Let's Count Down the Top Christmas Album Covers

Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Live Aid and more

Ah, holiday records! We vinyl collectors find them relegated to the back of music stores (except for Xmas season, when they’re marked up for twice the price). I’ve always had a soft spot for Christmas records. I eagerly seek them out all year, and Ive stumbled across some gems. 

Which albums sound the best? That’s another discussion entirely. But here are the the greatest-looking covers, perfect companions for tree trimming, sipping eggnog and making merry:

10. She & Him
A Very She & Him Christmas (2011)

Stylized and a bit silly. That not only describes this cover, but also Zooey Deschanel. She dropped this neo-holiday classic the same year The New Girl became must-see TV. Piling on the kitsch, the vinyl is green, and the liner notes are written like a signed Christmas card. Shot by Beck’s favorite photographer, Autumn de Wilde, the cover spoofs LP sleeves of yore. Also worth noting: A portion of the proceeds went to 826, a network of nonprofit writing and tutoring centers.

9. Nat King Cole
The Christmas Song (1960)

Mel Tormé wrote “The Christmas Song” during a heatwave in July 1945. He started jotting down lyrics about winter to keep himself cool. You know, lines about Jack Frost nipping at your nose. This cover follows the opposite formula, summoning cozy symbols: a roaring fire, comfy leather chair, a Christmas sweater—and Nat’s warm smile.

8. Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (1960)

A gold and orange unicorn with a flower in its mouth … for Christmas? Absolutely! This is a decidedly secular album, and Ella steered clear of songs of faith. The cover says it all: You’re about to listen to something fun and magical from one of the greatest voices of all time.

7. James Brown
James Brown’s Funky Christmas (1995)

Bright red. Check. A picture seemingly glued to a holiday-themed background. Check. Good times. Check. In the ’90s, if you were having a December party, you knew which CD to grab. The cover is so iconic that Snoop riffed on it. The music itself is chart-topping. Rolling Stone named it the third-best Christmas album of all time. 

6. Band Aid
Do They Know It’s Christmas? (1984)

And the most depressing Christmas song ever goes to … “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (although, an argument can be made for Joni Mitchell’s “River,” too). Dark, foreboding and catchy, it was co-written by Bob Geldof, who is better known for creating Live Aid and shaving off his eyebrows in The Wall. The cover, which features two malnourished children juxtaposed with festive imagery, was massively successful in helping raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. It tallied £8 million and inspired “We Are the World,” as well as Hear n’ Aid’s “We Are Stars” (which most of us would pay to never hear again).

5. Louis Armstrong
Armstrong As Santa Claus/Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule (2022)

“Zat you Santa Claus?” Louis Armstrong posed that famous question in 1953. He’s been an iconic holiday messenger ever since. There are plenty of sleeves with stars donning Santa suits, but Satchmo wore it the best. The image originally adorned a single, but was reprised for the full-length compilation Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule some 70 years later.

4. John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band and The Harlem Community Choir
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1971)

The Beatles were well-known for releasing an annual holiday disc between 1963 and 1969. However, none were more powerful than John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1971 plea to end the Vietnam War. Lennon eschewed sentimentality to infuse social consciousness into the season. The candid black-and-white photo fronted the 45 RPM release. (It’s not technically an album cover. Still, it’s one of the greats.)

3. Bing Crosby
Merry Christmas (1945)

Simple. Iconic. Available for $3 at any used vinyl shop. It’s the classic of classics. Happy Bing in a Santa hat with a mistletoe bowtie. Nothing to overthink here. The best part is that it would spark the duet with a young, mascara-laden David Bowie years later.

2. Vince Guaraldi Trio
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Good grief, this album and its cover will never get old. Linus doesn’t need the security of his blanket when he’s dancing around the tree with his best friends. Most of us have done the same to this masterful classic that’s been jazzing up the holidays since 1965. (Not featured but equally ingrained in the culture: Snoopy’s Christmas.)

1. Various Artists
A Very Special Christmas (1987)

I had the good fortune of living next to the West Village public pool, where a giant Keith Haring mural served as the backdrop. It’s still there on Leroy Street, but it’s decidedly more faded these days. However, the glory of this Haring cover and its impact hasn’t dimmed one bit. Produced by Jimmy Iovine, the project has raised millions for the Special Olympics since its original release. There are seven albums in the series and all of the covers are wonderful.