16 of the Best Celebrity Christmas Albums of All Time

As soon as the Halloween candy hits the clearance shelf, something else happens like clockwork every year. A metaphorical door opens, and the Mariah Carey classic "All I Want for Christmas Is You" begins its annual journey to take over the music and streaming charts.

Not only has this song been streamed more than 600 million times, it is the best-selling holiday song of all time and one of the top-selling singles in any genre of music. Mariah has officially embraced the title of Queen of Christmas and can enjoy her holiday season cashing her royalty checks and watching her 28-year-old song climb the charts yet again.

So yes, Mariah is the ultimate celebrity when it comes to Christmas music, but nobody wants to get through the whole holiday season just listening to one song by one celebrity. A really joyful holiday season requires a variety of musical options.

We need music for wrapping presents, music to play while driving around looking at holiday lights, music to decorate the Christmas tree to, and some mellow music for sipping hot chocolate by the fireplace. And let's be grown-ups here and admit that we even want some sexy Christmas music to play while we get tangled up in the tinsel or do some making out under the mistletoe!

The good news is that there is a celebrity Christmas song or album for every holiday mood. Consider this the ultimate guide for building the perfect winter playlist featuring some of our favorite singers and hitting some of the biggest vibes of the holiday season.

NSYNC for Instant Nostalgia

The year was 1998. Justin Timberlake's tips were frosted, Lance Bass was still in the closet, and NSYNC fans were rejoicing in their Christmas gift, the album Home for Christmas. We're not to proud to confess that we sometimes miss those boy band days and that we think the a cappella version of "O Holy Night" on this album is legitimately great.

Michael Bublé's Classic Christmas

Michael Bublé has a timeless voice, so it makes sense that his Christmas album (appropriately titled Christmas) is filled with covers of classic songs like "Santa Baby" and "Jingle Bells." This is the one for playing in the background during family Christmas celebrations — completely festive, appropriate, and familiar for everyone from little kids to grandma and grandpa.

Ariana Grande's Sexy Christmas Vibes

Remember how we said there needs to be some Christmas music to make out to? Well, Ariana Grande has that covered with her 2015 mini-album, Christmas & Chill. With only six songs (all original, so no covers of holiday classics), this album is short, sweet, and in the words of one reviewer "extremely horny." That's bound to jingle some bells — wink wink.

Jimmy Fallon's Very 2021 Christmas Jam

There are some Christmas songs that are timeless classics. Then there is It Was a Masked Christmas from Jimmy Fallon, Ariana Grande, and Megan Thee Stallion, which is super 2021 and talks about the special joy of getting COVID-19 booster shots for Christmas. It's actually kind of a fun bop, but we really hope it isn't still relevant next year!

John Legend & Kelly Clarkson's Updated Classic

Baby It's Cold Outside is a 78-year-old song that seems to inspire fiery debate every year. Some folks think the lyrics are creepy and hint at sexual coercion. Other folks find it flirty and that it shows a woman slyly subverting social norms of her day. One could seriously spend a whole day falling down an internet rabbit hole of people fighting about this song. Kelly Clarkson and John Legend sidestep this whole debate by rewriting the more questionable lyrics and making it a more modern duet, perfect for listening to with tweens and teens so parents can follow up with a festive talk about consent.

Kanye West's Grown-Up Party Vibe

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In the last few years, Kanye West, or Ye as he's now known, has been in the news for so many things other than music that it can be easy to forget how talented he is. His Christmas in Harlem is a total grown-ups-dancing-around-the-Christmas-tree-after-the-kids-have-gone-to-bed vibe.

Zooey Deschanel's Hipster Holiday

Elf star and always quirky-cute Zooey Deschanel is one half of the musical duo She & Him. Their Christmas album A Very She & Him Christmas is filled with folk-inspired covers of classics. This mellow vibe pairs well with an afternoon of baking or present wrapping.

RuPaul — Do We Need To Say More?

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There are two kinds of people: those who already knew that RuPaul has a Christmas album, and those whose day just got a whole lot more fabulous when they heard this news. RuPaul's Christmas Party is perfect for when someone wants to keep a festive feeling flowing but needs a break from all the classic Christmas songs and covers of classic Christmas songs. Spike the eggnog, put on this album, and dance for your life!

Kelly Clarkson's Christmas Divorce Anthem

Kelly Clarkson always has the perfect songs for surviving breakups, so why should Christmas be any different? Her 2021 Christmas album, When Christmas Comes Around, is filled with great songs to sing along to, but anyone who has ever been through a split will be putting the track "Christmas Isn't Canceled (Just You)" on repeat this year.

John Legend's Smooth Sounds

John Legend is the epitome of cool, year-round, so it's no surprise that his A Legendary Christmas album is as smooth as a fresh piece of wrapping paper. A perfect choice for parents to listen to while drinking some wine by the fireplace.

Josh Groban for Die-Hard Christmas Lovers

So here's the thing: If someone doesn't love Josh Groban's ridiculously good album Noël, they probably don't actually love Christmas. This album, which is one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time, is the jam for driving around on a dark night to look at holiday lights.

A Country Christmas With Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton has been making music for more than six decades and has more than 50 studio albums, including two Christmas ones. Her album A Holly Dolly Christmas is a countrified classic that features guest appearances from Jimmy Fallon, Michael Bublé, Miley Cyrus, and Willie Nelson.

Sad Christmas Feels With Phoebe Bridgers

Sometimes the holidays are stressful and overwhelming, and a mom just wants to take a minute to feel all the feelings. Phoebe Bridgers is the the queen of sad music, so her versions of "If We Make It to December" and "Have a Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" are the official soundtrack for sitting by the Christmas tree in the dark, having a little cry.

A Quiet Christmas Morning With Robert Downey Jr.

Iron Man fans might not realize that Robert Downey Jr. has some pipes! His gravely voiced cover of the Joni Mitchell classic "River" and his version of "White Christmas" are a cozy listen while getting Christmas morning coffee and cinnamon rolls going and before the mayhem of present opening begins.

Whitney Houston: Still a Soulful Classic

It's hard to believe that it has been more than 10 years since Whitney Houston died. She was truly one of the best voices of her generation, and her Christmas album One Wish/The Holiday Album is a soulful classic, which many families might love listening to in the car on the way to Christmas Eve services or while wrapping presents.

Brand New Backstreet Boys

In 2022, the Backstreet Boys — who, yes, are still performing together as a boyband — released a Christmas album called A Very Backstreet Christmas. It includes their take on classics including "Last Christmas" and "Silent Night."