Whether you want to swing around the tree, make out under the mistletoe, or relax by the fireplace sipping spiked eggnog, you just can’t have Christmas without a seasonal sleigh soundtrack.

From Nat King Cole and Bruce Springsteen to Brenda Lee and a certain Christmas queen – Mariah Carey – these 10 Christmas songs never fail to bring the festive spirit.

Nat King Cole, “The Christmas Carol”

If you want to anoint a song as The When you sing a Christmas song, you better bring all the Christmas feelings with you. And whether you’ve ever roasted a chestnut in your life or not, who has? – This is the definitive version of the ultimate Christmas song.

Donny Hathaway, “This Christmas”

When it comes to hanging under the mistletoe, nothing beats the old-school R&B romance of Hathaway’s 1970 classic. And although it’s been covered by everyone from Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin to Christina Aguilera and Chris Brown – who sang it for the 2007 film of the same name – the original still shines brightest.

Wham!, “Last Christmas”

Forty years ago, George Michael – well on his way to leaving Wham! for solo superstars – gave us his heart with this Christmas song that is still considered one of the last original Christmas classics. It even inspired a 2019 film named after him. But the song took on a sad vibe when Michael celebrated his “last Christmas” in 2016 and died on that holiday.

Bruce Springsteen, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

From the moment the boss orders, “Better watch out, better not cry” about Saint Nick’s impending arrival, it’s enough to make children of all ages behave, for heaven’s sake. Honorable mention to the Jackson 5 version for a more youthful and soulful take on the seasonal standard.

Brenda Lee, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”

It only took 65 years for Lee’s 1958 Christmas Chestnut to finally reach No. 1 in 2023. This made the 80-year-old legend only the third Christmas single ever to make it to the top, joining Alvin and the Chipmunks’ 1958’s “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” and, of course, Mariah Carey’s “Everything, “What I want for Christmas is you” in 2019. Now that is Some rock for eternity.

Joni Mitchell, “River”

Although not technically a Christmas song, if you really want to nitpick, this beauty from Mitchell’s classic Blue album is set during the holiday season and is the true essence of Angelic. And when those echoes of “Jingle Bells” ring out, it always makes us want to float away on that river.

Prince, “Another Lonely Christmas”

This guitar-driven Christmas confession is one of those brilliant B-sides that Prince used to give us at the peak of his powers and is more melancholic than joyful. But it captures the celebratory heartbreak many feel during the season. And hey, any excuse to play Prince is a good one.

Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Christmas Time Is Here”

The jazzy, ivory tones of this dreamy ditty from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” always hit the right note for “Yuletide by the Fireside.” Special thanks to the Children’s Choir at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Rafael, California.

Whitney Houston, “Joy to the World”

Houston brings it all the way to the church with the Georgia Mass Choir, performing that heavenly blast from the 1996 soundtrack “The Preacher’s Wife” with sincerity. In all its evangelical glory, the greatest voice of all makes you feel both the Holy Spirit and the spirit of the holiday.

Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”

Because there’s no denying the Queen of Christmas, Dahling. Thirty years, 16 weeks at No. 1 and nearly 2 billion Spotify streams later, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.