There are moments in parenting when you wonder how a certain child ever came from your DNA. One of mine happened when my oldest, at 7 years old, announced, “I HATE CHRISTMAS MUSIC. CHANGE THE STATION!” He was dead serious.
I LOVE Christmas music…pretty much all of it and for the full 5 weeks before Christmas. How could this be happening? It didn’t get better as he got older. He would literally cover his ears when it was on and ask me every 10 seconds to change the station or sing another song loudly to block the cheer. Not a very merry way to spend my holiday car time.
As a teen he started to tolerate it, though he was still unimpressed. Then, along came Spotify, and he found a few holiday songs he didn’t mind and some he even liked.
It was fun to explore new Christmas music and there were quite a few good ones we all enjoyed. So, we created a playlist that doesn’t kill the Christmas spirit for our family. Some like certain songs more than others but everyone is generally happy or at least not mad about having this be the soundtrack for our Christmas festivities. I have to get my Carpenters and Bing fix when I am all alone, or as a good mom does, torture her kids with just enough of what they don’t like…at high volume.
Suggestions from readers that their teens love!
Go Tell It On the Mountain: The Lower Lights and For King and Country
Feels Like Christmas: Jonas Brothers
Christmas Everyday: David Archuletta
Underneath the Tree: Kelly Clarkson
December Song: Peter Hollins
Light of the World: Lauren Daigle
Pachabel Meets U2: Jon Schmidt
Christmas Wrapping: The Waitresses
Who Would Imagine a King: Katherine McPhee
Breath of Heaven: Callee Reed
Love is Christmas: Sara Barellis
Happy Happy Christmas: Ingrid Michaelson
Noel: Lauren Daigle
Christmas Eve: Celine Dion
12 Days of Christmas: Straight no Chaser
Winter Song: Leslie Odom
Come on Christmas: Matthew West
His Favorite Christmas Story: Capital Lights
Wake Up, Wake Up: Matthew Wertz
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: Bare Naked Ladies
Christmas Eve, Wake Up Little Child, Jerusalem: Peter Brienholt
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree: James Galway
Ring Out Wild Bells: Kat Tingey
All I Want for Christmas is You: Vince, Vance and the Valiants
Mary’s Boy Child: Gentri
Straight No Chaser Albums
Does anyone else relate? Do you have a Christmas music hater?
What are your favorite Christmas songs? I would love to test them out on my crew! Add them in the comments so we can all benefit and maybe find something new!
Barenaked Ladies/Sarah Mclachlan’s “God rest ye merry gentlemen/we three kings.” is my favorite. Toe-tapping, teen pleasing song.
Thank you!! I will try that one!
I’m so lucky my oldest (9 years old) loves Bing Crosby, like me. But he doesn’t like Pentatonix (but my youngest does). You can’t win all of the time. My boys both love the Barenaked Ladies Christmas album though, so there’s a win.
Awesome! Thank you!
Peter BREINHOLT has some awesome Christmas songs. My favorite that’s not a traditional song but so heart warming is his song “Christmas Eve Song.”
I think that one is on there now!
You’re Here- Francesca Battistelli, Jingle All the Way- Dan Bremnes, What Does Christmas Mean- Jimmie Allen, Messiah- Francesca Battistelli, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas- Jordan Smith
Thanks for these suggestions!