25 festive pop songs perfect for your holiday playlist

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“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – Michael Bublé

If Mariah Carey is the Queen of Christmas, Michael Bublé might just be the king. Bublé released his Christmas album — titled simply Christmas — in 2011, and it was a huge hit right away. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and went on to be the second best-selling album of the entire year. The next year, it was also the second best-selling holiday album of that year, and it remains his best-selling album in the US.

The album has had a lasting impact during the holiday season, and it’s filled with the crooner’s renditions of all the classics. His smooth vocals are made for bluesy songs like “Blue Christmas” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” but his rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is as perfect as they come. He doesn’t need any bells and whistles or anything fancy, just a classic cover of a holiday favorite.

Bublé’s rendition immediately brings me back to Christmas Eve as a child. Something about his voice on that song just reminds me of coming home from church and running downstairs to gaze at the lit up Christmas tree before bed, knowing that Santa is bringing presents for me to open in the morning. That feeling is only captured by classic carols like this one, and Bublé perfectly captures the spirit.