‘Tis the season.
Thanksgiving has passed, so the Christmas music haters are officially out of time to put off the caroling. Everywhere you go holiday music is in full swing, so let’s take a look at the best country version of some classic Christmas hits.
“Jingle Bell Rock”- George Strait
Starting off with a classic. When you’ve been cranking out country hits for over 40 years, you’re bound to have cut a Christmas album or three, as is the case for King George. George has recorded his own take on nearly every Christmas hit at this point, but his version of “Jingle Bell Rock” is a perfect fusion of holiday cheer and that trademark Strait twang.
“Silent Night”- Carrie Underwood
“Silent Night” might be the most covered Christmas song in the catalog, so it takes a truly unique performance to make a new version stand out. If anyone is up to that task, it’s Carrie. She perfectly blends her powerhouse vocals with a beautiful restraint to give us one of the best modern country Christmas cuts.
“Baby It’s Cold Outside”- Lady Antebellum
Who better to pull off a Christmas duet than these guys? Any version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” relies on the back and forth between Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley, and Lady A has built some of their biggest hits on a similar concept. The trio plays well off each other and creates a smooth record that does the original hit justice.
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”- Alan Jackson
Much like Strait, when you’ve been around as long as Jackson has you’re bound to have some holiday hits. Alan’s 2002 record Let It Be Christmas is my personal favorite country Christmas album of all time, and there are a half dozen tracks from it that could be the pick here. I went with “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” because it perfectly shows off Alan’s cheerful tone that fits perfectly on a Christmas cut.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”- Chris Young
This is my personal favorite Christmas song (I’m partial to the Frank Sinatra version), so I don’t take this entry lightly. Chris‘ voice brings a modern tone to the record that isn’t present on other versions, and he goes all in on hitting some of those long notes. The production makes this a warmer and fuller version than others that came before it.
“White Christmas”- Willie Nelson
Willie is not the first person I think of when it comes to country Christmas, but his reedy voice is a perfect fit for this song. It seems like some of today’s artists are afraid to get too twangy on their Christmas albums, but Willie doesn’t shy away. The unique production is what sets songs like this apart from the endless stream of carbon copy covers.
Here’s a few more for your holiday playlists: