I'm putting together a compilation of the very best holiday music from the world of popular music.

What do you think are the very best, high-quality Christmas songs from the world of rock/soul/country/pop? (I mean like "Marvin Gaye - Purple Snowflakes" or Chuck Berry "Run Run Rudolph" quality, i.e., great song first, Christmas song second).

I would be especially interested in classic songs from the 1950s-1980s.

How could I forget...

Vince Guaraldi - Christmas Time Is Here (short version with boys choir and all)

I believe Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "Christmas Lullaby" merits consideration.

"Pretty Paper" by Roy Orbison

yes, willie, I was thinking about that one too

My personal faves. Okay, so some of them aren't Christmas songs, but I like to listen to them during the holidays:

AC/DC - "Mistress for Christmas"
Adam Sandler - "The Chanukah Song" (1994)
Band Aid - "Do They Know It's Christmas" (1984)
Beach Boys - "Little Saint Nick" (1964)
Billy Squier - "Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You"
Bing Crosby - "White Christmas"
Bob Marley - "Sound the Trumpet"
Bobby Helms - "Jingle Bell Rock" (1957)
Boney M - "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord"
Brenda Lee - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (1958)
Bryan Adams - "Christmas"
Burl Ives - "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" (1963)
Chuck Berry - "Run Rudolph Run" (1958)
Darkness - "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)"
Darlene Love - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" (1963)
David Bowie & Bing Crosby - "Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy" (1977)
Dean Martin - "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (1959)
Donny Hathaway - "This Christmas"
Drifters - "White Christmas" (1954)
Eagles - "Please Come Home for Christmas" (1978)
Eartha Kitt - "Santa Baby" (1953)
Elton John - "Step Into Christmas" (1973)
Elvis Presley - "Blue Christmas" (1957)
Faith Hill - "Where Are You, Christmas?"
George Harrison - "Ding Dong, Ding Dong"
George Harrison - "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)"
Greg Lake - "I Believe in Father Christmas"
Jethro Tull - "Ring Out, Solstice Bells"
John Lennon - "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
Johnny Cash - "Little Drummer Boy"
Joni Mitchell - "River"
Jose Feliciano - "Feliz Navidad" (1970)
Judy Garland - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
Kinks - "Father Christmas"
Mariah Carey - "All I Want for Christmas Is You"
Michael W. Smith - "Emmanuel"
Mud - "Lonely This Christmas" (1974)
Nat King Cole - "The Christmas Song"
Paul McCartney - "Pipes of Peace"
Paul McCartney - "Wonderful Christmas"
Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl - "Fairytale of New York" (1987)
Pretenders - "2000 Miles"
Prince - "Another Lonely Christmas"
Queen - "Thank God It's Christmas"
Ramones - "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight)"
Ray Charles - "That Spirit of Christmas"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Snow (Hey Oh)"
Ronettes - "Sleigh Ride"
Royal Guardsmen - "Snoopy's Christmas"
Slade - "Merry Xmas Everybody" (1973)
Smashing Pumpkins - "Christmastime"
Stevie Wonder - "What Christmas Means to Me"
Thurl Ravenscroft - "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"
Toby Mac - "This Christmas"
Tom Petty - "Christmas All Over Again"
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Christmas Canon"
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24"
Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping"
Wham! - "Last Christmas"
The Who - "Christmas"
Wizzard - "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day"
U2 - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
U2 - "New Year's Day"
U2 - "Peace On Earth"
Villagers in Whoville - "Welcome Christmas"
Vince Guaraldi Trio - "Christmas Time Is Here"
Vince Guaraldi Trio - "Linus and Lucy"

The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York", definitely

Thanks for the suggestions - especially that long list.

(Another mix I want to put together sometime is songs that mention Christmas indirectly, but aren't necessarily about Christmas. Any suggestions of that sort would be great too.)

Some other entertaining Christmas songs that I remembered:

"The Night Santa Went Crazy" by Weird Al Yankovic
"O Come All Ye Faithful" by Twisted Sister

My friend and I made a Christmas mix of both of our favourite songs, and these were his 12 picks:

"White Christmas" by Bing Crosby
"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" by nobody in particular, but we used Dean Martin's version
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Frank Sinatra
"River" by Joni Mitchell
"Snowbird" by Anne Murray
"Silent Night" by Hayley Westenra
"Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley
"Christmas Day" by Dido
"Christmas Is Interesting" by Jonathan Coulton
"Just for Now" by Imogen Heap
"A New York Christmas" by Rob Thomas
"Auld Lang Syne" by nobody in particular...I found a version by various artists

My favorites:

"This Christmas" - Donny Hathaway
"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" - Ella Fitzgerald
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" and "Jesus Oh What A Wonderful Child" - Mariah Carey
"When My Heart Finds Christmas" and "Ave Maria" - Harry Connick Jr.
"Grown-Up Christmas List" and "Breath Of Heaven" - Amy Grant
"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" - The Pretenders
"Winter Wonderland" - Diana Krall
"Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy" - Garth Brooks
"I'll Be Home For Christmas" - Michael Buble

From my blues collection :

Leadbelly "On a Christmas Day"
Charles Brown "Merry christmas Baby"
Clifton Chenier "It's Christmas time"

If you want the mp3s just tell me

A nice song that mentions Christmas, but isn't a Christmas song is Morten Harket - A Kind of Christmas Card.