58 Best Modern Christmas Songs to Spread Holiday Cheer
All the popular new tunes – from pop, to country to Christian – that will have you rockin’ around the Christmas tree.
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No matter where you go during the holiday season– whether it be to a supermarket, stores or church – you can’t escape the Christmas spirit, especially the jingles that come with it. You’ll catch yourself singing along to the top modern Christmas songs while you run your holiday errands, and before you know it, the catchy lyrics of songs like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” will be stuck in your head all day, every day. It's great!
Before you even get the chance to add some of the best all-time Christmas hits into your holiday rotation, new songs from your favorite artists will surely find you during your last-minute gift runs. And while you can name all the major tunes from the season, if you can’t quite remember the name of a newer ditty that you need to add to your playlist, don’t worry! With our list of the best modern Christmas songs, you’ll be able to find numbers from your favorite genres – from country holiday hits by artists like Dolly Parton to Christian ballads performed by groups like Pentatonix.
Although many of the songs here are originals and newly released, some are covers of classics that will help remind you why the holidays are so special. Spread some extra holiday cheer with these festive tracks that are sure to keep the season merry and bright.
"Christmas Tree Farm" by Taylor Swift
Inspired by her childhood growing up on a Christmas tree farm (yes, really!), this festive track from Taylor Swift is filled with all the holiday magic you'll ever need this season.
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"Santa, Can’t You Hear Me" by Kelly Clarkson (feat. Ariana Grande)
"Santa, Can’t You Hear Me" by Kelly Clarkson (feat. Ariana Grande)
The two pop queens show off their vocal range and beg Santa to give them what they want for Christmas on this live version of "Santa, Can't You Hear Me" released just last year.
"Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande
This catchy single from Ariana Grande — in which she asks Santa not to have her fall in love if the guy won't be in her life the next Christmas — is perhaps one of the most popular holiday tracks released in recent years.
"I'll Be Home For Christmas" by Camila Cabello
"I'll Be Home For Christmas" by Camila Cabello
What better place to be than home for Christmas? You might recognize Bing Crosby's hit, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" in this cover by Camila Cabello with a twist of mariachi.
"Christmas On The Square" by Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton blessed us all with a new Christmas album, titled A Holly Dolly Christmas, back in 2020, and we especially love this folksy bluegrass track — which is also the title track from Dolly's Netflix Christmas film.
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R&B singer Chris Brown (loved for his version of "This Christmas"), released a new Christmas tune in 2022. His smooth, melodic voice delivers images of snow angels, mistletoe, gathering with family, spreading love and everything else that makes the holidays magical on this lighthearted track.
Oh Santa!" by Mariah Carey (feat. Ariana Grande & Jennifer Hudson)
A Christmas song that combines the powerhouse vocals of Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson? Um, hit play, immediately!
Capitol "The Christmas Song" by Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo puts an R&B spin on several Christmas classics in his debut holiday album, Another Kind of Christmas (2019). Our favorite is this rendition of "The Christmas Song." The album also includes five original holiday tracks.
"Make You Mine This Season" by Tegan and Sara
If you've watched the Christmas rom-com "Happiest Season," you probably remember this fun indie pop song from the movie's soundtrack, from sister-duo Tegan and Sara.
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Popular a capella group Pentatonix has plenty of great Christmas songs — but one of their most popular is this cover of "Hallelujah," and it's easy to understand why.
"Like It's Christmas" by the Jonas Brothers
The Jo Bros released "Like It's Christmas" in 2019, making it the first holiday hit from Nick, Kevin, and Joe in more than a decade (the last one they released was "Girl of My Dreams" in 2007). The song is about being so in love that every day feels like Christmas. Aw!
"You Make It Feel Like Christmas" by Gwen Stefani (feat. Blake Shelton)
Calling all fans of The Voice! If you love the power couple that is Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, you definitely need to add this holiday duet to your playlist.
"How Could This Be Christmas?" by Mandy Moore
Need a holiday tune to capture that lonely-during-Christmas feeling? This tender, wistful song released in 2020 by This Is Us actress and singer Mandy Moore is perfect for that.
"Candy Cane Lane" is an upbeat jingle from Sia's first holiday album, Every Day is Christmas (2017), which features 10 original Christmas songs from the famed "Chandelier" singer.
"Little Drummer Boy" by Carrie Underwood (feat. Isaiah Fisher)
Fun fact: This powerful 2020 rendition of the Christmas classic "Little Drummer Boy" from Carrie Underwood features vocals from her then-5-year-old son!
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Michael Bublé
No holiday music playlist is complete without Michael Bublé — especially when it comes to his magical cover of this true Christmas classic.
"Christmas Makes Me Cry" by Kacey Musgraves
Sometimes we just need a slow, sad Christmas song to cry to — and this emotional ballad from country singer Kacey Musgraves will do the trick.
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey
I mean, is there any modern Christmas song that's more iconic than Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You"? This ultimate holiday bop consistently lands in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Holiday 100 every Christmas season, even years after its release.
This song, from Justin Bieber's first Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe, will inspire you to get up and dance. In 2011, Bieber told MTV News,"It's something that I feel like they're going to be singing every Christmas." Turns out, he was totally right.
"8 Days of Christmas" by Destiny's Child
Blasting Destiny's Child always gets the party started. Add this song to your holiday playlist for a throwback hit that still feels modern — even if this song did come out almost 20 years ago.
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