I'm not sure if this qualifies for Acclaimed Music, but I read an article of some critics' picks of the best recorded Christmas songs of all time:


http://www.register-mail.com/stories/120706/FEA_BBOAB8HR.GID.shtml

Register-Mail critics rank best recorded Christmas songs
Thursday, December 7, 2006

"A couple weeks ago, we asked our panelists from The Rating Game to select their top 10 best versions of Christmas songs. We tabulated the results of the 14 contributors and came up with a listing that spans genres and taste. "Chestnuts Roasting" took top honors - though Alvin and the Chipmunks made a strong showing at Number 7. See each panelists picks and comments at www.register-mail.com."


1. Christmas Song - Nat King Cole - 1946
2. White Christmas - Bing Crosby - 1942
3. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley - 1957
4. Happy Christmas (War is Over) - John Lennon - 1971
5. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt - 1953
6. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee - 1958
7. The Christmas Song - Alvin/Chipmunks - 1962
8. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - Bruce Springsteen - 1998
9. Christmas Time is Here - Vince Guaraldi - 1965
10. Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy - David Bowie/Bing Crosby - 1977

Number One Picks That Didn't Make Our List:

"Christmas Bells" - John Gorka
"The Lost Christmas Eve" - The Trans Siberian Orchestra
"2000 Miles" - The Pretenders
"Carol of the Bells" - Thrice
"Silent Night" - John Denver and the Muppets
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" - Frank Sinatra
"Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" - Bing Crosby and David Bowie
"I Am Santa Claus" - Bob Rivers
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - The Pretenders
"It's Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home")- U2

Two great Xmas tunes that I'd put on the list:

Elton John - Step Into Christmas
Kate Bush - December Will Be Magic Again

BTW - Springsteen's version of "Santa CICTT" dates as far back as 80/81, not 1998.

"All right you Chipmonks, here is my list."
The Little Druummer Boy" Harry Simoene Corral
"Wonderfull Christmas Time" Sir Paul McCartney
Christman Time is Here Again- The Beatles
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas Burl Ives
Felece Navadade Jose Felesiano

I know my spellin sux so no need to remind me. This has no spel cheque

One of my favourite Christmas song is from my favourite band (The Beach Boys if you still don't know it ):"Little Saint Nick" (from their "Christmas album" released in 1964).

Brian Wilson also released a new Christmas album last year which featured many traditional songs and 2 good new tracks :
"What I really want for Christmas" written with Bernie Taupin
"Christmasey" written with Jimmy Webb

Brian Wilson is a f...in' Christmas master, yeah !

for the year for Bruce Springsteen, correct? Isn't it from the mid-80s?

Yeah, I remember reading that and thinking that the date couldn't be right. I tried to do some research and different dates kept popping up, but I found recording dates that go back as far as 1975 (it's possible that the song might not have been released commercially until the '80s)

The version I have on a 45 rpm single (there might be others?) is a live recording from C.W. Post College in Greenvale, NY, done on December 12, 1975 -- but the physial single is a 1985 release (Santa is the B-side to "My Hometown" off of Born in the USA).