Ah, Christmas. It’s as exhausting as it is beautiful and melodic. It’s no secret that the holiday season is the busiest of all and involves countless chores. Between the comings and goings to visit loved ones, last-minute gift shopping, recipe tasting, and family traditions that fall into our laps, there’s hardly any time to take a break.
But, regardless of the intense hustle and bustle, there’s one thing you should always reserve a special space for: getting back to Christmas music and enjoying the best soundtracks that get you in the holiday spirit.
After all, what would Christmas be without listening to cheesy, cloying, or just plain nostalgic music?
Just as the month of December is right around the corner, chances are you’re looking for a combination of syrupy songs and modern versions of Christmas hits. Whether you’re feeling very festive or very introspective, we’ve got a great selection of soundtracks that are sure to stir up feelings of wellbeing and joy.
In no particular order, here are the top seven Christmas movie soundtracks to get you in the holiday spirit. So put on your headphones and curl up with these themes that have delighted the big screen and have remained in our hearts.
1. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Music by Vince Guaraldi | CBS
Is it possible to celebrate Christmas without watching A Charlie Brown Christmas?
This 1965 animated special has become a classic in the United States and many other countries. Produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez, A Charlie Brown Christmas features the beloved characters from the Peanuts comic strip as they quietly rebel against the commercialization of Christmas.
It’s fair to say that Vince Guaraldi Trio’s poignant and strangely somber score struck a chord with audiences and critics alike. In this regard, Guaraldi’s magical and quirky musical arrangements managed to bring a deep resonance to the story, as they aptly captured the contradictory emotions of joy and sadness that many people experience during the holidays.
The soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas has been designated for permanent preservation by the Library of Congress. Highlights include original compositions such as Linus And Lucy and Christmas Time Is Here.
With an unorthodox mix of traditional Christmas music and jazz, Guaraldi gave us an iconic work in its own right.
2. Home Alone (1990)
Music by John Williams | 20th Century Studios
Released in 1990, Home Alone catapulted the talented Macaulay Culkin to stardom and featured great actors such as Daniel Stern, Joe Pesci, Catherine O’Hara and John Heard.
The comedy revolves around Kevin McCallister (Culkin), an 8-year-old boy who accidentally stays at home in Winnetka while his family goes on vacation to Paris. At first, he is thrilled to be alone, but soon finds himself forced to protect his home from two bumbling burglars.
Featuring scores by prolific American composer and conductor John Williams and renowned holiday hits, the Home Alone film has some of the most memorable music of the season. Recall that Williams has an unparalleled catalog, and has been responsible for scores for Star Wars, Jaws, Harry Potter, E.T., among others. So far, he has accumulated five Oscar Awards and more than 50 nominations.
In Home Alone the music is a character in itself, and is able to convey the innocence of childhood, Kevin’s antics, family moments and above all, the spirit of the holidays.
Thirty years later, Home Alone remains a Christmas classic for families everywhere. The theme song Somewhere In My Memory, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
3. Elf (2003)
Music by John Denby | New Line Cinema
The endearing comedy Elf, starring Will Ferrel and Zooey Deschanel, has been hailed as a modern classic and often ranks among the best Christmas movies of all time.
Directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum, it tells the story of an orphan who mistakenly gets into Santa’s gift bag and is transported to the North Pole and raised as an elf. Years later, Buddy learns that he is not really an elf and sets out on a journey to New York to find his true identity.
At the time, this hilarious production was a huge box-office hit and spawned a Broadway musical and a stop-motion animation special.
Elf was the first collaboration between Favreau and composer John Debney, which would later lead to joint projects such as Iron Man 2 and The Jungle Book. Since the film is about Santa Claus and his elves, Debney’s music is brimming with joy, freshness and Christmas sentiment.
For Elf, Jon Favreau asked Debney for a “timeless” musical approach, and the composer came up with an unpredictably playful orchestral score that lingers in the memory long after the film has ended.
4. Love Actually (2003)
Music by Craig Armstrong | Universal Pictures
When Love Actually was released more than 20 years ago, it was a huge box office hit and became an overnight sensation. Audiences loved the cast of established actors, the touching intertwined love stories, its British aura and magnetic music.
Like the film, Craig Armstrong’s soundtrack is like a cup of hot chocolate on a rainy day: delicious, comforting and addictive. With its sounds, Armstrong was able to evoke the warm feelings of gazing at a newly decorated tree or curling up in front of the fire with someone special.
Love Actually includes beautiful covers of Love Is All Around Us and All I Want For Christmas Is You, courtesy of the talented Bill Nighy and Olivia Olson, respectively. But, the repertoire does not end there, the film also features emotional and well-known songs by Kelly Clarkson, Dido, Nora Jones, Beach Boys and The Calling.
5. Last Christmas (2019)
Music by Theodore Shapiro | Universal Pictures
If you like George Michael and love the holiday season, this is the movie for you! Michael’s music plays a pivotal role in Last Christmas, hence the title of the production, which takes its name from a song written and performed by the artist.
Directed by comedic genius Paul Feig, with a screenplay by Emma Thompson and Bryony Kimmings, Last Christmas is a romantic comedy starring Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke and Crazy Rich Asians actor Henry Golding.
As the story opens, Clarke’s Kate finds herself in a terrible spiral: she has no fixed place to live, is dangerously close to losing her job, and has been drifting away from family and friends.
In truth, the film is not quite a love story. Rather, it’s the story of Kate’s struggle to recover from a heart transplant and figure out how to feel good in the world again; Last Christmas is often divisive among viewers. For every person who loves it, there’s another who doesn’t.
But there is one thing most can agree on: the movie has a great soundtrack.
Last Christmas is packed with songs from the late pop icon George Michael’s musical career. The film incorporates more than 10 tracks from Michael and Wham!, including Waiting For That Day, Praying For Time, Too Funky, Fantasy and an unreleased song titled This Is How (We Want You To Get High).
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Music by Danny Elfman | Walt Disney Productions
Produced and conceived by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick, The Nightmare Before Christmas follows the story of Jack Skellington, the king of “Halloween Town,” who stumbles upon “Christmas Town” and plans to take over the holiday. You may be wondering: is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas movie? Will we hear the soundtrack over and over again? The answer is yes to all of them!
The music and lyrics for this soundtrack were written by the versatile Danny Elfman. For this ambitious project, Elfman was inspired by classic popular composers. In his own words: “I wanted it to sound like it was written 50 or 100 years ago, so I turned to my own influences for that stuff. Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera, which was a major thing in my life, was a source, as well musicals from Cole Porter and Gershwin, and to a certain extent, Rodgers and Hammerstein.”
Straddling Halloween and Christmas, Elfman manages to combine in the soundtrack the joy and fervor of Christmas with the terror of Halloween.
More than thirty years after its release, The Nightmare Before Christmas remains an animated masterpiece, and Elfman’s music is one of the main reasons why. In 1993, the soundtrack was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
7. The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)
Music by Miles Goodman | Walt Disney Productions
Upon its debut in 1992, The Muppets Christmas Carol was a modest box office success, but has since become a Christmas classic and is considered one of the most faithful reinterpretations of Charles Dickens’ classic novel A Christmas Carol. It was the first feature film produced after the untimely death of Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, and was directed by Brian Henson (Jim’s son).
With Gonzo narrating as Mr. Dickens himself, The Muppets Christmas Carol is one of the most genuine adaptations of miser Ebenezer Scrooge’s story of redemption. This version of the Christmas classic has it all: the hilarious antics of the Muppets, a great performance by Michael Caine as Scrooge, a heartfelt message about second chances and the power of kindness, and an extraordinarily sensitive score.
It is undeniable that much of the film’s success is due to the songs written by Paul Williams, and the score by composer Miles Goodman. Of course, there can’t be a Muppets movie without bold, catchy musical numbers, and The Muppets Christmas Carol has several of them, ranging from the touching Scrooge to the haunting Marley and Marley.