You Completely Forgot About These Celebrity Christmas Albums, Didn't You?
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Do you hear what I hear? It's that magical time of year when some musicians take a brief hiatus from delivering chart-topping hits to spread holiday joy by releasing a Christmas album. No matter the genre, artists can't resist putting their own twist on classic tracks or taking on the difficult task of recording an original composition.
We all have our favorite holiday artist, like Mariah Carey, The Carpenters, or Dolly Parton, but there's a vast musical library of Christmas albums that don't get the recognition they deserve. Either they flew under the radar when they were released or they just haven't survived the test of time—but whatever the reasoning, it's time to bring these little-known, underrated Christmas albums back into the conversation.
Wrap some gifts with Taylor Swift (that's right, she's on the list!) setting the mood. Roast chestnuts on an open fire while listening to Reba McEntire. Or sing along to John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (oh, the nostalgia!). Whether you dive right into the holiday season after Halloween or refuse to hear a single jingle bell until after Thanksgiving, these forgotten Christmas albums are sure to create an irresistible festive vibe.
"Country Christmas" by Loretta Lynn (1966)
Loretta Lynn blessed us with 50 studio albums during her career—and surprisingly, only two of them were Christmas albums. Country Christmas was released in 1966, and our girl's voice sounds as sweet as a cup of cocoa.
"This Christmas" by John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (2012)
Grease fans, this one's for you. From "Summer Nights" to December nights, this iconic on-screen couple teamed up for an album of festive duets that flew largely under the radar.
"Christmas" by Cher (2023)
You read that correctly. Cher finally felt jolly enough to grace the world with her take on the holiday season. If you prefer your Christmas tunes to be dance floor-ready, you're in luck.
"This Christmas" by Aretha Franklin (2008)
When the Queen of Soul decides she wants to get into the holiday spirit, we listen. Aretha could sing the ABCs and give us goosebumps, so just imagine what she could do with "Silent Night."
"Santa Claus Lane" by Hilary Duff
Only a legend would make her debut album a Christmas album—and that's exactly what Hilary Duff did. With a listening time of just over 30 minutes, it's an easy way to get a quick holiday fix.
"The Ultimate Christmas Collection" by Reba McEntire (2022)
Reba has gifted the world with three Christmas albums, and this collection brings together the best of the best. A true fan would own all three and still pick this one up to round out the set.
"The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection" by Taylor Swift (2007)
You probably know her 2021 song "Christmas Tree Farm," but Taylor hit her holiday era even earlier in her career. This six-song EP was initially released as a Target exclusive in 2007—long before her days of selling out stadiums around the world and smashing streaming records.
"Someday at Christmas" by Stevie Wonder (1967)
Let the spirit of the season wash over you note by note. Stevie musters up that kind of magic. Signed. Sealed. Delivered.
"Joy to the World" by Faith Hill (2008)
One of the leading ladies of country shifted gears for her seventh album to spread holiday cheer. She recorded an original track, "A Baby Changes Everything," which hit the top of the adult contemporary chart at the end of 2008.
"A Very Backstreet Christmas" by The Backstreet Boys (2022)
'NSYNC dropped their Christmas album in 1998 and 98 Degrees released theirs in 1999–so the only thing disappointing about A Very Backstreet Christmas is that it took them nearly 30 years as a band to finally deliver it to us.
"Home for the Holidays" by Darius Rucker (2014)
Darius sang about life on the road in his Grammy-winning single "Wagon Wheel," but this 2014 album was all about a cozy hometown Christmas. Sheryl Crow also makes an appearance.
"Don't Waste Your Wishes" by The Killers (2016)
You may know The Killers for hits like "Mr. Brightside," but you should know them for their criminally underappreciated original Christmas offerings, like "Boots" and "I Feel it in My Bones." It's the best way to rock around the Christmas tree without Brenda Lee.
"The Monkees Christmas Party" by The Monkees (2018)
This album is both the first holiday-themed album from The Monkees and their last album. It's a collection of songs that were recorded through the years with a few new tracks mixed in.
"Cheers, It's Christmas" by Blake Shelton (2012)
The former Voice coach called on friends like Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, and Kelly Clarkson to offer up his own brand of festive fun. He re-released the album in 2017 and again in 2022 with additional songs.
"Merry Christmas…Have a Nice Life!" by Cyndi Lauper (1998)
Lauper teased us with the song "Feels Like Christmas" on her album Hat Full of Stars in 1993, but she didn't get around to doing a whole collection of holiday tracks until this one. Over 20 years later, it still doesn't feel like Christmas without it.
"On This Winter's Night" by Lady A (2012)
The Grammy-winning trio sets out to make your Christmas merry and bright with this 16-song collection. If you ever felt Mariah's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" lacked a little country twang, Lady A has you covered.
"Holiday For Swing!" by Seth MacFarlane (2014)
The comedic mind behind Family Guy and American Dad took a break from TV to drop this unexpected gem. It's hard not to picture Brian Griffin singing all of these songs every time you listen.
"Christmas in the City" by Lea Michele (2019)
Any former Gleeks reading this? Lea (a.k.a. Rachel Berry) dropped a Christmas album back in 2019 and brought some familiar faces along for the ride, like Jonathan Groff and Darren Criss. (And if you weren't already aware, Darren also gave us his own Christmas album in 2021.)
"Christmas Christmas" by Cheap Trick (2017)
This album is Cheap Trick's 19th (!!) addition to their discography. Just a few more to go before you could have a whole Cheap Trick Advent calendar.
"A Very Trainor Christmas" by Meghan Trainor (2020)
There was a lot going on in the world in December of 2020, so it's understandable if this one fell off your radar. The woman behind viral hits "All About That Bass" and "Made You Look" slowed things down to cover classics like "Last Christmas" and "The Christmas Song." She's just a joy to listen to at any time of year.
"Ho Ho Ho" by RuPaul (1997)
The holidays can be a drag. OG fans of RuPaul may already be familiar with this album, but RuPaul's Drag Race viewers may be surprised to know of its existence. You're welcome!
"A Very Kacey Christmas" by Kacey Musgraves (2016)
Okay, this one may not be as forgotten as some of the others on the list considering she has a whole Christmas special on Amazon Prime, but it's still worth a mention. At this point, Kacey is right up there with Mariah, Darlene Love, and Bing Crosby as a holiday music icon.
"It's Christmas All Over" by The Goo Goo Dolls (2020)
The boys who brought us "Iris" and "Slide" had to scrap a tour due to the pandemic, but they made the best of it by dropping this album in October 2020. If you've ever been curious about what an alt-rock version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" might sound like, look no further.
"Christmas & Chill" by Ariana Grande (2015)
Ariana is one of the few artists on this list who typically records mostly original holiday music instead of the tried-and-true classics. No "Jingle Bells" here, which is a nice change of pace for this time of year.
"Sugar & Booze" by Ana Gasteyer
You may recognize Ana from her days on Saturday Night Live (1996 - 2002,) which is why Maya Rudolph also pops up here. This one has more of a jazzy vibe to it, so it's a nice way to mix up your holiday playlist.
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