Winter Holiday Songs

Sure, Christmas is great, but one day isn't the be-all and end-all of the winter holiday season. There's something to be said for simply enjoying the free and frosty beauty of, as Bing Crosby so smoothly puts it, a "Winter Wonderland." Hence our Winter Holiday Song Basics, a playlist of songs free from denominational designations, crass commercialism, and rampant materialism. So, enjoy a hot toddy with Dean Martin and the "swelegant" sounds of "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," then cuddle up with a special someone and let the bill and coo of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan's "Baby, It's Cold Outside" keep things cosy. Hitch a sprightly "Sleigh Ride," courtesy of Arthur Fiedler & Boston Pops Orchestra, and slide into Next Steps for more winter holiday songs.

The beauty of a freeform winter holiday is that everyone gets to celebrate in his or her own distinctive way. So while jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi and his trio paint a carefree sonic portrait of outdoor merrymaking in the cherished classic "Skating," Stan Getz takes the party to a sultry South American locale in the glowing bossa-nova beauty "Winter Moon." Fountains of Wayne go new-school for their alt-pop heart-warmer "Valley Winter Song," while Bill Withers steeps the season in some classic soul for a funky-fun "Wintertime." And American hero Bob Dylan does what he does best, creating a one-of-a-kind musical moment with the sweet surprise of "Winterlude." When the snows lay deep outside, keep warm indoors with Winter Holiday Songs Deep Cuts.

For the artists in our Winter Holiday Songs Deep Cuts, seasonal festivities are a state of mind. Witness the swirling strings, windswept brass, and home-hearth vocals of Tony Bennett's stunning "Snowfall," or Björk's crystalline instrumental mood-setter "Frosti." The Ventures ride a sonic wave from the warm California sun into a surftastic winter storm on "Snow Flakes," while Enya shapes a New-Age soundscape "Amid The Falling Snow," and the Dream Academy conjures an atmospheric vision of steeples, snow drifts, and crackling home fires on an ethereal "Life In a Northern Town." And Jane Siberry/Issa contemplates the quick-to-fade innocence of a winter's afternoon on the ice, with "Hockey."

We know you. You're the type who believes that the winter holiday season is less about a pile of gifts under a tree and the endless rounds of shopping it takes to get them there, and much more about the beauty of softly falling snow, the warmth of a loved one's embrace, the all-you-need cheer of your nearest and dearest gathered together for end-of-the-year revelry. In other words, you're with Andy Williams when he sings "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," so we created this Essentials playlist just for you, with songs to celebrate your way, whether you're staging a seasonal sing-a-long with Frank Sinatra and "Jingle Bells," heatin' up the dance floor to the big-band swing of the Brian Setzer Orchestra and "The Nutcracker Suite," or simply taking a moment to stop and soak in the wonder of it all to the tune of Queen's gorgeous heart-tugger "A Winter's Tale."