Prep For The Holidays With This Christmas Playlist

I'm going to go right ahead and say that we all deserve an immediate boost of cheer right now. And with that in mind, allow me to shriek gleefully that the holiday season is officially upon us. That means cosy, snugly nights with loved ones, planning out festive surprises and sampling all of the greatest Christmas food and drink that Santa (or whoever) can bestow upon us. To get you ready for all of this festive loveliness, you definitely need a Christmas playlist to prepare you for the holidays and I've got one guaranteed to do the trick. Because the very best Christmas songs are ones which you don't just want to play on the one day of a year, but ones that make you feel great to hear in all the days leading up to Christmas.

In order to evoke just the right level of Christmas spirit, it's wise to listen to a broad range of Christmas songs. You need to mix a few of the classics with some new tracks, some '90s childhood nostalgia songs with heartfelt ballads, and quirky indie tunes with bubbly, pop greatness. It's the perfect recipe for Christmas musical wonder. So, do yourself a big favor and have a rummage through the musical treats below and add any or all of these songs to your 2016 Christmas playlist (oh, and do be sure to play your songs loud enough for Santa to hear):

1. Bobby Helms - "Jingle Bell Rock"

It's an oldie, but a classic. It also happens to be the one Christmas song which never fails to make me feel instantly festive, cosy and bustling with positivity whenever I hear it.

2. Sufjan Stevens - "Come On! Let's Boogey To The Elf Dance"

It's unprecedented for any modern artist to have the sheer volume of Christmas songs that Stevens has in his musical back catalogue, but especially so for such an indie musician. And this quirky track is by far his brightest and sweetest musical contribution to the holiday season.

3. *NSync - "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"

Is it totally corny? Absolutely. But does hearing it immediately transport me back to Christmas celebrations of my '90s childhood? Yes it does. And corny or not, it still manages to sound utterly magical for it.

4. Taylor Swift - "Last Christmas"

Full of romantic longing and dreamy heartache, this cover version of the Wham classic is quintessential Swift.

5. Cat Power - "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

Cat Power, AKA Chan Marshall, is the indie Queen of reworking classic songs to her own unique style. And her warm cover of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is an absolute holiday gem.

6. TLC - "Sleigh Ride"

This song is just completely irresistible as far as I'm concerned. Not only is it festive, holiday fun at it's finest but it's also my personal favorite Christmas song for dancing along to whilst baking a batch of Christmas cookies.

7. The Raveonettes - "Christmas Song"

Blending a contemporary indie sound with a throwback '50s one, "Christmas Song" is a whimsical, heartfelt treat. It may not be the most uplifting Christmas song on the list, but it still packs a lot of heart.

8. Brenda Lee - "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"

Brenda Lee's vivacious, high energy holiday classic remains unequalled as one of the giddiest Christmas songs ever written. It's brimming with glee and still sounds as fresh and crisp as the brisk, cold air feels on Christmas morning.

9. Destiny's Child - "8 Days Of Christmas"

This song is eight days worth of fun packed into three minutes. It features everything that fans still adore about Destiny's Child, but with the added bonus of some holiday flair.

10. Eels - "Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas"

If you're still living by the indie, Chrismukkah celebrating handbook of "What Would Seth Cohen Do?", then this track is a definite one to add to your festive playlist immediately. Captain Oats would approve.

11. New Kids On The Block - "Funky Funky Christmas"

So early '90s, so joyful and so damn catchy. There is no Christmas party like a NKOTB Christmas party as "Funky Funky Christmas" clearly proves.

12. Ariana Grande - "Santa Tell Me"

Grande's spectacular vocals are on-point as always in this totally snugly Christmas track which sounds a little like a perfect combination of Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby" and Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You".

13. Eartha Kitt - "Santa Baby"

Speaking of which, Kitt's version of "Santa Baby" remains the original and the absolute best. Though many artists incuding Grande, Madonna and Kylie Minogue have laid down their own renditions of it, good as they may be, they aren't a patch on how good Kitt's sultry, enigmatic version is.

14. Lady Gaga - "White Christmas"

Gaga has such a phenomenal voice which lends itself so well to classic songs of a bygone era. And whenever I hear her rendition of Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" all I want to do is heat up some cookies, get under a blanket and gaze out of a window in the hope for snow.

15. She & Him - "Christmas Wish"

M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel make for the perfect duets team as She & Him. Though their entire Christmas album is pretty lovely stuff in itself, it's the slow, slushy dreaminess of "Christmas Wish" which truly brings all of the festive feels.

16. Mariah Carey - "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

As soon as I start hearing this song being played in every store I step into, I know that it's officially the holiday season. But you also totally don't have to wait for that moment arrive to enjoy it. It's powerful, heart warming and still completely adorable. Mariah forever, guys.

I feel a ton more festive already and totally ready for Christmas 2016 to happen already. But until then, I'm just going to carry on blasting this playlist and indulging in some much needed holiday joy.

Images: Sony BMG Music Entertainment / DestinysChildYouTubeChannel