In my I-Tunes Holiday Folder I own 21 hours and 13 minute of Holiday Music. That is over 400 songs – well over 400 versions of a couple dozen songs anyway. I am serious about it though – The Holidays mean nostalgic and new versions of some of my favorites. As soon as Thanksgiving arrives I turn on the Holiday tunes listening on my personal collection on my computer,  I-tunes radio station, in the car, on the upper channels of cable TV and this year I created a Pandora “Rocking Christmas” station. My all time favorite Christmas song is Christmas For Cowboys by John Denver. I have such a visceral experience any and every time I hear a John Denver song. The list that follows is a list of my go to Holiday play list – in alphabetical order.

Favorite Christmas Carols – My Favorite Versions

Baby It’s Cold Outside – Ray Charles and Betty Carter
Baby, Please Come Home  – Darlene Love
Bizarre Christmas Incident  –  Ben Folds
Blue Christmas – Bright Eyes
Christmas For Cowboys – John Denver
Christmas in Hollis -Run-D.M.C.
Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses
Do They Know Its Christmas – Band Aid
Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano
Frosty The Snowman – Jimmy Durante
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen  –  Barenaked Ladies
Hallelujah  –  Rufus Wainwright
Happy Xmas – Plastic Ono Band (John Lennon)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas  –  The Pretenders
Have A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives
I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Bob Dylan
I saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus  – RuPaul
I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm – Billie Holiday
Last Christmas – Wham!
L-O-V-E  –  Nat King Cole
Merry Christmas Baby  –  B.B. King
Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Johnny Mathis
O Christmas Tree – Aretha Frankiln
O Come All Ye Faithful  –  Patty Loveless
Pine Cones And Holly Berries – Hank Jones
Please Come Home For Christmas – Bon Jovi
Pretty Papers – Willy Nelson
River  –  Joni Mitchell
Santa Baby  – Eartha Kitt
Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town  – The Jackson Five
Silver and Gold  – Burl Ives
The First Snowfall  –  Bing Crosby
Twelve days of Christmas – (Reggae) Peter Broggs
We’re a Couple Of Misfits – Paul Soles
Will Santa Come To Shanty Town – Eddie Arnold
Winter Wonderland – Trick Pony
What A Year For A New Year  –  Dan Wilson
White Christmas – Otis Redding
2000 Miles  –  The Pretenders

Christmas for Cowboys - John Denver