Holiday Party Playlist

Updated October 2026 · 30 songs · Titles and artists only

A holiday party playlist works best when it mixes the classics with a few newer songs. This list starts with cozy standards, moves into upbeat Christmas songs for the main part of the night and ends quietly.

The playlist

Cozy arrival

Standards for coats, drinks and the first hour.

1. White Christmas — Bing Crosby
2. The Christmas Song — Nat King Cole
3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas — Frank Sinatra
4. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! — Dean Martin
5. Blue Christmas — Elvis Presley
6. A Holly Jolly Christmas — Burl Ives
7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — Gene Autry
8. Christmas Time Is Here — Vince Guaraldi Trio
9. Linus and Lucy — Vince Guaraldi Trio
10. Jingle Bells — Frank Sinatra

Festive

Upbeat songs for the main part of the party.

11. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree — Brenda Lee
12. All I Want for Christmas Is You — Mariah Carey
13. Jingle Bell Rock — Bobby Helms
14. Last Christmas — Wham!
15. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas — Michael Bublé
16. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town — Bruce Springsteen
17. Run Rudolph Run — Chuck Berry
18. Feliz Navidad — José Feliciano
19. Merry Christmas Everyone — Shakin' Stevens
20. Wonderful Christmastime — Paul McCartney
21. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) — Darlene Love
22. Sleigh Ride — The Ronettes
23. Underneath the Tree — Kelly Clarkson
24. Mistletoe — Justin Bieber
25. Santa Tell Me — Ariana Grande
26. Step Into Christmas — Elton John

Quiet close

Songs for the last half hour.

27. Driving Home for Christmas — Chris Rea
28. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) — John Lennon & Yoko Ono
29. Fairytale of New York — The Pogues
30. Do They Know It's Christmas? — Band Aid

Tips for your holiday party music

• Start the holiday queue a day early and listen once, so you know which songs to remove.
• Keep one or two non-Christmas dance songs in the mix for guests who prefer them.
• Mix religions and traditions with care at a work or mixed-group event. Add a few winter songs that are not about Christmas.
• Check explicit tags in Apple Music. Fairytale of New York includes language some guests may not want.
• Lower the volume during meals and gift exchanges.

Let guests vote instead of playing DJ

Start a Jukebox session from your holiday playlist. Guests vote for the songs they love and request favorites that you forgot. The most-voted song plays next, so the room hears what it wants to hear and no one argues over the speaker.

Here is how it works. The host starts a session from Apple Music. Guests join by 6-digit code, QR code or by being nearby. They vote on songs, request their own and vote to skip. The most-voted song plays next. Guests need no account, and only the host needs Apple Music.

Frequently asked questions