Lauren Daigle performs on stage during the first day of the Outside Lands Music Festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Aug. 9, 2019. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
For millions of listeners, the soundtrack to the holiday season has changed very little over the years.
Now, don’t get us wrong. We still enjoy the classics, from Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and Johnny Mathis’ “Merry Christmas” to Barbara Streisand’s “A Christmas Album” and “The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album.”
But we also think it’s a good idea for listeners to mix in some newer material every now and again. So we’ve come up with a playlist refresh that includes some of our favorite seasonal offerings from the 21st century.
Pause your regular Babs and Beach Boys listening — at least for the moment — and turn up these more recent offerings from Destiny’s Child, Lauren Daigle, Diana Krall and other greats.
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” Diana Krall
The Canadian jazz vocalist-pianist has delivered so many great albums during her career, yet none better than 2005’s “Christmas Songs.” It’s chock full of winners, delivered in a fashion that will satisfy both die-hard jazz fans and seasonal listeners. But this is the song that always stops us right in our tracks, as Krall delivers a gorgeous, emotional take on this classic tear-jerker.
“O Holy Night,” Phil Wickham
The platinum-selling singer-songwriter from San Diego, known for such popular songs as “This Is Amazing Grace” and “Living Hope,” delivers a stirring version of this all-time beauty on 2010’s “Songs for Christmas.” Wickham’s vocal work is transcendent, boosted ever higher as it’s complemented by a full choir.
“8 Days of Christmas,” Destiny’s Child
The title track to this R&B group’s 2001 seasonal affair is an unabashed ode to commercialism, as Beyonce, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams celebrate a season filled with expensive gifts. It’s also an incredibly fun and addictive song, as good as anything in the group’s catalog, and features perhaps the best harmony vocal work that Destiny’s Child ever recorded.
“8 Days (of Hanukkah)” Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Keeping with the “8 Days” theme, we move on to one of the best Hanukkah songs of the last 10 years, delivered with passion and plenty of horn power by Jones and her mighty Dap-Kings. This Dap-Kings original kicks off “It’s a Holiday Soul Party,” the 2015 seasonal effort that certainly lives up to its title.
“What Child Is This?” Chris Tomlin
The phenomenally successful Christian music artist, who topped the overall pop charts with 2013’s “Burning Lights,” is in impressive form on the 2015 seasonal offering “Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship.” In particular, his take on “What Child Is This?” is memorably poignant.
“Mary, Did You Know?” Dolly Parton
You want to hear something really recent? Try this lovely cut from “A Holly Dolly Christmas,” which just hit stores this fall. It’s the country music legend’s first holiday album in 30 years, an all-star affair featuring Parton in collaboration with Michael Bublé, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon, Willie Nelson and brother Randy Parton.
“O Come, All Ye Faithful,” Bad Religion
Yes, we are talking about that Bad Religion — the SoCal troupe that has been responsible for some of the finest punk rock of the last 40 years. The group behind such uplifting cuts as “We’re Only Gonna Die,” “Eat Your Dog” and, of course, “Misery and Famine” is certainly an unlikely suspect to deliver a seasonal outing, but we are actually quite fond of its 2013 “Christmas Songs” EP.
“Joseph’s Lullaby,” MercyMe
Millions know this band for the uplifting single “I Can Only Imagine,” which inspired the 2018 box office smash of the same name. Yet, MercyMe has so many other worthy offerings, including this beautiful piano ballad from 2005’s “The Christmas Sessions.”
“What Christmas Means to Me,” John Legend featuring Stevie Wonder
This fun, upbeat number kicks off Legend’s 2018 outing, “A Legendary Christmas,” in high style. Of course, it also scores points for featuring harmonica work from the one-and-only Stevie Wonder, who, by the way, recorded this number on his 1967 holiday album, “Someday at Christmas.”
“The Hanukkah Waltz,” Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Fleck and company won the 2009 Grammy Award for best pop instrumental album with their jazzy holiday offering, which is full of virtuoso musicianship, ambitious arrangements and such winners as the lively “Hanukkah Waltz.”
“Santa’s Coming For Us,” Sia
We dig pretty much everything this incredible singer-songwriter has done, including her 2017 holiday record, “Everyday Is Christmas.” The album opens with this groovy retro number, which is best enjoyed by watching its accompanying music video featuring Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, J.B. Smoove, Susan Lucci, Henry Winkler and others performing in a campy, 1950s-era family TV setting.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Lauren Daigle
We’ll bring the play list to a close with this strikingly tender version of an all-time holiday classic, which Daigle handles with such exquisite care on 2016’s brilliant “Behold: A Christmas Collection.” Consider it as further evidence that Daigle — the multiplatinum singer behind the chart-topping, Grammy-winning single “You Say” — is blessed with one of the best voices in all of music.
