![Clockwork from bottom left: Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song (Image: Capital Records); Kenny & Dolly: Once Upon A Christmas (Image: RCA Nashville); Elvis’ Christmas Album (Image: RCA Records); Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas (Image: Sony Records); The Monkees: Christmas Party (Image: Rhino Records)](jpg/cf708f9e95061f189abf885382818f61-2.jpg)
It seems as if every artist has done a holiday record at some point in their career. Each year brings a new batch of Christmas albums, some recorded to cash in on a hot new fad, some crafted with posterity in mind. The great, and maddening, thing about Christmas albums is that there are no strict rules about what constitutes a successful holiday album. Records ignored upon their initial release turn into enduring seasonal classics, novelties become beloved perennials and blockbusters become the bond that ties together generations. What follows is a list of albums The A.V. Club feels have become embedded into the fabric of the Christmas season, spiked with a couple of recent records that already show signs of being modern classics that will stand the test of time.