Holiday Hits

Most people admit there’s nothing like a little Christmas music to get into the holiday mood. Whether it’s the Christmas Classics by Bing Crosby, Mannheim Steamroller’s many arrangements, or traditional Christmas songs by your favorite orchestra, everyone has a guilty pleasure. And each year there’s more music to choose from. Pop artists love releasing holiday albums, and some of this year’s include Michael Bublé’s Christmas, Lady Gaga’s A Very Gaga Holiday, and don’t forget the Cast of Glee’s Christmas Album, Volume 2.

Perhaps the most popular Christmas album this year is Justin Bieber’s Under the Mistletoe. It has already reached #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 and remains in the #3 spot this week. While some of my friends expressed concern that I had listened to the album on Spotify, I admit that I caught a little Bieber Fever. For the most part Bieber’s musical collaborations and mix of new songs with classics hit the holiday spot. But his slow tempos and relaxed jazzy sound brought me back to an older holiday album.

In 1998, NSYNC released Home for Christmas. This album reached the top of Billboard’s #1 Holiday Albums, and in the height of the boy band era, all my friends had it on repeat that Christmas. With two NSYNC albums released in the same year, everyone impatiently awaited the debut of No Strings Attached. In 2000, No Strings Attached became NYSNC’s most popular album, and it still holds the record for the most albums sold in one week.

Bieber’s boyish charm has certainly put him among the ranks of NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, so perhaps Under the Mistletoe is more than just a cute holiday album. By stealing the spotlight this winter, he might just be setting up his next release to have the most sells ever, moving his career from a boy band frenzy to an established adult artist.

Whether it’s a great career move or just plain fun, I have to admit that I love the new holiday albums. What are your favorites to listen to during the holidays?