Bowtie Christmas And More
All others pale in comparison.
I highly recommend every Christmas album ever recorded by Mannheim Steamroller, plus A Candian Brass Christmas (by Canadian Brass :D). I’m also still a big fan of the first A Very Special Christmas album, and A Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas. And while I can’t find this on Amazon anymore, I like Candlelight Carols by the Trinity Church Choir of Boston.
I love Christmas music. 
And on a more serious note:
I like the Sylvia Woods harp CDs.
George Winston’s December CD. Yeah, New Age and all, but it is still very nice.
Loreena McKennit, as referenced above by Anaamika.
I too adore Loreena McKennitt’s winter CD’s. Especially her version of Lully lullay.
One of my favorites is Timeless Christmas by Mark Gelison and Geoff Groberg. It has a nice mix of carols, some lovely voices, and a few Danish carols as well as the more usual international ones, which makes me happy.
Two I’m looking forward to playing a lot this year are Wolcum Yule by the Anonymous 4, all old British and Welsh carols, and A feast of songs by Barry and Beth Hall, medieval carols played on traditional instruments. I don’t know them well yet.
I have just ordered Bright day star and am excited about hearing it. Only it won’t come until January, feh.
Fooey. Now I want to listen to carols! And it’s still Thanksgiving! Maybe I’ll just sneak a few…
dangermom, Larry Lipkis is one of my professors (and I’m a composition major, so I see him a lot). I saw the Baltimore Consort for the first time last weekend (so good!) and was thoroughly amused by the revelation that he has fangirls.
That CD is on my Christmas list along with a few others of theirs. Whee.
Hey Stinky, I think you mean Faiytale of New York by The Pogues. Terrific Christmas boozer.
For a more traditional tune I’d give Jussi Bjorling’s recording of O Holy Night a listen. Normally I’m not a fan of opera, but his rendition of that song sends chills down my spine. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without it.
I’ve always been very fond of this Music Box Christmas album (which I still have only on LP). It’s not as twee as you might think–some of these music boxes have some real “bong” to them.
I’m trying to resist. I need to resist the threads about Christmas music.
Aiieee!
There is a lot of good Christmas music out there, and a lot of dreck. I like both.
I will return with much music.
What - no “Boney M Christmas Album” yet? “Mary’s boy child…Jesus Christ…was born…on ChrIIIstmas day…”
(I’m only partially kidding - I will probably buy this cd some day, and I hate Christmas music.)
I have an entire favorite CD: 20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection: The Best of Louis Armstrong. It has, among others, “Santa Baby,” “Christmas Night in Harlem,” and “'Zat You, Santa Claus?” The last one always makes me think of Oogie-Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas.