This holiday season, AVRadio is proud to present 15 of our favorite festive songs to get you in a cheery mood as you celebrate at home! You can find the full playlist on our Spotify account (just search AVRadio) or at the bottom of this page.

1. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey

This holiday season pop staple sung by powerhouse Mariah Carey sets the mood for what we hope will be a joyful break from the stress of this year. A 2016 estimate revealed that Carey has earned more than $60 million from this song’s streams alone! 

2. The 12 Days of Christmas by Straight No Chaser

This festive song is filled to the brim with surprising twists. It’s a popular choice for light-hearted holiday songs, with even our own Amador Choir performing it in last year’s Winter Concert.

3. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Michael Buble

Michael Buble’s smooth voice on this holiday classic originally sung in 1951 by Meredith Willson makes this song a jazzy addition to this festive playlist.

4. Carol of the Bells by John Williams

From the 1990 popular comedy film Home Alone, this version of Carol of the Bells is 1 minute and 25 seconds of an a cappella chorus that is sure to calm you down.

5. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by the Jackson 5

Young Micheal Jackson is the star of this tune, recorded for the Jackson 5’s 1970 Christmas album. The ending as he pleads for his brothers to believe his tall tale is the bow on top of this adorable track.

6. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Pentatonix

This classic number from the Nutcracker is given a modern twist by the famous a capella group Pentatonix. The original ballet came out in 1892 but is still performed worldwide to this day.

7. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams

This song was released in 1963 on Andy Williams’ first Christmas album and celebrates some of the most popular activities of the holiday season like telling ghost stories.

8. Last Christmas by Wham!

Though this song has little to do with the festivities of the holiday season itself, it is a timeless pop holiday piece, if a little overplayed on the radio around this time!

9. two queens in a king sized bed by girl in red

A newer pop song by singer/songwriter Marie Ulven Ringheim, “two queens in a king sized bed” is a queer holiday ballad for her largely LGBTQ+ audience.

10. Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano

A bilingual song written and released in 1970 by Puerto Rican singer/songwriter José Feliciano, Feliz Navidad’s simple touching lyrics, translated into “Merry Christmas, a prosperous year and happiness” is one of the most downloaded songs of the Christmas season.

11. What’s This by Danny Elfman

Although this song is from the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, listening to Jack Skellington discover the wonders of Christmasland is a great treat for the holiday season.

12. Snow Miser vs. Heat Miser by Rich Chambers

This is from another holiday film, “The Year Without Santa Claus.” This catchy song features Snow miser, who controls the world’s cold weather, and Heat Miser, who controls its warm weather.

13. Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt’s smooth voice in this makes this song a must-have on any holiday playlist. The tune was the best selling Christmas song in the year it was released, 1953.

14. Baby it’s Cold Outside (feat. Darren Criss) by Glee Cast

One of the most popular songs of the TV show Glee, this song, sung by Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel and Darren Criss as Blaine Andreson is a precursor to their budding romance.

15. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) by Ameer Corro Sun Kim

We’re closing out this playlist with a lo-fi cover of yet another classic. The ambient, jazzy piano paired with the soothing beats that define this genre will be sure to relax you.

The Full Playlist: