Ten Essential Pop Christmas Songs You Need On Your Holiday Playlist Right Now

Posted On December 8, 2020

Samantha Colleran, December 2020

Today’s post is the first of three Christmas playlists I will be posting throughout the month of December! To kick off the mini series, I’ll be sharing some songs from my master playlist of Christmas music, and this week’s post includes ten of my favorite pop Christmas songs in no particular order. Let’s get started, and as always please let me know your favorite song either from my selection or give me one of your favorites not mentioned! 

“Last Christmas”, Wham!

This is a Christmas classic about heartbreak that you can’t help but dance around to while decorating your house or doing other holiday things. It has that classic 80s pop sound that is so hard to not fall in love with, the iconic voice of George Michael, all wrapped up with a hint of Christmas breakups, this song has it all. The vocals are incredible, and if you don’t try to sing along to all of the layered harmonies simultaneously, I’m not sure we can be friends! This song is certainly a favorite in my house, with my mom who loves everything and anything 80s, and my dad who loves everything and anything Christmas themed, it’s perfect for my whole family and the house definitely gets a little loud when this one comes on!

“Glittery”, Kacey Musgraves featuring Troye Sivan

Last year, Kacey Musgraves hosted her own Christmas show with guests including Lana Del Rey, Zooey Deschanel, Leon Bridges, Fred Armisen, and even her Nana! This original song is sung with Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan, another guest on the show. The song uses holiday metaphors to describe how Kacey and Troye’s partners make them feel. “You light me up like starlight on a Christmas tree/ Every single kiss is like a gift to me/ I love the way you decorate my heart”, Kacey and Troye sing softly in the chorus. I love how gentle and light the song is, it’s such a sweet addition to any holiday playlist, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy whenever I listen.

“All I Want (For Christmas)”, Liam Payne

(Not to be confused with Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”). Liam does have another more happy pop sounding Christmas song with Dixie D’Amelio he just released this year called “Naughty List”, but I love this one so much more. (He also has a cover of “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” I heavily debated putting on this list because it’s so fantastic, but I wanted to stick to original content, so I’ll link it here for your listening pleasure)! This song is a piano ballad about making it through a rough patch with a significant other. “If we can make it through December/ Maybe we’ll make it through forever”, Liam belts out and twists at your heart in the most incredibly painful yet gorgeous way. The second verse feels incredibly relevant now; although it’s in reference to a relationship, the lyrics “It hasn’t been the greatest year/ But through thick and thin we made it here/ … / But we made it through the hardest part” perfectly fits this year as a whole. It’s been hard, but we’ve all made it to this point, and hopefully things only get better from here. 

“I Need You Christmas”, Jonas Brothers

The Jonas Brothers saved the holiday season with a lovely little Christmas ballad that reiterates the one thing I’ve been saying since the middle of November, “I need it to be Christmas”! This year has been very isolating for a lot of people, and the one thing that seems to unite people is the holiday season. Although this year has felt never-ending and like nothing will ever feel normal again, the Jo Bros are here to remind us that despite the circumstances there’s one thing that will never change, and that’s Christmas! It’s a gentle reminder that although things are not ideal right now, a little holiday magic will make everything feel okay for some time.

“Winter Things”, Ariana Grande

This song comes from Ariana Grande’s EP titled Christmas and Chill, and it’s my favorite song from the EP and one of my favorites from Ariana in general! For all of you people experiencing warm weather this holiday season, Miss Grande’s got you covered! “Winter Things” is a soft ukulele number about partaking in holiday activities with a significant other despite the fact it’s warm outside. The lyrics are sweet and romantic while still fitting the holiday theme. Sure, most of her friends may be hitting the sandy beaches, it’s too hot for a jacket, but Ari is determined to keep the Christmas spirit alive!

“Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays”, *NSYNC

Boybands make everything a little better, so that’s why NSYNC is the second one to be featured on this playlist with their wonderful Christmas song, “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays”. This song will truly make you feel the love and positive vibes the holidays bring. With that classic 90s pop feel, you’ll surely “Feel the love in the room from the floor to the ceiling” while singing along to this upbeat holiday song! The boys of NSYNC remind us of the little things that make the holidays great, from the stockings hanging by the fireplace, kids seeing gifts under the tree, school letting out, and the reminder that this is the time of year to appreciate family (whether chosen or blood related)! It’s lighthearted and will definitely make you feel good after listening.

“Mistletoe”, Justin Bieber

I’m not a huge fan of the Biebs, but there is absolutely no denying that his Christmas music is some of the best for the holidays! Everyone else will be decorating their houses, playing in the snow, spending time with their families, but Justin Bieber will be waiting for his girl under the mistletoe in hopes to get a Christmas smooch. He doesn’t even care that Santa is on his way, all he wants is to spend the holidays with the girl of his dreams. The Biebs even compares his love interest to a Christmas miracle. Pretty sweet if you ask me!

“Underneath The Tree”, Kelly Clarkson

From Kelly Clarkson’s first ever Christmas album titled Wrapped In Red, “Underneath The Tree” is an upbeat pop number about that one person you love so dearly being “right where [they] should be”… with you for the holidays! It has the same upbeat energy as the Mariah Carey classic, yet it has the perfect Kelly Clarkson twist that makes it stand out. It’s such a fun song to listen to around Christmas, it’s positive and full of so much love and happiness! You’ll find it hard to keep yourself from humming or singing along with Kelly!

“Christmas Lights”, Coldplay

Although the initial story behind the meaning of the song is a little sad (breaking up with a loved one on Christmas Eve), the idea of Christmas lights serves as a beacon of hope. After the initial fight, our narrator finds himself wandering the streets of England and admiring the Christmas lights that reflect the happy feelings of the holidays. As our narrator finds himself looking at the lights, he wishes his love would come back. It’s a hopeful song, and I love it so dearly. “May all your troubles soon be gone/ Oh, Christmas lights, keep shining on”.

“Merry Christmas Darling”, Carpenters

The first Christmas song by the Carpenters has a bit of a sad undertone, but is still so beautiful. It’s about spending a holiday apart from the one you love, and wishing they could be there with you. Despite the fact Karen Carpenter isn’t with her love for the holidays, she still makes sure to send a holiday message out to them, “Merry Christmas darling/ Happy New Year too”. She wishes her lover could see the lights on her tree and that they spend time by the fire together. The vocals are impeccable on this track, it’s a calming song that felt perfect to wind down my Christmas pop song playlist with. 

Of course some of the classic pop songs not mentioned on this list are included in my full Christmas playlist, which you can find linked below (click here if it doesn’t work). A YouTube playlist of all the songs mentioned in this post is also linked below. Be on the lookout during the next couple weeks to see the other two mini playlists I’ve curated for the holidays! Let me know your favorite pop Christmas songs in the comment section below!