A couple of days ago, I posted part one of this list, Top Ten Best Christmas Songs (6-10 – CLICK HERE) and today it is time for the top FIVE best Christmas songs. Before I get to them, here are the qualifications for the over all list:
#1 Ranked Evan Wickham
Some qualifications for this list:
- I am here choosing the best Jesus-focused Christmas SONGS – not the best Jesus-focused Christmas BANDS. You’ll find on this list groups like Jars of Clay, a band that I enjoy musically a great deal, but find myself in large disagreement with the theology of some of their band members. There is also a band listed here called “Barenaked Ladies.” Now – before you get offended, please know that they are neither ladies, nor naked. They are a lovely bunch of false-advertising Canadian lads that have produced one of the great Christmas song recordings of the last twenty years. If I had a million dollars, I might just use it to fund another Christmas album by these guys. Or perhaps just invest in some fancy ketchup.
- The songs on this list are traditional Christmas songs in that they are quite clearly related to the birth of Christ. I do actually plan to do a list of some of the better secular Christmas songs, so stay tuned for that.
- There will be some absolutely amazing Christmas songs left off of this list, and that will be my fault. If you have a favorite that I am missing, then please raise up an alarm about your song in the comments section – I might expand this list in the future!
- The list is slightly skewed towards songs that aren’t massively well known, hence some great and glorious classics might be omitted. Alas.
And Now…The Top 5 Christmas Songs:
5. Andrew Peterson: Matthew’s Begats. This is going to seem to be an odd choice – how can a song based on the genealogy list of Matthew 1 be a Christmas classic? Somehow Andrew Peterson makes this a classic Christmas song – beloved by our family and all of the kids. Great for learning the lineage of Jesus and a fun little sing-a-long if you can get the words down!
Matthew’s Begats by Andrew Peterson Lyrics:
Abraham had Isaac
Isaac, he had Jacob
Jacob, he had Judah and his kin
Then Perez and Zerah
Came from Judah’s woman, Tamar
Perez, he brought Hezron up
And then came
Aram, then Amminadab
Then Nahshon, who was then the dad of Salmon
Who with Rahab fathered Boaz
Ruth, she married Boaz who had Obed
Who had Jesse
Jesse, he had David who we know as king
David, he had Solomon by dead Uriah’s wife
Solomon, well you all know him
He had good old Rehoboam
Followed by Abijah who had Asa
Asa had Jehoshaphat had Joram had Uzziah
Who had Jotham then Ahaz then Hezekiah
Followed by Manasseh who had Amon
Who was a man
Who was father of a good boy named Josiah
Who grandfathered Jehoiachin
Who caused the Babylonian captivity
Because he was a liar
Then he had Shealtiel, who begat Zerubbabel
Who had Abiud who had Eliakim
Eliakim had Azor who had Zadok who had Akim
Akim was the father of Eliud then
He had Eleazar who had Matthan who had Jacob
Now, listen very closely
I don’t want to sing this twice
Jacob was the father of Joseph
The husband of Mary
The mother of Christ
4. Hillsong: Angels We Have Heard on High. The first video (below) is my all time favorite musical version of “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Such a beautiful song, sung in such a beautiful way – especially the chorus and bridge. The second song is a live version, also by Hillsong, but done in a bit more traditional way. (Note: see disclaimers and qualifications above)
Live version:
3. Barenaked Ladies: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (And We Three Kings). I suppose I can’t think of a more surprising pairing to have produced one of the all time great Christmas song renditions, but the boys from BNL and Sarah McLachlan kill it here. Great harmony, beautiful (acoustic) instrumentation and an amazing song. The first version features McLachlan singing, and the second version doesn’t, but it is still a nice live version of this song.
Live Version:
2. Jars of Clay: Peace is Here: The next two songs are not terribly well known, which is partially why they are ranked #1 and #2. Both songs are beautiful, gospel-soaked, Christ-centered, and beautiful. “Peace is Here” is a fantastic example of poetic song writing that maintains both artistic integrity and biblical integrity. The first version is the better one musically – the second video is the live performance.
LIVE Version:
Peace is Here Lyrics:
Little children, born to chaos, sojourn by the stars appear,
Though your fears wrap all around you, love has come and peace is here.
Men to men, in violent rapture,
Wars lay sons in fields unknown,
Hope to quell the disappointment,
Justice born and mercy shown,
Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Gloria, Gloria, peace is here.
Angels sing in righteous envy,
Kings of Earth kneel by the throne,
Born to push against the fall, as far as the curse is found.
Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Peace is here, peace is here.
- What Kind of Child is This? – Evan Wickham This is an utterly amazing, and sadly unsung, Christmas song that is almost perfect. Beautiful, hopeful and worshipful lyrics combine with some excellent production, and Evan’s smooth voice to create something wonderful. I am genuinely surprised that more people don’t know this song (or Evan himself) better.
Evan Wickham – What Kind of Child is This? Lyrics:
Honorable Mention: Some Great Christmas Music!
Before there was Pentatonix….there was GO FISH:
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