Country Christmas

If the angels are out caroling this Christmas, they couldn't sound any better than Emmylou Harris with "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Meanwhile, the country boys are more interested in a bit of slap 'n' tickle: get frisky to Travis Tritt's "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy" and John Prine's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus".

The Original Singing Cowboy, Gene Autry, continues the festivities with his perky version of "Frosty the Snowman", Kenny Chesney kicks up some dust with "The Angel at the Top of My Tree" and Johnny Cash goes country-gospel with "It Was Jesus".

In Countryville, Christmas is not so much an open field lightly dusted with snow as a wooden bar floor liberally sprinkled with spit 'n' sawdust, so you can stomp your cowboy boots to Paul Brandt & Kim Richey's rollicking "Run Run Rudolph" or join Michael Martin Murphey for a rather nifty "Two-Step 'round the Christmas Tree".

If your holiday wish list includes a new Stetson, a deluxe tin of chewing tobacco, or a ranch with 300 head of cattle (well, we can dream), you might want to check out this playlist. From classic to contemporary, from earnest to irreverent, these country classics are the finest the heartland has to offer. From Merle Haggard to Martina McBride, the artist roster reads like a who's who of C&W, spanning more than six decades of down-home rustic comfort. Have a happy country-style Yule, y'all!