This random Christmas song generator draws carols, popular standards and children's songs, from medieval hymns to this century's singles. Each card gives the year, the writers and one line about the song.
Read the full guide
Fill a carol service or a playlist
Press Pick 5 new songs for five titles. Each card shows when the song was written or first published, who wrote it and one fact. Choose an era in the Any era menu, from Before 1800 to 2000 on. Open More filters to keep to carols, popular songs or children's songs.
Where the list comes from
Carols come from Wikipedia's list of Christmas carols: the English section, plus carols in other languages that many language editions cover. Popular songs come from its list of popular Christmas singles in the United States. Year and writers were read in each song's own article. A song marked Traditional has no known date.
Tips
No words of any song are printed here, so bring a hymn book or a song sheet.
A carol's year is often the year its words were written; the tune may be older or newer.
Songs marked Traditional have no era, so they appear only when the menu says Any era.
Questions and answers
What is the oldest Christmas song on the list?
The Friendly Beasts is traced to twelfth-century France, and Puer Natus in Bethlehem has a thirteenth-century Latin text. Choose Before 1800 in the Any era menu to draw only songs of that age.
Is it only religious carols?
No. About half the list is carols and hymns. The rest is popular songs such as Winter Wonderland and Jingle Bell Rock, and children's songs about Santa Claus, snowmen and reindeer. Open More filters and choose a kind.
Why is a Christmas hit missing?
A popular song is listed when Wikipedia's list of Christmas singles shows two or more recordings of it, or when its article exists in five or more other languages. A few were left out by hand, mostly songs that are not about Christmas.
Does it play the songs?
No. The page gives titles, years and writers only. It has no recordings, no lyrics and no links to players, so it works as a prompt for a choir list, a playlist or a quiz.
A Virgin Unspotted1661. English traditional. Said to be based on a similar carol, A Virgin Most Pure.
Adam Lay Ybounden15th century. Author unknown. A Middle English text set to music by many later composers.
Angels from the Realms of Glory1816. James Montgomery. First printed in a Sheffield newspaper on Christmas Eve.
Angels We Have Heard on High1862. James Chadwick, from a French carol. English words sung to the hymn tune Gloria.
As with Gladness Men of Old1859. William Chatterton Dix. An Epiphany hymn, written while he was ill in bed.
Away in a Manger1882. Author unknown. First published in the late nineteenth century.
The Babe in Bethlem's MangerTraditional. English folk carol. Also called the Old Kentish Carol.
Bethlehem Down1927. Peter Warlock, words by Bruce Blunt. A carol for choir, set to a poem.
Boar's Head Carol15th century. English traditional. Describes a boar's head served at a Yuletide feast.
Brightest and Best1811. Reginald Heber. A hymn that is sometimes counted as a carol.
Calypso Carol1964. Michael Perry. Often introduced as a traditional folk carol from the West Indies.
Show all 139 songs (128 more)
Carols and hymns, continued
Candlelight Carol1984. John Rutter. First recorded by his own group, the Cambridge Singers.
Carol of the Bells1916. Mykola Leontovych. Based on the Ukrainian New Year song Shchedryk.
The Cherry-Tree CarolTraditional. English ballad. Both a Christmas carol and one of the Child Ballads.
Children, Go Where I Send TheeTraditional. African American spiritual. Also known as The Holy Baby and Born in Bethlehem.
Christians, Awake, Salute the Happy Morn1766. John Byrom, music by John Wainwright. Usually sung to the tune called Yorkshire.
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus1744. Charles Wesley. An Advent and Christmas carol sung to several tunes.
Coventry Carol16th century. English traditional. Performed in Coventry as part of a mystery play.
Deck the Halls1862. Thomas Oliphant, to a Welsh melody. The tune belongs to a winter carol, Nos Galan.
Ding Dong Merrily on High1924. George Ratcliffe Woodward. Words set to an old dance tune from a French dance book.
Down in Yon ForestTraditional. English traditional. Dates to the Renaissance; also called All Bells in Paradise.
El Cant dels OcellsTraditional. Catalan traditional. Made famous abroad by Pau Casals on the cello.
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen16th century. Author unknown. Known in English as Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming.
Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains1869. John Menzies Macfarlane. Written for a Christmas program in St. George, Utah.
The First Noel1823. English traditional. A carol with Cornish origins.
The Friendly Beasts12th century. French traditional. About the gifts of a donkey, cow, sheep, camel and dove.
Gabriel's MessageTraditional. Basque folk carol. Tells of the Annunciation; English by Sabine Baring-Gould.
Gaudete1582. Author unknown. Published in the collection Piae Cantiones.
Gloucestershire Wassail18th century. English traditional. Also known as Wassail! Wassail! All Over the Town.
Go Tell It on the Mountain1909. African American spiritual. First printed in a compilation of folk songs.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemenc. 1760. English traditional. Also known as Tidings of Comfort and Joy.
Good King Wenceslas1853. John Mason Neale. Tells of a tenth-century king of Bohemia.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing1739. Charles Wesley, music by Felix Mendelssohn. Words later amended by George Whitefield.
Here We Come A-wassailingc. 1850. English traditional. A carol and New Year song, sung while wassailing.
The Holly and the IvyTraditional. British folk carol. Traced to the early nineteenth century.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day1863. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Based on his poem Christmas Bells.
I Saw Three Ships1833. English traditional. The earliest printed version is from the 17th century.
In Dulci Jubilo14th century. Traditional. Its original text mixes German and Latin.
In the Bleak Midwinter1872. Christina Rossetti. A poem, set to music by Gustav Holst and by Harold Darke.
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly1920. Polish traditional. English words written in 1920 for a traditional Polish carol.
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear1849. Edmund Sears. Written by a pastor in Wayland, Massachusetts.
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree18th century. Author unknown. A poem set to music by a number of composers.
Joy to the World1719. Isaac Watts, tune arranged by Lowell Mason. The tune is attributed to George Frideric Handel.
Little Donkey1959. Eric Boswell. Describes the journey to Bethlehem on the donkey of the title.
The Lord at First Did Adam Make1822. West Country traditional. First published in Davies Gilbert's collection.
Love Came Down at Christmas1885. Christina Rossetti. A poem first published without a title.
Masters in This Hallc. 1860. William Morris. Words set to an old French dance tune.
O Come, All Ye Faithful1751. Attributed to John Francis Wade and others. Also known by its Latin title, Adeste Fideles.
O Holy Night1847. Adolphe Adam, words by Placide Cappeau. Based on the French poem Minuit, chrétiens.
O Little Town of Bethlehem1868. Phillips Brooks. Sung to different tunes on each side of the Atlantic.
O Tannenbaum1824. German traditional. Known in English as O Christmas Tree.
Of the Father's Heart Begotten1582. Words after Aurelius Prudentius. Based on a Latin poem by a Roman poet.
Once in Royal David's City1848. Cecil Frances Alexander. First published in her Hymns for Little Children.
Past Three O'ClockTraditional. English traditional. Loosely based on the call of the London waits.
Puer Natus in Bethlehem13th century. Author unknown. A medieval Latin hymn with a fourteenth-century tune.
Quelle est cette odeur agréable?17th century. French traditional. A French carol about the Nativity.
Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow19th century. African American spiritual. Tells of a star in the East.
The Rocking Carol1928. Percy Dearmer, from a Czech carol. A lullaby, also known as Little Jesus, Sweetly Sleep.
Sans Day CarolTraditional. Cornish traditional. Named after the Cornish village of St Day.
See, Amid the Winter's Snow1858. Edward Caswall, music by John Goss. Also known as The Hymn for Christmas.
The Seven Joys of MaryTraditional. English traditional. A carol on a theme from medieval art and writing.
Shepherds Arise19th century. Author unknown. First recorded in a manuscript from a Dorset parish.
Silent Night1818. Franz Xaver Gruber, words by Joseph Mohr. Composed in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.
Sir ChristèmasBefore 1510. Author unknown. First recorded in the Ritson Manuscript.
Star of the East1890. George Cooper, music by Amanda Kennedy. The music was arranged for an earlier song, Star of the Sea.
Sussex Carol17th century. English traditional. Its words were first published by Luke Wadding.
Sweet Little Jesus Boy1934. Robert MacGimsey. First recorded by the baritone Lawrence Tibbett.
This Endris Night15th century. Author unknown. Two versions survive from the 15th century.
Unto Us Is Born a Son14th century. Author unknown. A medieval carol, in Latin Puer nobis nascitur.
We Three Kings1857. John Henry Hopkins Jr.. Original title Three Kings of Orient.
We Wish You a Merry ChristmasTraditional. English traditional. The famous version is from the English West Country.
What Child Is This?1865. William Chatterton Dix. Set to the tune of Greensleeves.
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks1700. Nahum Tate. Describes the Annunciation to the Shepherds.
Popular Christmas songs 52
A Holly Jolly Christmas1964. Johnny Marks. Most famously performed by Burl Ives.
Blue Christmas1948. Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson. Most famously recorded by Elvis Presley.
Christmas Lights2010. Coldplay. Written in December 2008 and released two years later.
The Christmas Song1945. Robert Wells and Mel Tormé. First recorded by the Nat King Cole Trio.
Christmas Time (1985)1985. Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. His most popular Christmas song.
Christmas Time (Is Here Again)1967. The Beatles. Recorded for the band's fan club Christmas record.
Christmas Tree Farm2019. Taylor Swift. Written on the first day of December.
Cozy Little Christmas2018. Katy Perry, Greg Wells and Ferras Alqaisi. First released in November 2018.
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy1892. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. From the ballet The Nutcracker, set on Christmas Eve.
Do You Hear What I Hear?1962. Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne. Written as a plea for peace.
Feliz Navidad1970. José Feliciano. Built on a traditional Spanish Christmas greeting.
Grown-Up Christmas List1989. David Foster and Linda Thompson-Jenner. Written for a television Christmas program.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas1944. Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. Sung by Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis.
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday1973. Roy Wood. Recorded by the English glam rock band Wizzard.
I'll Be Home for Christmas1943. Kim Gannon and Walter Kent. Recorded by Bing Crosby.
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas1951. Meredith Willson. Perry Como was the first to record it.
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year1963. Edward Pola and George Wyle. Recorded by Andy Williams for his first Christmas album.
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring1723. Johann Sebastian Bach. The chorale from an Advent cantata.
Jingle Bell Rock1957. Joe Beal and Jim Boothe. First released by Bobby Helms.
Jingle Bells1857. James Lord Pierpont. One of the most commonly sung Christmas songs in the world.
Last Christmas1984. George Michael. Released by the duo Wham!
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!1945. Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. Written in Hollywood during a heatwave.
The Little Drummer Boy1941. Katherine Kennicott Davis. Originally known as Carol of the Drum.
Little Saint Nick1963. Brian Wilson and Mike Love. First released by the Beach Boys in December 1963.
Mary's Boy Child1956. Jester Hairston. Most associated with Harry Belafonte.
Mary, Did You Know?1991. Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene. Words written in 1984, music in 1991.
Mele Kalikimaka1949. R. Alex Anderson. The title is a Hawaiian form of Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas (2021)2021. Ed Sheeran and Elton John. Released as a single in December 2021.
Merry Christmas Baby1947. Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore. First recorded by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers.
Merry Xmas Everybody1973. Noddy Holder and Jim Lea. Released by the British rock band Slade.
Mistletoe2011. Justin Bieber, Nasri Atweh and Adam Messinger. Lead single from a Christmas album.
My Only Wish (This Year)2000. Brian Kierulf and Josh Schwartz. Recorded by Britney Spears for Platinum Christmas.
Oh Santa!2010. Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox. From the album Merry Christmas II You.
Petit Papa Noël1946. Raymond Vincy and Henri Martinet. Recorded by the French singer Tino Rossi for a film.
Please Come Home for Christmas1960. Charles Brown and Gene Redd. Released by the blues singer and pianist Charles Brown.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree1958. Johnny Marks. Recorded by Brenda Lee.
Run Rudolph Run1958. Chuck Berry. Credited on the label to Johnny Marks and M. Brodie.
Santa Baby1953. Joan Javits and Philip Springer. Performed by Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra.
Santa Tell Me2014. Ariana Grande, Savan Kotecha and Ilya Salmanzadeh. Released as a single in November 2014.
Santa's Coming for Us2017. Sia and Greg Kurstin. Lead single from the album Everyday Is Christmas.
Silver Bells1950. Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Debuted in the film The Lemon Drop Kid.
Sleigh Ride1948. Leroy Anderson, words by Mitchell Parish. A light orchestra piece, begun during a heat wave.
Step into Christmas1973. Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Released in November 1973.
Thank God It's Christmas1984. Brian May and Roger Taylor. A Christmas single by the band Queen.
(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays1954. Robert Allen and Al Stillman. About the joys of being home for the holidays.
This Christmas1970. Donny Hathaway and Nadine McKinnor. Released by the soul musician Donny Hathaway.
Underneath the Tree2013. Kelly Clarkson and Greg Kurstin. From her first Christmas album, Wrapped in Red.
We Need a Little Christmas1966. Jerry Herman. From the Broadway musical Mame.
White Christmas1942. Irving Berlin. Written for the film Holiday Inn.
Winter Wonderland1934. Felix Bernard and Richard Bernhard Smith. First recorded by Richard Himber.
Wonderful Christmastime1979. Paul McCartney. Recorded during sessions for the album McCartney II.
You Make It Feel Like Christmas2017. Gwen Stefani, Justin Tranter, Blake Shelton and busbee. Title song of a Christmas album.
Children's and novelty songs 14
All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth1944. Donald Yetter Gardner. Written by a music teacher in Smithtown.
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)1958. Ross Bagdasarian. The high voices were made by varying the tape speed.
Christmas Time Is Here1965. Vince Guaraldi and Lee Mendelson. Written for the TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Dominick the Donkey1960. Ray Allen, Sam Saltzberg and Wandra Merrell. Recorded by Lou Monte; the donkey helps Santa Claus.
Frosty the Snowman1950. Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson. First recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys.
Here Comes Santa Claus1947. Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman. Originally performed by Gene Autry.
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus1952. Tommie Connor. First recorded by Jimmy Boyd.
Nuttin' for Christmas1955. Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett. A novelty hit of the 1955 holiday season.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer1949. Johnny Marks. Based on a 1939 story; Gene Autry's record reached No. 1.
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town1934. J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. First recorded by Harry Reser and His Orchestra.
Snoopy's Christmas1967. George David Weiss, Hugo & Luigi. Recorded by The Royal Guardsmen.
The Twelve Days of Christmas1780. Traditional, with additions by Frederic Austin. A cumulative song and nursery rhyme.
Up on the Housetop1864. Benjamin Hanby. Recorded by Gene Autry in 1953.
You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch1966. Albert Hague and Dr. Seuss. Written for an animated television special.
How this list was compiled: Membership is by rule and the facts were read on 2026-10-01 from English Wikipedia. Carols: every carol with its own article in the English section of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christmas_carols, plus carols from its other sections whose article exists in ten or more other language editions. Popular songs: songs with their own article in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_popular_Christmas_singles_in_the_United_States that the list shows in two or more recordings, or whose article exists in five or more other language editions. The two rules gave 180 articles (86 of them from the carol list). 41 were left out after a person read each one: albums, a poem and other articles that are not a song, songs that are not about Christmas or winter festivities, songs about a war, a famine or another hard subject, flirtatious songs, one carol whose article sits under another title, and a few where year and writers could not be stated plainly. The year is the year the words or music were written or first published, or the year of the first recording for a popular song, as the carol list or the song's own article gives it; a carol with no known date is marked Traditional and has no era. The writers are those the carol list or the article names. The one line after them is ours, written from the opening of the song's article, and the years and names in every row were compared by script with the fetched article text and list rows after this file was written. The list holds 139 songs: 73 carols and hymns, 52 popular songs and 14 children's and novelty songs (the kind is our reading of the article). The plan's fourth group, instrumental or classical, had three members and was folded into popular songs. No lyrics, no recordings and no links to players are given. Review interval 12 months. Licence: own work