The Best Christmas Music of All Time--the Top 25

Let me be among the first this holiday season to wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS! Say it loud, say it often, say it clear. The politically correct hate it. So, put it in their faces every chance you get (and yes, I intend to wish my Jewish friends a Happy Hanukkah).

When it comes to Christmas music there are some 'must-haves' for your collection. I'm sure I am going to inadvertently leave out a few, but in my view this list contains the very best Christmas music ever recorded, most of which is still available from various retail and online sources.

So, let's get to it...the best Christmas music of all time.

1. (Tie) 'O Holy Night' by Andy Williams, recorded 1965.
'Ave Maria' by Perry Como, recorded in 1957, updated version 1983.

2. Handel's 'Messiah' recorded by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra and
the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 1970.

3. 'The Little Drummer Boy' original version, Harry Simeon Chorale, 1950s

4. 'Mary's Boy Child' by Evie Tournquist, 1976.

5. 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' recorded a capella, The Cathedral Quartet, 1985.

6. (Tie) 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' recorded a capella, The Florida Boys, 2000
'I'll Be Home For Christmas' by Perry Como

7. 'White Christmas' by Bing Crosby

8. 'Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire' by Nat King Cole

9. (Tie) 'Sleigh Ride' by Amy Grant
'Sleigh Ride' by Arthur Feidler and the Boston Pops

10. 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town' by Frank Sinatra

11. 'Silent Night' recorded a capella, The Florida Boys, 2000

12. 'The Bells of St. Mary's' by Bing Crosby

13. 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' by Bing Crosby

14. 'There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays' by Perry Como

15. 'Do You Hear What I Hear?' by Re'Generation, 1975

16. 'Jesu Bambino' by Re'Generation, 1975

17. 'I Wonder as I Wander' by Perry Como

18. 'Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas' by Burl Ives

19. 'What Child Is This?' by the Harry Simeon Chorale

20. 'Jolly Old St. Nicholas' by the Ray Conniff Singers

21. 'Go Tell It On the Mountain' by the Harry Simeon Chorale

22. 'O Come All Ye Faithful' by Nat King Cole

23. 'Beautiful Star of Bethlehem' by Flatt and Scruggs

24. 'Frosty the Snowman' by Perry Como

25. 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' by Gene Autry

I will add that if you can find anything by the Robert Shaw Chorale, get it. This world-renown choral group, under the direction of the quintessential maestro Robert Shaw, produced some of the finest music ever recorded, most of it a capella. I did not list any one song by Robert Shaw simply because everything he ever recorded was top-notch, particularly his Christmas recordings. These are true collector's items.