From Manger Throne to Merriment: The Essential Christian Christmas Music Playlist 🎧
The holiday season is a symphony of sound, but for Christians, the soundtrack should be more than jingle bells and sleigh rides. Christmas music is our most potent form of worship, a tool to shift the focus from consumerism to the magnificent event in Bethlehem.
Whether you’re decorating the tree, hosting a festive meal, or spending a quiet moment in reflection, here is a compelling, comprehensive guide to the Christian Christmas music you must listen to, featuring both timeless classics and the best new releases for 2025.
1. The Contemporary Worship Powerhouses (2025 Trending)
The past few years, and especially this 2025 season, have seen an incredible output of fresh, powerful worship-focused Christmas music. These songs blend modern production with profound theological depth, making them perfect for reflective listening or church services.
- Phil Wickham’s “Manger Throne”: A modern classic that perfectly balances the solemn reverence of the birth with the power of the cross. Wickham also released “Hallelujah! It’s Christmas!” in 2024, providing a burst of pure joy.
- The Chris Tomlin & Worship Collective Sound: Look for songs like Tomlin’s “Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)” or “He Shall Reign Forevermore”. These anthems take traditional carols and inject them with the energy of a Sunday morning service.
- Elevation Worship’s “Here Comes Heaven” / “JOY!”: These tracks deliver the high-energy, celebratory sound of modern worship, reminding listeners that the arrival of Christ was the greatest spiritual breakthrough in history.
- New for 2025: Keep an ear out for fresh tracks like Tasha Layton’s “Christmas All Year Long” and Steven Curtis Chapman’s reimagined “Christmas Is All In The Heart” featuring CeCe Winans, blending two generations of Christian music royalty.
2. Reimagined Carols & Modern Pop Sensibilities
These artists take the cherished hymns of the season and infuse them with modern musical styles, making the ancient story accessible to a new generation.
- Lauren Daigle: Her album Behold and songs like “Light of the World” and her soulful rendition of “O Holy Night” offer a jazzy, New Orleans-inspired flavor that is both deeply moving and musically sophisticated.
- for KING & COUNTRY: Their A Drummer Boy Christmas album (including the standout track “Little Drummer Boy”) is known for its epic, stadium-sized percussion and powerful vocal arrangements, turning carols into cinematic events.
- Rend Collective: Their “Christmas In Belfast” album, featuring tracks like “Room At The Inn,” offers a folksy, Celtic-infused jollity that celebrates the season with playful, honest devotion.
- Katy Nichole: Her 2025 EP The Hope Of Christmas offers a contemporary pop sound, with tracks like “Our King Has Come” featuring Matt Maher, providing a gentle yet powerful modern praise.
3. Gospel & Soulful Holiday Cheer 🎶
For a dose of power, emotion, and rhythmic celebration, look no further than the best in Gospel Christmas music. This genre reminds us that the birth of Christ is a reason for unrestrained joy.
- CeCe Winans: Her voice brings unparalleled warmth and power to any track. Look for her album Joyful Joyful: A Christmas Album (2024) and her collaboration on “Christmas Is All In The Heart” (2025).
- Kirk Franklin: His classic album Christmas provides high-energy, choir-backed tracks like “Now Behold the Lamb” that are perfect for a powerful, celebratory moment of worship.
- Maverick City Music: Look for their A Very Maverick Christmas album, featuring tracks that bring a raw, collective worship experience to Christmas classics like “O Come Let Us Adore Him” and “Silent Night / Jesus We Love You.”
4. The Timeless Traditional Carols (For Quiet Reflection)
No Christmas playlist is complete without the foundational hymns that tell the story of the Incarnation. Seek out these songs in their pure form to ground your celebration in solemn truth.
- “O Holy Night”: The ultimate Christmas classic, reminding us that “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.” Listen to a pristine, powerful vocal rendition (like that of Selah or Lauren Daigle).
- “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”: A somber, yearning Advent hymn that focuses on the waiting and the deep, spiritual need for a Savior. It beautifully captures the theological significance of Christ’s arrival.
- “What Child Is This?”: Set to the haunting tune of “Greensleeves,” this carol forces us to contemplate the contrast between the helpless baby and the mighty King he is destined to be.
- “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”: A hymn that unites the historical birth with the second coming, transforming Christmas from a single day into an eternal hope.
🌟 Make Your Own Playlist
Mix these four categories! Start your day with a soulful Gospel track, drive with contemporary anthems, and end your evening with a quiet moment of reflection guided by a traditional carol.
This Christmas, let your music not just be festive, but foundational—a daily reminder that the moment the whole world changed was in a humble manger in Bethlehem.
