The Sound of the Season – 20 Essential Christmas Songs and Carols

As a writer, I find that nothing transports us through time quite like a melody. Music is the only language where a 12th-century chant can sit comfortably next to a 2025 pop hit on the same playlist. This year, our Christmas soundtrack chronicles a mix of the sacred, the nostalgic, and the brand new.

Here are the 20 songs and carols defining our Christmas in 2025:

The Sacred Staples (Top 10 Carols)

In 2025, traditional carols have seen a resurgence as we look for "grounding" in a fast-moving world. 

1. O Holy Night: Voted the #1 cherished carol of 2025 for its message of resilience and hope.
2. Silent Night (Stille Nacht): Still the most recorded song in history. It celebrated its 207th anniversary this year since its 1818 debut in Austria.
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing: A triumphant anthem that remains a favorite for opening church services.
4. Joy to the World: Not originally written for Christmas, but its message of universal reign is the definitive sound of Christmas morning.
5. In the Bleak Midwinter: A hauntingly beautiful reflection on the Nativity, popularized again this year by church congregations.
6. O Come, All Ye Faithful: A 1751 classic that continues to invite us all to "behold Him".
7. Away in a Manger: The essential carol for children, maintaining its simple, loving reflection.
8. The First Noel: An ancient melody that tells the full story of the star and the shepherds.
9. O Come, O Come Emmanuel: This 12th-century chant provides the necessary "longing" that makes the arrival of Christmas Day so sweet.
10. Angels We Have Heard on High: Famous for its soaring "Gloria," it is the sound of pure, unadulterated joy. 

The 2025 Modern Classics & New Releases

Music in 2025 is a "mesh of classics and new collaborations".
11. "Snow Globe Town" by Brad Paisley: A standout 2025 original that captures the charm of a small-town Christmas.
12. "Christmastime" by Trisha Yearwood: Her 2025 duet with Garth Brooks, "Merry Christmas, Valentine," is the "lovestruck" anthem of the year.
13. "That Spirit of Christmas" (LeAnn Rimes & Aloe Blacc): A soul-stirring 2025 collaboration from Rimes' new "Greatest Hits Christmas".
14. "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (Mariah Carey): Still the undisputed queen of the 21st century, leading the charts once again in late 2025.
15. "Last Christmas" (Wham!): Its 1984 synth-pop melancholy is as popular as ever with 2025's nostalgic youth.
16. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (Vince Guaraldi Trio): Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025 with a special Zoetrope vinyl reissue.
17. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (Brenda Lee): A 1958 classic that continues to dominate the Billboard Top 10 in 2025.
18. "Winter Wonderland" (Hunter Hayes): A fresh 2025 "Evergreen" cover that brings a new country energy to the standard.
19. "White Christmas" (Bing Crosby): The best-selling single of all time continues to represent the "dream" of the holiday for 2025 audiences.
20. "Merry Christmas, Valentine" (Sabrina Carpenter): Her 2025 Netflix special "A Nonsense Christmas" has introduced a new, playful "lovestruck" energy to the canon. 

The Writer’s Ear

Why do we listen to the same songs every year? B

We do this because they are the "connective tissue" of our lives. When I hear Silent Night, I am not just in 2025. I am back in my childhood home, and I am also in that small Austrian church in 1818. 

This year, as you listen, notice how the carols of old and the lovestruck pop of the new are both trying to do the same thing: capture the magic of being alive and being loved. Turn the volume up—the final countdown to the New Year has begun!