Top 20 Best Modern Christmas Songs

Nostalgia is a key ingredient in most Christmas hits and no one knows that better than Taylor Swift. In her 2020 track “Tis’ the Damn Season,” Swift spins a festive fable fit for a holiday romcom. But for that real Christmassy feeling, you can’t beat “Christmas Tree Farm.” The singer mined her own childhood home movies for the music video, which features a tiny Taylor opening presents and playing in the snow. The orchestral beginning makes way for jingle bells and a bouncy, feel-good chorus. The lyrics reminisce on childhood Christmases at Swift’s family farm. Throw in a touch of romance under the mistletoe and what’s not to like?

The 2000s might not be everyone’s go-to decade when it comes to iconic Christmas songs, but you can’t go wrong with a bit of Britney. This slice of noughties nostalgia is festive, uptempo and pure pop. It first appeared on a holiday compilation album called “Platinum Christmas” which also featured songs by Whitney Houston and NSYNC. “My Only Wish” appears to take some inspiration from Mariah Carey’s most famous Christmas hit, but Spears still manages to make this song her own. In recent years, it’s been hailed as a holiday classic - and that chorus is definitely an earworm.

Elton John’s best known Christmas song has to be 1973’s “Step Into Christmas.” However, he hit the holiday charts once again in 2021, this time with the help of Ed Sheeran. Although the production is typically cozy and feel-good, there are nods within the lyrics to the pain and the loss of the Covid years, when the song was written. The song was also a charity single, with all of the UK proceeds going to support good causes. With Elton John’s trademark piano riffs, Sheeran’s star power, and a catchy chorus, we think we’ll be listening to this one for years to come.

Sia broke the mold with her 2017 single “Snowman” which manages to be both a modern Christmas staple and also totally original. There are no jingle bells, trumpets or children’s choir. Instead, this midtempo ballad relies on piano and vocals to set the scene. The track caused a storm on Tiktok and was the breakout single from Sia’s festive album “Everyday is Christmas.” It’s a song about a crying snowman, or taken less literally, a cleverly crafted love story. “Snowman” has a touch of melancholy about it, but so do some of our favorite seasonal songs.

When you listen to the lyrics, Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” is another bittersweet tale of broken hearts. But it’s much easier to dance to. The production is a little bit pop, a little bit r&b and a lot of fun. The chorus is bound to get stuck in your head and at this point it just feels like Christmas. It’s not the singer’s first seasonal song, but it’s her favorite, and ours too. Not every holiday hit has the staying power to make it into our yearly playlists - but Grande seems to have cracked the code.

Ray Charles is a legend, but this mellow eighties ballad is criminally underrated for a Christmas song. “The Spirit of Christmas” is the title track of Charles’s first holiday album, which also features covers of “The Little Drummer Boy” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” It was recorded late in the artist’s career, when Charles was 55 years old. The song calls back to the cozy fireside standards of the forties and fifties, but adds a touch of rhythm and blues. The track was also featured in the seminal Christmas movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

Nothing says the nineties like an R&B girl group remixing a Christmas classic. Just watch the music video for TLC’s “Sleigh Ride” if you don’t believe us. Technically, it’s a cover song. But, with a new melody, new lyrics and some added festive rapping, it bears very little resemblance to the original. It might not be the “Sleigh Ride” you know best, but this feel-good gem deserves its spot in the Christmas music canon. It featured in the soundtrack for “Home Alone 2” and - more importantly - paved the way for Destiny’s Child’s 2021 track “8 Days of Christmas.”

“Mistletoe and Wine” is a heartwarming Christmas classic that feels like a throwback to an earlier era. British singer Cliff Richard bagged a UK Christmas number one with the song back in 1988, charting higher than other holidays songs by Kylie Minogue, Petula Clark, and even U2. The melody and chorus are reminiscent of a traditional carol. Richard also asked to adapt the lyrics, building on the religious theme. The song was originally written for a musical version of “The Little Matchgirl” and sung by 60s supermodel Twiggy in a TV movie. However, it’s Cliff with his carollers and marching band that people remember most fondly.

As we moved into the 2010s it seemed like the golden age of the Christmas song was behind us. But not everyone was ready to throw in the towel. In 2013 Leona Lewis came back fighting with a peppy, Motown-inspired hit, destined to become a new festive staple. The hummable chorus is built on a Christmas countdown, and as hooks go, it’s a good one. “One More Sleep” feels both modern and timeless and Lewis’s dreamy vocals give it that extra sparkle. It’s a song that’s sure to give you that Christmassy feeling as soon as you hear that intro.

It’s been over ten years since a baby-faced Justin Bieber released this holiday hit, and it’s starting to feel like a modern classic. Okay, so it’s corny, but aren’t Christmas songs supposed to be? From the opening jingle bells to the catchy chorus, it’s chock full of references to the holiday season. Some might call “Mistletoe” an unashamed bit of marketing, designed to cash in on the artist’s teen heartthrob appeal. But it turned out pretty good. The song itself is a chilled and likable listen and Bieber has the charm and the voice to carry it off.

If you grew up watching Jim Carrey’s Grinch every holiday season, you’re sure to remember this emotional power ballad. Originally titled “Christmas Why Can’t I Find You?,” the song was performed by a young Taylor Momsen in the movie. It was renamed “Where Are You Christmas?” and released as a single by Faith Hill. The additional lyrics for the pop version were written by the queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey. The track sets Hill’s powerful vocals to a tinkling piano refrain, while the lyrics spin a melancholy tale of lost Christmas spirit. It’s surprisingly moving, as long as you ignore the music video.

In 2003 Michael Bublé released his first festive record “Let it Snow.” However, it wasn’t until the winter of 2011 that the Canadian crooner established himself as the king of Christmas. Bublé’s record breaking “Christmas” album was chock full of festive favorites and duets with the stars. Co-written by Bublé and his longtime collaborator, Alan Chang, “Cold December Night” stands out from the covers on the album. The song is a real blend of old and new. Bublé’s trademark singing style is complimented by the twinkly and festive production. Meanwhile the lyrics are reminiscent of many modern day Christmas songs.

Of all the Christmas songs from this century, we’d argue that “Underneath the Tree” has made the biggest impression. ASCAP even named it the biggest Chritasm song released since 2000. It feels like it’s been around forever, despite being released in 2013. This modern classic was the breakout hit from Clarkson’s first Christmas album, “Wrapped in Red.” She co-wrote the song with producer Greg Kurstin and provided all her own backing vocals. Joyous, upbeat and easy to dance to, it’s now a firm favorite with radio DJ’s come the festive season. And of course, no Christmas party is complete without it. The lyrics have a familiar theme, but who cares when the song is so catchy?

It’s hard to find a Christmas song that can be described as unique, but this one is definitely different. It’s feel-good without relying on the usual Christmas tropes, festive but not overly saccharine. Does anyone actually know the words? Probably not, unless you work in retail. But it doesn’t matter, as long as you know the bit that goes “Merry Christmas.” If you do know the words, you’ll have noticed it’s a love story. But mostly it’s about Christmas fatigue. The holiday season can be exhausting at times and even those of us who love Christmas can relate. With some memorable riffs and a great hook, The Waitresses served up a Christmas classic.

“Bah Humbug” was too strong a sentiment for The Waitresses, but for The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl it doesn’t go far enough. “Fairytale of New York” is the one seasonal song that the Christmas cynics can belt out along with the rest of us. Written in the style of an Irish folk ballad, it’s about two people who hate the sight of each other and have given up on ever feeling happy again. It’s dark and chaotic and irreverent - but it still feels like Christmas. From the opening piano chords to the raucous chorus, it’s hard not to get swept up in the spirit of it all.

British singer, Chris Rea, started writing this likable ditty while stuck in Christmas traffic. As his wife drove them home from London in the heavy snow, Rea jotted down lyrics whenever light shone into the car. It’s a happy little song, with a hopeful, lilting melody and a simple, relatable story. The track kicks off with a memorable intro and is arranged in a 1950s style that makes it feel like a real holiday standard. It might not be the first Christmas song that comes to mind. However, “Driving Home for Christmas” is the perfect easy-listening track for the busy holiday period.

Back in the 1980s, Shakin’ Stevens was one of the UK’s most successful musicians. Nowadays, he’s best known for this enduring Christmas hit. The song feels like a successor to Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime.” With its catchy chorus and celebration of the simple pleasures of the season, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. It’s true that the Christmas classics of the seventies and eighties do tend to blend together. But what this song lacks in originality, it makes up for in charm. Jingle bells, feel-good lyrics and old school rock’n’roll are a killer Christmas combination. And this one’s bound to get the whole family up dancing.

Bob Geldof and his then wife, Paula, were the driving force behind this record-breaking charity single. In an effort to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia, the lead singer of The Boomtown Rats put together a star-studded super group. Band Aid stormed to Christmas number one in the UK and within a year their record had raised eight million pounds. The song has been re-released three times to date, featuring different celebrities each time. Sometimes known as “Feed the World,” it’s a banger of a Christmas hit, designed to be belted out at the top of your lungs. In hindsight, some of the lyrics seem a bit tone deaf - but it’s the thought that counts.

George Michael, one half of British pop duo, Wham!, was one of the celebs featured in the original Band Aid. The same year, Wham! released a future Christmas classic of their own, which just narrowly missed out on that number one spot in the UK. They also donated all of their royalties to famine relief. Almost forty years on, “Last Christmas” remains a holiday favorite and has even inspired its own Christmas movie. The song was written in Michael’s childhood bedroom on a visit to his parents in 1983. Wham! recorded the track the following year, with Michael playing all of the individual instruments. The bittersweet lyrics are set against a cheerful background melody, making “Last Christmas” the perfect festive song, whatever mood you’re in.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Stay Another Day” (1994), East 17
This Nineties UK Number One Will Always Be a Christmas Song to Us

“Christmas in Hollis” (1987), Run-DMC
Their Christmas Rap Featured on the “Die Hard” Soundtrack

“Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)” (2003), The Darkness
A Glam Rock Christmas Classic from the Early Aughts

“Christmas Lights” (2010), Coldplay
It’s Understated For a Christmas Song, But Still One for the Playlist

Although many of the songs in this list have topped the holiday charts, our Christmas number one has to be “All I Want for Christmas is You.” No festive playlist would be complete without Mariah Carey’s iconic hit. As an upbeat pop love song, it’s been often imitated but never bettered. Amazingly, both the lyrics and the melody were written in just fifteen minutes. The track is featured in numerous Christmas films and has been covered by a wide range of artists, from Dolly Parton to My Chemical Romance. It may have taken twenty-five years to chart at number one, but it’s definitely here to stay.

Which festive favorites are on your Christmas playlist? Let us know in the comments!