Relient K is the biggest pop-punk band in Christian music history, I think. In 2001 they released rather dark and brooding holiday-themed songs, "Santa Claus Is Thumbing To Town" and "I Hate Christmas Parties". In 2003, they released the first version of this Christmas album as Deck The Halls, Bruise Your Hand, adding mostly quick punk-pop versions of classic carols, their masterful version of "12 Days Of Christmas", and a few slower carols leading into the piano-based ballad "I Celebrate The Day", one of the best original songs about Christmas in the past few decades. Deck The Halls... was originally a bonus disc on a re-release of their latest album, so not really a full-fledged, widely-available album. But in 2007, they added a few more holiday standards, a song that originally appeared on a The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe-related album, and a few more originals including one about "Boxing Day", to make a real album of all this Christmas fun. I love Relient K because they always have a variation in styles, both musically and lyrically. One moment, you've got a silly song, the next minute an earnest song, and then a punk rock version of the "Hallelujah Chorus". This album ends with a choral version of "Auld Lang Syne" with a personal message from the band styled after The Beach Boys' Christmas album. Or maybe there's a hidden track of a silly version of a more obscure carol there too? (In 2008, three new recordings of holiday standards were released and appear on the vinyl double album as well, though you have to look harder to find them on streaming.)

Release Year: 2007
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House Of Heroes is a great rock/pop band—one of my favorite bands of all time. On this EP, Hark! The House Of Heroes Sing, they deliver 3 songs of Christmas cheer. It's a great version of "O Holy Night" with some sort of funky keyboard melody behind the chorus. And there's a great version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Joy To The World" which is an energetic take. But my favorite is the original song "Christmas Morning"—or I at least can't find any indication that it's a cover. It's a fun reflection of how we should retain that childlike wonder "like a kid on Christmas morning" throughout our lives. It's an instant classic and honestly, I think it should be played everywhere as it's a great original holiday track. (If this keeps you wanting more, three are four more Christmas songs also recorded by House of Heroes out there on the streaming services.)

Release Year: 2014
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This album may be the best telling of the Christmas story ever put to music, in my opinion. In the year 2000, young Andrew Peterson wrote new songs to tell the story of the Israelite people, their longing for a savior, and the baby Jesus who was born to save humanity. He subtitled it "the true tall tale of the coming of Christ". And yes, what a beautiful story it is! The music includes some of Nashville finest musicians and friends of Andrew Peterson telling the story in a Nashville folk/country/bluegrass style. There's very little of the carols you know or expect on a Christmas album; this is mostly all original songs that tell the story of Jesus's birth in 42 minutes. So it's maybe not an album to listen to in the background, but it's better to put it on and listen to every word and note carefully. The 2004 original recording of this album is out of print, but this is the 20th anniversary recording of the album. For 25 years now, Andrew Peterson and his band of musicians have been playing these songs in November and December across the Bible belt of America and beyond. I did get to see them play this album and many other songs in 2019 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, and it was a very beautiful night.

Release Year: 2019
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This is another of my favorites I've been enjoying for decades. In the 1990s, Steven Curtis Chapman was one of the biggest names in Christian pop & adult contemporary music. In this first Christmas album from the artist, he hits so many of the old carols with his beautiful vocals, an acoustic guitar, and lush strings and other instrumentation. There's also plenty of original songs, like "The Music of Christmas" and "Christmas Is All In The Heart", which encourage us to listen to what God is saying and to not focus on the presents, the decorations and the parties, but to be with family and friends in this season. I also love the instrumentals; there's a medley of carols in the middle of the album as well as "Carol of the Bells", both of which are a beautiful mix of pop and symphonic music elements. I remember setting up Christmas lights in my dorm 25 Christmases ago to this album, and it doesn't really start the Christmas season for me until I give this excellent album a listen.

Release Year: 1995
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