8 of the All-Time Best Performances of Christmas Songs

Everyone seems to have a list of favorite Christmas songs this time of year so I thought I would change it up a bit and name my favorite PERFORMANCES of Christmas songs. Lots of artists have recorded these eight songs, but these performances have never been surpassed.

#8: There are around 400 recorded versions of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" now in existence. However, no one has outdone the original performance of 13-year-old Brenda Lee. 

#7: "White Christmas" by The Drifters is far from the traditional sound of this iconic song—which is exactly why it is so memorable. HOME ALONE movie fans probably agree.

#6: Karen Carpenter's rendition of "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" is an interesting arrangement by Richard Carpenter (as most of their songs were) that hearkens back to another musical era, But Karen's voice is perfect throughout, as always.

# 5: "In the Bleak Midwinter" was originally a poem that was later set to music, and remains one of the most haunting songs about the birth of Christ. Peder Eide was an independent artist I worked with for many years, and his rendition is simple and heartfelt, but also intensely hopeful. His interpretation of this old song made me cry the first time I heard it.

#4: "Holly Jolly Christmas" is one of the top 25 most performed holiday songs according to ASCAP. But no one has come close to recreating the charm and nostalgic "aw shucks" vocal performance of Burl Ives. 

#3: I have worked with Hall of Fame singer Larnelle Harris for over three decades and I consider him one of the best vocalists in any musical genre. One of my favorite performances of his is "Sweet Little Jesus Boy." There's a reason he won a Grammy Award for his one and only Christmas recording. Sung a cappella with an all men's choir, Larnelle's moving rendition of this song showcases not only his vocal range, but his innate ability to make us deeply feel a lyric.

#2: Vocal or no vocal, if anyone can top the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's rendition of "Carol of the Bells" let them try.

#1: Whitney Houston's voice in her prime combined with this unique arrangement made her rendition of "Do You Hear What I Hear" the new standard.

​— Gina Adams