Classic Rock Christmas Albums

'Twas the holiday season, and throughout many lands
Folks enjoyed Christmas carols by their favorite rock bands ...

Typical holiday music is more likely to evoke images of Bing Crosby or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir than of Styx or Jethro Tull.

But if you can appreciate Jimi Hendrix playing Little Drummer Boy, the Moody Blues singing White Christmas or Elvin Bishop interpreting Silent Night then this guide to the best Classic Rock Christmas Albums is for you.

1. The Jethro Tull Christmas Album

Jethro Tull
Tull's unique blend of rock and Renaissance lends itself equally well to traditional tunes like God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Bouree, and less conventional fare such as First Snow On Brooklyn and A Winter Snowscape. The music offers a pleasant break from the standard department store holiday mix.

2. Merry Christmas And Happy New Year

Jimi Hendrix
This five song maxi-single wasn't intended as a Christmas record. It is the result of Hendrix and the Band of Gypsies fooling around as they rehearsed for concerts at Filmore East during the 1969 holiday season. This won't be the first CD you run for when it's time to cue up the holiday music, but it is definitely worth having for its historical and entertainment value.

3. December

Moody Blues
The Moodies' orchestral backup is well suited to the sounds of the season. Songs range from traditional (White Christmas) to original (Don't Need a Reindeer) to a cover of John Lennon/Yoko Ono's Happy Xmas (War Is Over).

4. SantaMental

Steve Lukather
This 10-track compilation also features Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Steve Vai, and Edgar Winter lending their rock guitar virtuosity -- and on some tracks, their voices -- to traditional Christmas carols.

5. Christmas Joy

The Ventures
Christmas on a surf board? Well, not really, but done with the Ventures' signature slide guitars, prominent percussion, and lots of reverb. Arrangements of traditional carols are pretty faithful to the orginals, with a liberal amount of 60s Surf Rock flavoring.

6. Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas

Various Artists
This is THE electric guitar holiday album: Jeff Beck, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Richie Sambora, and Steve Morse (among others) turn in some innovative and sometimes surprising arrangements of traditional Christmas carols.

7. A Rock 'N' Roll Christmas

Various Artists
Elton John, Bob Seger, The Moody Blues, Elvin Bishop, and Chuck Berry are examples of the eclectic mix of artists represented on this CD. There is a method to the madness -- it is a well rounded sampling of virtually every Classic Rock sub-genre.

8. A Classic Rock Christmas

Various Artists
Artists that didn't release Christmas albums did occasionally record holiday singles that wound up on compilations like this one. Styx, R.E.O. Speedwagon, Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and Joe Walsh (Eagles) are among the rockers who tip a hat to the holiday season in this collection.

9. Billboard Rock 'N' Roll Christmas

Various Artists
Another compilation, this one with a roster that includes Queen, The Kinks, Billy Squier, and Cheech & Chong. This album isn't exactly mellow, but it has a softer edge than you might expect given the artist roster.

10. Christmas Time Again

Lynyrd Skynyrd
There's plenty of typical Skynyrd here -- Run Run Rudolph and Skynyrd Family but there are also a couple of suprises, like the sensitive, acoustic instrumental treatments of Greensleeves and Classical Christmas. Even Southern Rock can have a soft side!