Favorites Friday

I love Christmas music. I start listening to it on Thanksgiving Day. And truth be told, I'd start it sooner if (ahem!) some people in my house didn't object so strenuously. (You know who you are!) I love the classics, I love the funny new stuff, I love country, I love jazzy, I love swing. I have quite the collection of Christmas music and try to expand the collection every year. So today, I'm sharing with you my favorite Christmas albums - in my own particular order. I can't pick a most favorite. I could hardly narrow it to five, but I thought listing all of my Christmas music (cd's and tapes!) would be utterly boring for all of you. Here you go . . .

My Favorite Christmas Albums

• Newest: Josh Groban's Noel. Just got it as an early present from my cousins and the duets are the icing on the already amazing cake of this man's talent. An amazing cd.
• Oldest: The Nutcracker and Classical Christmas. I have a couple different versions (tapes when we were newlyweds and later cd's). I love them for the peaceful and elegant atmosphere they set and the great memories they evoke of the early years of our Christmas celebrations.
• Trendiest: American Idol's The Great Holiday Classics. It's a fun, spiffed up version of the classics featuring the voices of some of their most talented kids from a few seasons past.
  
• Steven Curtis Chapman: He's got his own category because I have three of his Christmas albums and they just keep getting better. The latest one features one of his adopted daughters and her sweet voice cuts right to my heart every time I hear it.
• Instrumental: Chris Rice's The Living Room Sessions, Christmas. When this is playing softly in the background of our family festivities, I feel a peaceful hush and a reverence in my home. I love all of this guy's music, but I could listen to this one all day long.

I left out so many! I just looked at my storage case and even I am surprised at how many I have. (All neatly arranged in alphabetical order for quick and easy access!) So, do you have a favorite Christmas album? Do you have a little-known gem that you would like to share with us? Have you found a new one this year that we might love? Leave a comment and share your favorites here!