My Top 5 Favorite Christmas Albums

It's official, the Christmas season is upon us. I realized this after I picked up our car from the shop and for some reason the radio was set to Kool 108 and some repulsive Gloria Estefan holiday song was playing.

I would say 95 to 98% of all Christmas albums are crap. They are a quick way to make the record companies some extra cash. One prime example of this is "Hung for the Holidays" by William Hung. That is exactly what I want to hear when I am driving through snow trying to find a parking spot at the mall, some no talent mush head singing jingle bells. But every once and a while a decent Christmas album will slip through the cracks. It's like finding a puppy under the tree on Christmas morning.

Here are my top five Christmas Albums.

5. Funky Christmas - James Brown.
The title says it all. Mostly original songs with a couple classics sprinkled in. It's hard to keep you feet still listening this album.

4. Songs for Christmas - Sufjan Stevens.
An ambitious five EP box set. This album is almost cheating yeah all the songs are about the holidays but it doesn't sound like a holiday album. This one if for all those hipsters out there that need a little Christmas cheer.

3. A Christmas Gift for You - Phil Spector.
Don't worry Phil Spector will not kill you for Christmas but rather offer you this Album with all the classics done in a rock/motown feel. The songs by The Ronnettes are some of the best Christmas songs ever recorded.

2. Christmas - Low.
Leave it to a band from Duluth to really capture the true emotions of the holiday season. It's not always happy and cheerful, sometimes it's downright sad and depressing. I listen to this album year round.

1. White Christmas - Bing Crosby.
What's Christmas without Bing Crosby. This is the essential Christmas album of all Christmas albums.