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- Release Date: October 10, 2006
- Type: Christmas, Collection (various artists)
- Genre: Holiday
Review
Like the Now That's What I Call Music! series from which it was spun off, Now That's What I Call Christmas! has spawned a series of various-artists collections drawn from the archives of three of the four major labels, Universal, EMI, and Sony BMG, labels that have long-since absorbed nearly all the old independent labels and thus control an enormous chunk of recorded music. The selection and sequencing choices in the sub-series have tended to match those in larger series, which is to say, hits are chosen and then placed in an order that attempts to segue smoothly from one musical style to another. The first Christmas album in 2001 began with traditional fare -- Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, etc. -- and moved more or less chronologically and stylistically across two CDs until, by the end, it had arrived at the likes of Britney Spears and N Sync. The second album in 2003 reversed the order, starting with Destiny's Child and gradually moving back in time to Guy Lombardo. This third album goes back to the original formula; once again, Cole and Crosby (and Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin) are up front, and by the close of the second disc, Pussycat Dolls and Rihanna are dispensing their versions of Christmas cheer. Three albums in, it might seem that the compilers would have run out of hits, but in fact there are several tracks here that placed in the charts over the years: "Silver Bells," by Crosby and Carol Richards (Richards has been forgotten in the credits, however); "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," by Judy Garland; "Frosty the Snowman," by Gene Autry; "Jingle Bell Rock," by Brenda Lee; "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)," by the Chipmunks; and "Little Saint Nick," by the Beach Boys. Christmas-related hit singles have become rare since the '60s, but as the compilers approach the present, they choose tracks from popular Christmas albums, among them such platinum collections as Celine Dion's These Are Special Times and Gloria Estefan's Christmas Through Your Eyes. They have also looked around for unusual holiday recordings, such as Alison Krauss' overtly sexy "Shimmy Down the Chimney (Fill Up My Stocking)." The last handful of tracks on disc two may not measure up to what has preceded them, but by then the collection has provided plenty of holiday pleasure. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music GuideTracks
CD 1
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| O Come All Ye Faithful | Traditional | Nat King Cole | (2:19) |
| Jingle Bells | Gordon Jenkins, |
Frank Sinatra | (2:01) |
| Baby, It's Cold Outside | Frank Loesser | Dean Martin | (2:22) |
| My Favorite Things | Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II | Tony Bennett | (3:16) |
| It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year | George Wyle, |
Andy Williams | (2:32) |
| Silver Bells | Bing Crosby | (3:03) | |
| It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas | Johnny Mathis | (2:15) | |
| Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) | (1:55) | ||
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas | Judy Garland | (2:43) | |
| Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer | Ella Fitzgerald | (2:54) | |
| Frosty the Snowman | Gene Autry | (2:54) | |
| The Little Drummer Boy | Peggy Lee | (2:17) | |
| Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town | Burl Ives | (2:09) | |
| Winter Wonderland | Louis Armstrong | (3:00) | |
| Blue Christmas | Johnny Cash | (2:22) | |
| Jingle Bell Rock | Brenda Lee | (2:09) | |
| The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) | Ross Bagdasarian | The Chipmunks | (2:23) |
CD 2
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch [From Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch ...] | Thurl Ravenscroft | (2:57) | |
| Little Saint Nick | The Beach Boys | (2:01) | |
| Noel | Traditional | Smokey Robinson & the Miracles | (2:23) |
| Up on the Housetop | The Jackson 5 | (3:13) | |
| O Holy Night | Al Green | (3:43) | |
| Christmas Time Is Here | Vince Guaraldi, |
Dianne Reeves | (3:18) |
| Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year | Pete McCann | Kenny Rogers | (2:42) |
| Shimmy Down the Chimney (Fill Up My Stocking) | Alison Krauss | (4:24) | |
| Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree | Cyndi Lauper | (2:44) | |
| Feliz Navidad | José Feliciano | Celine Dion | (3:40) |
| I'll Be Home for Christmas | Buck Ram, Kim Gannon, Walter Kent | Gloria Estefan | (3:29) |
| I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus | Jessica Simpson | (3:06) | |
| Merry Christmas, Baby | Christina Aguilera | (5:43) | |
| Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Gloria (In Excelsis Deo) | Traditional | Mariah Carey | (3:00) |
| Santa Baby | The Pussycat Dolls | (3:00) | |
| Home | Ne-Yo | (4:25) | |
| It Just Don't Feel Like Xmas (Without You) | Rihanna | (3:49) | |
| Christmas Wish | Stacie Orrico | (3:56) | |
| 12 Days of Christmas | Relient K | (3:29) |
