The top selling Christmas album is A Charlie Brown Christmas.
I finally found a copy of the record! It’s a 45 (I’ve previously seen 78 rpm copies, but I can’t play those) on a yellow-with-red-print Columbia label–a design I’ve never seen before–with little pictures of a dancing hippo surrounded by holly leaves. Yay!
Yep,
That’s the only version of the song I’ve ever heard.
A Christmas Together with John Denver and the Muppets is very good if you’re a muppets fan. You can get it for $6.
Robert Earl Keen’s “Merry Christmas From The Family” single is hysterical.
How about Another Rock and Roll Christmas by Gary Glitter? Er, perhaps not under the circumstances.
Oh, yes! Gather all the children 'round to listen…
YAY! 
Exactly the version I’ve been looking for!
I first heard it 20 years ago when I was living in England, and I have a crappy recording of it from off a Top of the Pops-like special, but last year I decided to search in earnest for a good recording (I love this song!). I found this CD on Amazon, which is also an import and doesn’t list any artist names, so I thought I’d found it … unfortunately, it wasn’t until the album arrived that I read the words on the bottom of the cover: “Christmas classics regrooved by the best of British rock.” No Wizzard, just a bunch of covers by has-been rock stars. 
Thank you so much for mentioning (and linking to) The Best Christmas Album in the World … Ever!
I refuse to let any current unpleasantness interfere with yet another song that I’ve been enjoying for the past 20 years. 
If you get Christmas Eve and Other Stories you must read the liner notes as the CD plays. The entire CD is one long story, and the liner notes explain the story as the music fills the air.
There is a version of CEAOS that has narration on it. it came as a bonus CD with another TSO Christmas album. That version is my personal favorite. However looking at Amazon I don’t see it listed.
Forgot one:
Frosty the Snowman - Michael Keaton and the Jack Frost Band (on the Jack Frost soundtrack)
I like the original Band-Aid … Do They Know It’s Christmas.
Yes, I am aware that the lyrics stink because (1) much of Africa is Muslim; and (2) it doesn’t usually snow in Africa in December. However, I am an 80’s pop junkie.
I also like Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby and David Bowie.
Another vote for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
It’s like Xmas meets a kid’s choir meets 80s hair metal. Fantastic.
We have tix to see them live next month.
If you’re a fan of rock guitarists, Merry Axemas and Merry Axemas, Vol. 2 are pretty cool.
My new favorite is a Big Band arrangement of “The Nutcracker Suite” by Les Brown.
And since you can never go wrong with the Velvet Fog, there’s Mel Torme’s Christmas CD.
When I find the commercialization of holiday gets to be too much, I listen to Stan Freberg’s Green Chri$tma$.
Well, speaking as one who just bought the DVD of "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve", (thank you Borders at 18th and L in DC - it’s temporarily unavailable in Canada) I have to say that it’s great. I’m not normally one for seasonal music, but the DVD now ranks with the “West Wing” episode “In Excelis Deo” as something that can cause me to cry.
Whoa. I thought I was the only Baltimore Consort fan in the world.
Tell him I’ve been listening since I was 13. (Yeah, I was odd.)
My suggestions:
Atheist though I am, it’s just not Christmas if I can’t blast Handel’s Messiah at decibel levels normally associated with jet takeoffs.
My personal Christmas standby is the Boston Camerata’s album A Renaissance Christmas.
Nobody’s mentioned the Arrogant Worms’ Christmas album yet? It’s uneven, but “Santa’s Gonna Kick Your Ass” is a holiday classic in my circle.
The Chieftains have (I think) a couple of Christmas albums, but I really like The Bells of Dublin, not least because it has Elvis Costello singing a macabre little tune called “The St. Stephen’s Day Murders”.
Folk goddess Dar Williams has a cheerful number called “The Christians and the Pagans” about love and tolerance at Christmas/Solstice. It’s on her album Mortal City.
Speaking of folk, ye folkies should totally get Signature Sounds’ holiday album Wonderland. It has a brooding take on Joni Mitchell’s “River”, a Christmas song by the great Dave Carter, and my personal favorite version of “At The Christmas Ball”.
The Bobs once had a song called “Yule-Man vs. the Anti-Claus”, which, most unfortunately, was not as good as its title.
I’m fond of non-Christmas wintry songs. How about Gordon Lightfoot’s “Song for a Winter’s Night”? I like the Sarah McLachlan version, which I have on the Due South soundtrack. It may be available elsewhere; I don’t know.
But wait! Can we combine secular winter-y songs with early music? Of course! Shira Kammen has a beautiful a capella song called “Green Grows the Holly”.
There’s also a medieval song called “Miri it is whil sumer ilast” that is genuinely depressing; but, since it’s in Middle English, no one will ever know. The one I have is on an album called Thys Yool.
Now, if only I can find a good version of “O Come Emmanuel” (English OR Latin! I’m desperate!), I can be happy.