If you needed an excuse to blast Christmas music at full volume, congratulations, the calendar just handed you one.
Now that December has officially arrived, the holiday playlists are coming out, the peppermint mochas are flowing, and TimeOut.com has dropped its new ranking of the 50 Best Christmas Songs of All Time.
According to TimeOut, the top spot belongs to a song most of us have already heard at least six times today. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” continues its undefeated streak as the queen of modern holiday music. Whether you think it’s a masterpiece or a seasonal earworm, its grip on December is unshakeable.
Just behind it is Wham!’s “Last Christmas”, a synthy heartbreak anthem that somehow still feels cheerful enough to soundtrack a shopping mall. In third place is “Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, a song that’s emotional, messy, and beloved in the same way an ugly Christmas sweater is beloved.
Lists like this tend to spark strong opinions, partly because the soundtrack of December is so tied to nostalgia.
For some people, Christmas music means childhood memories and family gatherings. For others, it means surviving retail shifts and trying not to lose their minds as Jingle Bell Rock repeats for the 17th time. Either way, we all have that one song we think deserves better.
If you’re building a holiday playlist or just want to know where your favorites landed, TimeOut’s full Top 50 is worth checking out. And if you disagree with their rankings, don’t worry, there’s plenty of time left for spirited holiday arguing.
Here are TimeOut’s Top 20:
1. “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, Mariah Carey
2. “Last Christmas”, Wham!
3. “Fairytale of New York”, The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl
4. “Santa Tell Me”, Ariana Grande
5. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”, Darlene Love
6. “Feliz Navidad”, José Feliciano
7. “The Power of Love”, Frankie Goes to Hollywood
8. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
9. “White Christmas”, Bing Crosby
10. “Step Into Christmas”, Elton John
11. “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”, Wizzard
12. “Must Be Santa”, Kurt Vile
13. “Christmas Will Break Your Heart”, LCD Soundsystem
14. “Wonderful Christmastime”, Paul McCartney
15. “Underneath the Tree”, Kelly Clarkson
16. “Christmas Tree Farm”, Taylor Swift
17. “Dominick the Donkey”, Lou Monte
18. “Child’s Christmas in Wales”, John Cale
19. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”, The Jackson 5
20. “River”, Joni Mitchell