What are your favorite Christmas/holiday albums

[Savonarola]

I find that I burn out on Christmas music quickly and I only put on Christmas albums about two weeks before the holiday.  Even then I only listen sporadically as they tend to have the same songs and just all run together.  The ones that I must hear are:

Ella Fitzgerald:  Ella wishes you a Swinging Christmas - It covers the same ground as most other albums of Christmas standards, but I personally prefer Ella's take on the hits to, say, Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole.

The Staple Singers: The 25th Day of December - Again a lot of standards, but done in a soulful blues/gospel way as only the Staple Singers could.

New York Latvian Concert Choir:  Christmas Joy in Latvia - A collection of Latvian Christmas Cantatas, I think this is great throughout and very different from most other Christmas albums.

The Beach Boys: The Beach Boys' Christmas Album - This is my favorite rock take on Christmas with the Beach Boys' gorgeous harmonies and enough original composition to keep the album fresh.

The Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas - The classic with a mixture of both original composition and Guaraldi's very jazzy take on Christmas standards.

Christopher Hogwood: Handel: Messiah - The first recorded version of the Messiah to be done on period instruments and, in my opinion, the best take on the work.

What are your must hear albums for the holidays? (not necessarily Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza or whatever albums are fine as well.)

[mongers]

Some good choices there Sav.

Though unfortunately, for me anyone of the Xmas classic singles from my childhood will do the trick, so Roy Wood, Slade et eal. 

[Grey Fox]

My English language favorite is Michael Buble's Christmas album.

My favorite favorite is a French Canadian Christmas country album by a singer call Paul Daraîche.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Twisted Sister's Christmas album is something.

I like Broken Peach's Christmas stuff.  I like BNL's too.

[Savonarola]

My English language favorite is Michael Buble's Christmas album.

My favorite favorite is a French Canadian Christmas country album by a singer call Paul Daraîche.

I could only find Daraîche's songs as part of a compilation of French Canadian Country Christmas music, but that was interesting.  I didn't realize that French Canadian Country was such a well established genre.  (It makes sense, French Canada had a tradition of folk music, like the United States, so that morphing into country would be logical.)

[Grey Fox]

My English language favorite is Michael Buble's Christmas album.

My favorite favorite is a French Canadian Christmas country album by a singer call Paul Daraîche.

I could only find Daraîche's songs as part of a compilation of French Canadian Country Christmas music, but that was interesting.  I didn't realize that French Canadian Country was such a well established genre.  (It makes sense, French Canada had a tradition of folk music, like the United States, so that morphing into country would be logical.)

It's from 2017.

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mwxYt2faIgTrBxXJdqdE5chqyi2-OK4Po&si=oHb3JbkRQbzdW4sJ

[Josephus]

Around this time of year I'll play a lot of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. They're a prog metal arena rock act that have released several Christmas themed albums and there are several versions of them touring North America in December. The Lost Christmas Eve is one of their best.

Also proggy is Jethro Tull's The Christmas Album.

I also like Jon Anderson's Three Ships

[The Minsky Moment]

Warren Wolf - Christmas Vibes
Jimmy Smith - Christmas Cookin'
Lou Rawls

[Norgy]

Maybe it is because I am a bit lost in depression and melancholy, longing after a time long gone where I could speak to my parents and feel part of a family, but I think my favourite Christmas album is just a tape my step-brother bought me in 1987 or 1988.
It had U2 singing "Santa Claus is coming to town", Madonna's version of "Santa Baby" and about 10 other songs. I played it all the time that Christmas.

I would like to mention Swedish soprano Jussi Björling's rendition of "Oh, Holy Night" as my favourite Christmas song, though.
This lacklustre list is mostly because I've never been big on Christmas since about 1982. It was always a time of conflict at home, or drunkenness with my dad. All those days off school were not good for me. As I grew up, I took extra shifts at work during Christmas to avoid it all.

[Savonarola]

Maybe it is because I am a bit lost in depression and melancholy, longing after a time long gone where I could speak to my parents and feel part of a family, but I think my favourite Christmas album is just a tape my step-brother bought me in 1987 or 1988.
It had U2 singing "Santa Claus is coming to town", Madonna's version of "Santa Baby" and about 10 other songs. I played it all the time that Christmas.

A Very Special Christmas it was made to benefit the Special Olympics.  There's a series of them, but that first one had the most hits. 

[Norgy]

Maybe it is because I am a bit lost in depression and melancholy, longing after a time long gone where I could speak to my parents and feel part of a family, but I think my favourite Christmas album is just a tape my step-brother bought me in 1987 or 1988.
It had U2 singing "Santa Claus is coming to town", Madonna's version of "Santa Baby" and about 10 other songs. I played it all the time that Christmas.

A Very Special Christmas it was made to benefit the Special Olympics.  There's a series of them, but that first one had the most hits. 

That's the one.
Norway did not have a great Winter Olympics in Calgary in '88.

Norway is of course a bit off-key when it comes to Christmas. We celebrate the 24th, close down everything for several days (except buses and railroads) and have our own Christmas songs from working class poets like Alf Prøysen.

[HisMajestyBOB]

My favorite album is the The Greatest Christmas Choral Classics (https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Christmas-Choral-Classics/dp/B0149M5TTG). All of the sounds are performed superbly by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus.

The first CD is all traditional Christmas songs. Highlights here include the haunting Coventry Carol, Gaudete (which you may remember from the EUII soundtrack ), and of course the always wonderful Carol of the Bells.

The second CD has modern hits. It starts with, of course, All I want for Christmas Is You, which, when done by a classical orchestra and choir, is just fantastic. From there you have Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bell Rock, among others. Particular favorites are Somewhere in My Memory (the theme from Home Alone) and the lovely Walking in the Air.

Highly recommended. Looks like the CD is no longer available on Amazon, but might be available elsewhere.

[Admiral Yi]

I've never owned or been around an entire Christmas album, but my favorite songs are Angels We Have Heard on High in the traditional/sacred category and Do They Know It's Christmas Time (Band Aid) in the contemporary category.  Special mention to Christmas is Coming The Goose is Getting Fat in the sing along category.

[celedhring]

Sufjan Stevens has released a shitload of Christmas songs over the years. A mix of covers of classic (and obscure) carols and original songs. I find them delightful.

They're collected in two sets:

Songs for Christmas
Silver & Gold

[Josquius]

I don't think I'd listen to a Christmas album. At Christmas I'm generally listening to very much non Christmassy songs as since Halloween I've heard more than enough Christmas songs.
There are some decent Xmas tracks that don't get radio play though I will listen to on occasion.