3 Songs That Need to Be On Your Christmas Countdown Playlist

Ah, December, you know what that means: it’s almost time for Christmas. How’s the Christmas prep going? Bought all those presents yet? Did you take advantage of those Black Friday sales for gift-giving purposes (even if the deals aren’t that great)? That means bringing out the decorations, doing really advanced gift-giving planning, and, of course, the Christmas playlist. The moment September hit, so did the iconic festive tracks in my household, whether in English, Tagalog, or any other language (one of them is in Icelandic).

So, as Christmas is just days away, here are some songs that really deserve to be added to that festive countdown playlist — or at least played now as you prepare your home for one of the “most wonderful time of the year.” These tracks will definitely get you into that Christmas Spirit, could inspire what you plan for this holiday season, or could lead you to make your own festive playlist.

“All I Want For Christmas Is You”

Artist: Mariah Carey

This is the go-to Christmas song. Are you kidding me? It’s on everyone’s playlist. If you don’t know this song or haven’t heard it even once, that must be one solid rock, as even shopping malls and department stores would play it. Ever since its 1994 release, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey has become a Christmas anthem enjoyed by everyone, not only for its instrumentation but also for its lyrics about wanting to be with someone rather than receiving a physical gift. It’s a relatable festive love song, and it’s now unavoidable.

This song is so iconic and so widely played that, on the Billboard Hot 100, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” was number one in 2024. The same can be said for 2023’s charts and those of previous years, and the song will likely peak once more in 2025… if it can beat “Golden” from Kpop Demon Hunters and Taylor Swift.

Fun fact: Carey is aware that the streaming numbers for “All I Want For Christmas Is You” surge whenever September hits because Filipinos are getting ready for the festive holiday months in advance. She made a social media post back in 2023 in response to a report about the song’s streaming numbers in September, stating, “I will allow it for my Filipino lambs, though, I don’t make the rules.”

“Last Christmas”

Artist: Wham!

Alongside Carey, Wham!‘s “Last Christmas” is also an iconic track to listen to if you want to get into the Christmas spirit, and a must-add to those Christmas countdown playlists. Released in 1984, “Last Christmas” is somewhat the opposite of Carey’s festive hit, as it’s a sad song about heartbreak and the singer hoping to give their heart “to someone special” or to someone different. It’s a downer, but it’s still loved by many, and it became a massive hit. It charted in multiple countries, and in 2019, a film inspired by the song was made.

Last Christmas was a 2019 romantic comedy starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding, grossing over $123.4 million at the box office and receiving positive reviews from critics. Unlike the song, which is about sadness and heartbreak, the film gave a surprising twist to the lyrics “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart,” revealing that Golding’s character, Tom Webster, was an organ donor. It’s not every day that a song becomes the basis for a movie.

Another great thing about “Last Christmas” is that you don’t have to listen to the Wham! version if the instrumentation isn’t up to your liking. Many artists have covered this song to death, and it’s on almost every Christmas album. Some of the few people who sang “Last Christmas” include Swift, Ariana Grande, Glee’s Lea Michelle and Cory Monteith, The Wiggles, and, oddly enough, Crazy Frog.

“Mittens”

Artist: Carly Rae Jepsen

Before she was known for her viral hit, “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen released an original Christmas song in 2010 called “Mittens.” It’s a cute, wholesome love song set on Christmas or during the lead-up to the festive season, where the singer reminisces about holding hands with someone, evoking a warm, mittens-like feeling. In a way, it’s Jepsen’s version of “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” with that festive sound we all know and love, and it carries the message of wanting to be with someone. But at the same time, it was a precursor to Jepsen’s innocent “lovey-dovey” lyrics that would later appear in the singer’s other notable tracks like “I Really Like You” and “Cut To The Feeling.”

All these songs, including covers, are available to stream on Spotfiy, YouTube, and other music platforms.