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Tis the season for singing!
We hope everyone is gearing up to have a blessed and love-filled holiday weekend in however way you decide to celebrate. Whether alone or alongside many, one thing that will be a shared activity across America is listening to some of the classic tunes of the season at hand.
Christmas albums have become so popular that Billboard has a whole separate chart specifically to track the success of songs about having a “holly jolly Christmas,” wondering if it “feels like Christmas” or simply crooning about making it “home for the holidays.”
Before we started on the subject at hand though, do us a solid and answer a quick holiday-themed question over on our Instagram:
RELATED: 25 Best Black Christmas Movies Of All Time
Going even deeper into the holiday spirit of song, there’s no denying that some of the greatest X-mas LPs have been made by Black musicians. We don’t even need to mention Boyz II Men or the unofficial (for now!) “Queen Of Christmas” herself Mariah Carey to make the message clear, but there’s a good chance that you’ll be playing holiday jams with a touch of soul when the time calls for it.
With the number 25 in mind for obvious reasons, we put together a playlist of the greatest Christmas albums made by Black musicians that will fill your home with all the melanated love available during this holiday season. Play one, or do yourself some musical justice and play them all — keep the sounds going for as long as you need it to suit those seasonal vibes!
Keep scrolling for our song selections of 25 Black Christmas albums worth spinning or streaming while opening gifts, sitting around the table for dinner and/or just winding down for a night to appreciate the simple gift of life. As always, let us know if we skipped over your faves:
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
1. Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas (1994)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
2. Boyz II Men – Christmas Interpretation (1993)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
3. A Motown Christmas (1973)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
4. The Jackson 5 – Christmas Album (1970)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
5. Stevie Wonder – Someday At Christmas (1967)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
6. Nat King Cole – The Magic of Christmas (1960)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
7. The Supremes – Merry Christmas (1965)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
8. The Temptations – Christmas Card (1970)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
9. Al Green – White Christmas (1983)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
10. Kirk Franklin & The Family – Christmas (1995)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
11. Sounds of Blackness – The Night Before Christmas…A Musical Fantasy (1992)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
12. A LaFace Family Christmas (1993)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
13. James Brown – James Brown’s Funky Christmas (1995)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
14. Babyface – Christmas With Babyface (1998)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
15. Vanessa Williams – Star Bright (1996)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
16. Aretha Franklin – This Christmas, Aretha (2008)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
17. Luther Vandross – This Is Christmas (1995)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
18. Whitney Houston – One Wish: The Holiday Album (2003)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
19. Destiny’s Child – 8 Days of Christmas (2001)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
20. Fantasia – Christmas After Midnight (2017)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
21. The Clark Sisters – The Clark Family Christmas (2009)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
22. SWV – A Special Christmas (1997)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
23. Mary Mary – A Mary Mary Christmas (2006)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
24. The Braxtons – Braxton Family Christmas (2015)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
25. New Edition – Christmas All Over The World (1985)
25 Best Black Christmas Albums Of All Time was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
