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The Christmas song has been a staple of pop culture for well over 60 years. Every December, radio stations dust off a collection of classic croons, festive party anthems and odes to loved and lost ones from Christmases gone by. And then there are the throngs of new pop starlets desperate to tear off their own corner of that evergreen Christmas song royalty cheque.

But which one is the best? Which song distils the spirit of Christmas purely enough to send nagging Aunt Ethel into a post-pudding coma, shutting her up just in time for the Queen’s speech?

When Ask MusicRadar posed the question, we knew that this had the potential to be more donkey derby than heavyweight title fight. But who crossed the line first?

Here are the 25 best Christmas songs of all time, as voted for by MusicRadar’s music-making community and the readers of Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music, Guitar Techniques and Rhythm magazine. Rather suitably, our run-down begins with Mary’s Boy Child.

Mary’s Boy Child was a substantial hit for Harry Belafonte in 1956, although the best-known version (and the one likely to appear on your Xmas Hits compilation) is Boney M’s take, re-worked and re-titled to Mary’s Boy Child - Oh My Lord. Watch the disco-tinged German band performing 1992’s Christmas Mega Mix for a reminder.

Written by: Jester Hairston (and Frank Farian, Fred Jay on the Oh My Lord version)

Listen: Harry Belafonte - Mary's Boy Child

Buy: Mary's Boy Child | Christmas With Boney M

Next: Frosty The Snowman

Originally recorded by Gene Autry And The Cass County Boys in 1950 as a follow-up to the previous year’s hit Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty The Snowman - as well as spawning an animated short in 1954 - is another oft-covered standard in festive music. They don’t come much better than the Jackson 5’s stomping Motown version...

Written by: Walter ‘Jack’ Rollins and Steve Nelson

Listen: The Jackson 5 - Frosty The Snowman

Buy: Frosty The Snowman - The Jackson 5| Gene Autry - His Christmas Album

Your votes:

"Frosty The Snowman - The Ronettes. Utterly magnificent, totally over the top, and Ronnie's smoking vocals. The Pogues don't amount to one of her false eyelashes." (Thanks, scrumhalf)

Next: Winter Wonderland

The tune adopted by chanting fans on football terraces is, of course, from Winter Wonderland. Released first by Richard Himber in 1934, the song, like every festive staple, has attracted its fair share of interpretations. And ‘Wonderland’s are as diverse as any you'll hear: Bob Dylan, Cocteau Twins, Cyndi Lauper, Ozzy Osbourne ft. Jessica Simpson… we could go on.

Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith

Listen: Elvis Presley - Winter Wonderland

Buy: Winter Wonderland - Elvis Presley | Winter Wonderland - Various artists

Your votes:

"Best Christmas Song - Bing Crosby Winter Wonderland." (From Bob via Facebook, thanks)

"Bing Crosby Winter Wonderland." (Thanks, dogboy55)

Next: In Dulce Jubilo

This list doesn’t contain any traditional carols, apart from this one: In Dulci Jubilo (translated to ‘In Sweetest Rejoicing’ or ‘Good Christian Men, Rejoice’) is thought to have been written by the “German mystic” Heinrich Seuse in 1328-ish. It was translated into English by Robert Lucas de Pearsall in 1837 and it was this version that multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield transformed into the festive standard we know and love today.

Written by: Heinrich Seuse, Robert Lucas de Pearsall, John Mason Neale

Listen: Mike Oldfield - In Dulci Jubilo

Buy: In Dulci Jubilo | The Mike Oldfield Collection

Your votes:

"I increasingly can't stand most Christmas music, but the Greg Lake one is great, and In Dulci Jubilo by Mike Oldfield (because of the kick-ass guitar solo)." (Thanks, BucketheadRules)

"It has to be 'In Dulci Jubilo' by Mike Oldfield. supermarket-tastic !!!" (Thanks, TheEvilForcesOfSkeletor)

"I Believe in Father Christmas - Greg Lake
In Dulci Jubilo - Mike Oldfield
White Christmas
Excellent. If one of these doesn't win there is no justice in the world." (Thanks, BucketheadRules)

Next: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Possibly the best tool a parent has for keeping their kids in check throughout the year: “He [Santa] knows if you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake". The Jackson 5 know it, so do Alvin And The Chipmunks and so does Bruce Springsteen, whose rockin’ version is the fifth most played (or, “most murdered”) Christmas song since 2003 in the UK.

Written by: J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie

Listen: Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Buy: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Next: Santa Baby

With memorable covers by the likes of Madonna, Kylie Minogue and, er… Ally McBeal, this ode to gluttony, Girl Power and stockings stuffed with Tiffany’s swag is the soundtrack to any self-respecting diva’s holiday season. But it’s the late Eartha Kitt’s brilliant 1953 original take that we’re paying tribute to here. Orson Welles once described her as the “most exciting woman in the world." That, and the most demanding…

Fact: Eartha Kitt passed away on Christmas day, 2008.

Written by: Joan Javits, Philip Springer

Listen: Eartha Kitt - Santa baby

Buy: Santa Baby | The Best of Eartha Kit

Next: Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Brenda Lee’s 1958 swinging version of Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree is a cracker. Mel (Smith) & Kim (Wilde)’s 1987 Comic Relief cut with added spoken word lines written by Smith and sometime partner in crime Griff Rhys Jones, does indeed provide some comic relief. And it’s somewhat better than Gareth Gates and the Kumars doing Spirit In The Sky.

Written by: Johnny Marks

Listen: Mel & Kim - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Buy: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree | The Best Of Brenda Lee

Next: Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Like The Christmas Song, Let It Snow was penned in sunny California during one of the hottest days on record! And, just like The Christmas Song, it became a staple cover of the Rat Pack alumni after Vaughn Monroe took it to number one in 1945. Fact: while Let It Snow certainly marks the festive season with its cheery lyrics, there is actually no mention of Christmas at any point. Both composer and lyricist were Jewish.

Written by: Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne

Listen: Frank Sinatra - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Buy: Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! | Christmas With The Rat Pack

Next: Little Saint Nick

Brian Wilson and Mike Love took the rhythm from Little Deuce Coupe, added the “run run reindeer” bridge and some obligatory sleighbell magic and made the track that may or may not have invented snowboarding. Little Saint Nick was first released as a single in 1963 and re-recorded for 1964’s The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album. Another alternative version, which borrows the melody from Drive-In, was added to the 1992 reissue.

Written by: Brian Wilson, Mike Love

Listen: The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick

Buy: Little Saint Nick | The Beach Boys' Christmas Album (reissue)

Your votes:

"The best Christmas songs ever are...
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John & Yoko
Fairytale Of New York – The Pogues
Little Saint Nick - Beach Boys." (Thanks, yossarianlives)

Next: Christmas Wrapping

While the word ‘Wrapping’ is usually (and rightly) associated with shiny festive paper, The Waitresses’ Christmas Wrapping is actually a nod to rap music which was making its mark in 1981. Hence Patty Donahue’s deadpan delivery.

Fact: the song was covered by the Spice Girls in 1998, who changed the very American lyrics appropriately: enter “Tesco” and “the all night garage".

Written by: Chris Butler

Listen: The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

Buy: Christmas Wrapping | The Very Best Of The Waitresses

Next: Little Drummer Boy

Another classic to be honoured with an animated short film by the same name is Little Drummer Boy. The song first came to prominence with the Harry Simeone Chorale in 1958, but the real recording to be treasured is David Bowie and Bing Crosby’s Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy. Watch this clip from Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas TV special to see and hear why.

Written by: Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone

Listen: Bing Crosby and David Bowie - Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth

Buy: Little Drummer Boy | Bing Crosby's Christmas Classics

Next: Jingle Bell Rock

Credit where credit’s due for Bobby Helms’s 1957 original rockabilly version of Jingle Bell Rock. It’s great. But anyone who’s seen Mean Girls will know that the only way to enjoy the song fully is to have Lindsay Lohan and three scantily clad Santa’s helpers dancing along to it. See? OK, maybe not. Listen to Arcade Fire’s take instead.

Written by: Joe Beal and Jim Boothe

Listen: Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock

Buy: Jingle Bell Rock | A Little Darlin' Christmas - Bobby Helms and Johnny Paycheck

Next: Driving Home For Christmas

On its first release in 1988, Driving Home For Christmas barely dented the UK chart at number 53, only to slightly better itself 19 years later in 2007 with a re-entry at 33. Despite this, no Christmas compilation worth its weight in salt grit should be without Chris Rea’s classic, which cunningly turns something as monotonous as “driving home” through “top-to-toe tail-lights” into a magical quest to “see those faces”. Ahhhh, bless.

Written by: Chris Rea

Listen: Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas

Buy: Driving Home For Christmas | Still So Far To Go - The Best Of Chris Rea

Your votes:

"For me it's Chris Rea and 'Driving Home For Christmas'. It has a great Rhythm, some great piano and guitar work plus Chris's distinct rich voice, and it's one of those Christmas songs that is actually a real pleasure to listen to any time of the year." (Thanks, Midnightminstrel)

Next: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

First uttered by Judy Garland in 1944’s romantic tear-jerker Meet Me In St. Louis, before being modified, re-recorded and brought to prominence by Frank Sinatra in 1947. And then again and again by a few hundred more would-be crooners including Mel Torme, whose version soundtracks everybody’s favourite Macaulay Culkin movie - scratch that, everybody’s favourite Christmas movie - Home Alone.

Written by: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane

Listen: Ella Fitzgerald - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Buy: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Ella Fitzgerald | Meet Me in St. Louis OST

Next: The Christmas Song

Apparently the ‘most-performed Christmas song of all time’ was written on a blistering hot summer day in an effort to “stay cool by thinking cool”. First released in 1946 by The King Cole Trio and covered by just about everyone from Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra to Christina Aguilera and ‘N Sync. Most-performed indeed.

Written by: Mel Tormé, Bob Wells

Listen: Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

Buy: The Christmas Song | Nat King Cole - Merry Christmas

Your votes:

"Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire - If the chord progression is the fancy one that was probably the original. If played with just a handful of changes, it's no big deal." (Thanks, axuality)

Next: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

In 1963, The Ronettes' Ronnie Spector couldn't pack the right emotional punch for this rousing slice of holiday magic. So legendary producer Phil Spector chose Darlene Love to bring it on home for his essential A Christmas Gift For You compilation. And oh, how she did, summoning up heartbreak and the yearning for Christmases gone by.

Written by: Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector

Listen: Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Buy: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) | A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector (1963)

Your votes:

"Best Christmas song - Darlene Love's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." (Thanks, ArDee)

"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love." (Thanks, Col.Decker)

Next: I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday is the first of two entries from Yuletide’s glam rock year, 1973. Unfortunately this office party favourite has always played second fiddle to Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody (beaten to the number one spot for five consecutive weeks!), and this countdown is no exception. Surprising when you consider that Wizzard (aka Roy Wood) boasts a beard to rival even Father Christmas’s.

Written by: Roy Wood

Listen: Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday

Buy: I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday | The Wizzard!: Greatest Hits & More

Your votes:

"Difficult one again. Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody, Wizard's I wish It Could Be Xmas Everyday, Nat King Cole Merry Xmas To You, John Lennon Happy Xmas (War Is Over), Greg Lake’s I Believe In Father Christmas, the ubiquitous Band Aid…" (Thanks, bbcoz)

Next: I Believe in Father Christmas

One third of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Greg Lake, wrote I Believe In Father Christmas as a protest against the commercialisation of Christmas. The original accompanying video was criticised for containing shots of the Vietnam War - not light-hearted enough for MTV or VH1’s Mega Xmas Countdown, presumably.

Written by: Greg Lake/Peter Sinfield

Listen: Greg Lake - I Believe in Father Christmas

Buy: I Believe in Father Christmas | Greg Lake - From The Beginning: Retrospective

Your votes:

"Difficult one again. Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody, Wizard's I wish It Could Be Xmas Everyday, Nat King Cole Merry Xmas To You, John Lennon Happy Xmas (War Is Over), Greg Lake’s I Believe In Father Christmas, the ubiquitous Band Aid…" (Thanks, bbcoz)

"I increasingly can't stand most Christmas music, but the Greg Lake one is great, and In Dulci Jubilo by Mike Oldfield (because of the kick-ass guitar solo)." (Thanks, BucketheadRules)

"I Believe in Father Christmas - Greg Lake
In Dulci Jubilo - Mike Oldfield
White Christmas
Excellent. If one of these doesn't win there is no justice in the world." (Thanks, BucketheadRules)

"Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas:
a) His voice sounding better than anything he sang with ELP.
b) His 12-string playing.
c) It just sounds like Christmas!!!" (Thanks, suityou316)

Next: Do They Know It's Christmas?

A song that's sure to evoke emotion - either a bile-inducing hatred for Bob Geldof, or the feeling that we just must, somehow, save the world with music. MusicRadar’s plumping for the latter! Band Aid may have numerous flaws (Simon Le Bon's horrific over-singing of the oh-so-evocative line "but when you're having fun" to name but one) but the immediacy of the recording and (overall) sincerity of the cause shine through.

Written by: Bob Geldof, Midge Ure

Listen: Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?

Buy: Do They Know It's Christmas?| Live Aid 1985 DVD

Your votes:

"The ubiquitous Band Aid…" (Thanks, bbcoz)

Next: All I Want For Christmas Is You

It has to be said, it’s not every day you’ll see Mariah Carey taking pride of place in a poll voted for by musicians. It also has to be said that when the American diva sings “I don't care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree,” we don’t believe her. Regardless, All I Want For Christmas Is You is not only the most recent festive release (1994) to make the list, it’s a staple soundtrack to every office party, turkey preparation session and mistletoe shenanigan the world over.

Written by: Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff

Listen: Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You

Buy: All I Want For Christmas | Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas (1994)

Your votes:

"Hmmm... I am increasingly of the mind that Mariah Carey's ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ is right up there amongst the best. Quite possibly THE best." (Thanks, Gojirosan)

"Another vote for Mariah Carey. I like it so much, I'm even trying to get it into the band set. I am encountering some resistance though..." (Thanks, Emperor Fabulous)

Next: Merry Xmas Everybody

The second entry from 1973 and surely glam rock’s finest festive hour, without the “alarmingly hirsute" Noddy Holder bawling, "It's Chriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiistmaaaaaaaaaas!" on Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody, how else would we know what season it was?!

Fact: on its initial release, the track hung around in the UK singles chart well into February 1974. Surprising, as that’s probably more of a nod toward its rival, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. Literally, every day.

Written by: Noddy Holder, Jim Lea

Listen: Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade

Buy: Merry Xmas Everybody | Merry Xmas Everybody: Party Hits - Slade

Your votes:

"Difficult one again. Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody, Wizard's I wish It Could Be Xmas Everyday, Nat King Cole Merry Xmas To You, John Lennon Happy Xmas (War Is Over), Greg Lake’s I Believe In Father Christmas, the ubiquitous Band Aid…" (Thanks, bbcoz)

Next: Last Christmas

Going up against Do They Know It’s Christmas? for the coveted Christmas number one spot in 1984 was never going to be easy, so it’s no real surprise that Last Christmas became the biggest selling single in the UK never to reach the top of the charts! Still, we’re sure George Michael didn’t mind, being heavily involved in Band Aid himself. In fact, he donated all of the song’s royalties to the Ethiopian famine appeal. Now that’s charity.

UPDATE: Check out Brett Domino's version of Last Christmas using TC-Helicon's Voicelive Touch. Astonishing.

Written by: George Michael

Listen: Wham! - Last Christmas

Buy: Last Christmas | Final – Wham!

Next: White Christmas

A croon for those longing for the Dickens-esque Christmas Carol white blankets of old. Bing Crosby’s version remains one of the best selling singles of all time and, with heart-warming lyrics about ‘glistening treetops’ and heart-wrenching memories of Christmases at home - “just like the ones I used to know” - you’d have to be Scrooge himself not to hear why.

Fact: the song’s writer Irving Berlin’s opening verse is often dropped from many of its covers. Darlene Love’s take on A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector is one of the few to include it.

Written by: Irving Berlin

Listen: Bing Crosby - White Christmas

Buy: White Christmas | White Christmas - Bing Crosby

Your votes:

"White Christmas. Bing Crosby's classic epitomises all that we would wish Christmas was. Merry Christmas." (Thanks, andrewrg)

"+10.000 - I'm filling up already, just has warm fond memories of my childhood and watching the Morecambe & Wise Christmas show - who want's to be an adult... work, bills, stress? Bet all this means jack shit to the younger guys here... it was back in the days when life was analogue... sigh." (Thanks, cosmiccarrot)

"I Believe in Father Christmas - Greg Lake
In Dulci Jubilo - Mike Oldfield
White Christmas
Excellent. If one of these doesn't win there is no justice in the world." (Thanks, BucketheadRules)

Next: Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

With lyrics based on John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1969 billboard campaign which displayed the words "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko" in cities deeply entrenched in the Vietnam War, it’s perhaps surprising that the song’s original release failed to chart in the US.

Fact: The song’s whispered beginning is a greeting to the couple’s children - Yoko says “Happy Christmas, Kyoko" and John says “Happy Christmas, Julian” - not, contrary to popular belief (and incorrectly included in the lyric sheet from 1982’s The John Lennon Collection!), “Happy Christmas, Yoko. Happy Christmas, John”.

Written by: John Lennon, Yoko Ono

Listen: John & Yoko - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

Buy: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) | Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon

Your votes:

“Not only is Happy Xmas (War Is Over) a great Christmas song but it also has a lot of meaning to it. Many Xmas songs are just made to get a quick buck but you really felt that the two messages Lennon was giving came straight from the heart.” (Thanks, IWannaBeAdored)

“Difficult one again. Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody, Wizard's I wish It Could Be Xmas Everyday, Nat King Cole Merry Xmas To You, John Lennon Happy Xmas (War Is Over), Greg Lake’s I Believe In Father Christmas, the ubiquitous Band Aid…” (Thanks, bbcoz)

“The best Christmas songs ever are...
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John & Yoko
Fairytale Of New York – The Pogues
Little Saint Nick - Beach Boys.” (Thanks, yossarianlives)

“Lennon's Happy Xmas (War Is Over), it doesn’t matter when or where, you listen to this song and the Christmas spirit just takes you entirely.” (Thanks, pleskoch)

“Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John & Yoko. No contest.” (Thanks, macguffin)

“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)!” (Thanks, lemort)

“Happy Xmas (War Is Over) of course!” (Thanks, AndreasH)

Next: the best Christmas song of all time

Your top Christmas song is set in the underbelly of New York City, and guaranteed to melt the hardest of hearts. An anthem for anyone who finds themselves staring into the bottom of a glass, reminiscing about lost love and wasted opportunities. Certain to provoke raucous sing-a-longs in bars across the globe until the end of time. Here's the late Kirsty MacColl performing live with Pogues on St. Patrick's Day back in 1988.

Fact: the song's typically Irish lyrics include the words “faggot” (slang for a lazy person) and “slut,” which BBC Radio One deemed unsuitable for its listeners in 2007. Literally on the same evening of the ban, the Beeb reversed its decision. To this day, however, VH1 still scramble the offending lyrics, plus the word “arse.”

The Pogues themselves found the whole incident “amusing.”

Written by: Jem Finer, Shane MacGowan

Listen: The Pogues - Fairytale of New York

Buy: Fairytale Of New York | The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God

Your votes:

"Best Christmas song? Either Fairytale Of New York or We Dress Up Like Snowmen by the Wave Pictures." (Thanks, hotfavoruite)

"The best Christmas songs ever are...
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John & Yoko
Fairytale Of New York – The Pogues
Little Saint Nick - Beach Boys." (Thanks, yossarianlives)

"Fairytale Of New York." (From philipcmeyer via Twitter, thanks)

"Fairytale Of New York." (Thanks, PaulWarning)

"Pogues. Game over." (Thanks, Fretmeister)

"The Pogues one is cool." (Thanks, MEhelper)

Liked this? Now read: 14 kick-ass alternative Xmas anthems

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