On the Second Day of Christmas, yours truly gave to thee, two custom playlists! (And a partridge in a pair tree, if you insist.)
This is the first time I’ve included explicitly religious music in this activity. It just felt right. So there’s a Christmas playlist of traditional music, and one of the more thematic popular music picks I usually do.
Please enjoy! Wishing you and those you love the blessings of this season of hope being born into the world.
Xmas all the way down:
Side A – Christmas per se
Spotify link | YouTube link | Purchase* links:
- Oh Come, All Ye Faithful by Theodicy Jazz Collective
- Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming by The Brilliance
- I Saw Three Ships by Candy Cane Trio
- Children, Go Where I Send Thee by Peter, Paul, & Mary or Ralph Stanley
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by Billy Blackstone
- A Cradle in Bethlehem by Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra w/ Gregory Porter
- Christmas at Sea by Sting
- O Holy Night by Tracy Chapman
- I Pray On Christmas by Harry Connick, Jr.
- The Holly and the Ivy by Alex de Grassi
- Sugar Rum Cherry by Duke Ellington Orchestra
- Go Tell It on the Mountain by Barbara Shorts & New Orleans St. Jeanne D’Arc Choir
- The Wexford Carol by Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss, & Natalie MacMaster
- Angels We Have Heard On High by The Brian Setzer Orchestra
- Little Drummer Boy by Jeff Linsky
- Silent Night by The Staple Singers (thanks, Stephen Thompson from Pop Culture Happy Hour)
- Joy To The World by Postmodern Jukebox with Von Smith
- Twelve Days of Christmas by Béla Fleck & the Flecktones
Xmas all the way down:
Side B – Wriggling in the world
Spotify link | YouTube link | Purchase* links:
- First Light by Béla Fleck & the Flecktones
- Be Born by Tally Hall (thanks to Emily Guffey)
- I Only Want To Be With You by Dusty Springfield (thanks to Jim Naughton)
- Refuge (When It’s Cold Outside) by John Legend
- Guesthouse by David Wax Museum (thanks again, Emily)
- Lullaby For Wyatt by Sheryl Crow
- Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder
- Mortal Child by Natalia Zukerman
- Kids Conspire by Royal Teeth (thanks to Chris Hamby)
- To Zion by Ms. Lauryn Hill & Carlos Santana
- Dancin’ Boy by Harry Chapin
- Starry Eyed Surprise by Paul Oakenfold & Shifty Shellshock
- Rock with You by Michael Jackson
- On The Street Where You Live by Nancy Wilson (thanks again, Jim)
- Shout, Pts. 1 & 2 by The Isley Brothers
- One Down (Live) by Ben Folds
A couple notes:
- Listening on shuffle makes the Baby Jesus cry.
- If you don’t see your Christmas playlist pick, it’s probably in the (unsequenced) supplemental list, “More Christmas 2018.”
Want more liturgically themed playlists? Here’s Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Advent. I find they’re good for targeting a certain moods, whatever the season.
* I usually keep Amazon Affiliate links out of the first two sections of the post, but it seemed needless long to repeat the list below. Thanks, as always, for supporting the site.
Related Prayer
Collect for Christmas II (BCP, Public Domain)
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Related Media
You can support Creative Commons Prayer directly on Patreon or in our store, by buying our designs on Zazzle, or by purchasing related media on Amazon.
The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman
Only “related media” in that it’s Christmas season and you might have a little extra time for reading and a gift card or two to spend. I just did a whole-series re-read and don’t regret it. Funnier and smarter than the (nevertheless great) TV show—which is kicking off Season 4 in a few weeks.
If On A Winter’s Night by Sting
My favorite of the many Christmas albums I sorted through making the Christmas playlist.