I'm a music nerd: I used to be a music writer, I've been to more concerts than I can count, and I will unironically declare that I love rock 'n' roll. And I just can't deal with cheesy Christmas music. I want to listen to Christmas music that sounds like the music I actually like. I don't seek out pop music or adult contemporary the rest of the year, so why would I want it during Christmas?
That said, I love listening to Christmas music during the holidays, as long as it's my kind of Christmas music. I love having albums that come out just once a year but when they do, it sounds like Christmastime. I've spent years cultivating a collection of songs that aren't "good for Christmas music," but just plain good. I have a few albums I always fall back on: A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector and The Beach Boys' Christmas Album are true masterpieces (as are the album covers).
This playlist combines some of my favorites from those albums, plus other holiday songs by artists I love, in my favorite genres: rock and roll, soul, motown, and country, with a little Run-D.M.C. thrown in. Read about why I keep going back to these songs, then listen to the playlist.