My Top 5 Christmas Songs

Pretty much since the day after Thanksgiving, I have been driving my poor fiancé crazy by keeping the car radio locked on the Christmas channel. I can't help it. I love Christmas music and there is only a precious few weeks out of the whole year that it is considered socially acceptable to blast "Jingle Bells". Plus, it helps put me in a festive moods when it's 5 degrees outside and the roads are so slippery it takes two hours to get home from work.

I though I might spread some holiday joy and share my top five favorite Christmas songs! Enjoy!




1. "Breath of Heaven" - Eden's Bridge

Gorgeous. I desperately want to sing this. Technically the first time I heard and fell in love with this song it was the Amy Grant version. You can listen to that version here. I found this version a few years ago and I think it is lovely. Quite different from Amy's version. It's lighter, breather and the singer sounds almost scared… which fits the song perfectly. This song is almost not a Christmas song. It is more fitting for Advent, as it is from Mary's point of view before Jesus is born. No matter what your view on religion is, I've always found Mary to be a fascinating character. In the song, she is frightened and questions "In a world as cold as stone/ must I walk this path alone?", but she knows deep in her heart that she is following her true path in life. And who of us can't relate to that on some level?


2. "Winter Song"- Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles

Not your typical Christmas song. But, not only is Sara Bareilles my favorite singer, but this song is just the most beautiful duet. And how adorable is the music video? 

My sister and I have this on our bucket list of songs that we need to sing together.


3. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/ We Three Kings" - Barenaked Ladies Featuring Sarah McLachlan

This is such a clever, toe-tapping re-imagining of two classic Christmas songs. It's jazzy, catchy and just a lot of fun. It doesn't come on the Christmas station often enough (I've heard that awful "Do They Know It's Christmas" Bandaid song from the 80s one too many times, 108.1. Let's replace a few replays with this one, k?)


4. "O Holy Night" - Josh Groban

And as much as I adore Josh (and those of you know me in real life know how much I ADORE Josh), pretty much anyone could sing this song and I'd love it. It is my absolute favorite religious/traditional song. 


5. "Grown-Up Christmas List" - Amy Grant

I had to throw in one really cheesy song. Yes, it's ridiculous. But I love it. It's sweet and it has a lovely message. I pretty much learned to sing by listening to this album playing from the hi-fi in the den as I danced with my Cabbage Patch doll and help my parents decorate the house. So, not only do I like the song, but it has lovely memories attached to it. 






BONUS! "A Peter Griffin Christmas"

Never. Gets. Old. 



I'd love to hear some of your favorites!