The 2023 Country Music Christmas Playlist

There are many Christmas music playlists out there. But only one focuses solely on country music, on brand new recordings all from this year including new original songs vying to become classics, and is painstakingly curated by culling through all the Christmas music released in a given year. It’s the Saving Country Music Christmas playlist, and it’s finally here.
The playlist available on Spotify, YouTube, as well as Amazon Music, and you can find the respective players below. And for anyone who just wants to see the new songs selected, there is a list of them all below that, as well as a list of recommended albums below that as well.
There’s just something about the steel guitar and banjo that pairs perfectly with the music of this time of year, along with the sense of home and hearth that country conveys better than other genres. Each year Saving Country Music is blown away by the amount of great new Christmas recordings.
In 2023 though, there seemed a curious amount of rather pedestrian offerings, people covering the same songs (there were a dozen “Blue Christmas” renditions), making the search for the best stuff that much more difficult. There were also a strange amount of depressing recordings, like Sam Williams “I Hate Holidays.” Actually not a bad song, but not exactly what we’re going for with a Christmas playlist.
This playlist is also a great opportunity to discover and talk about artists we otherwise might not. The MVPs of the 2023 Christmas playlist are Scott Southworth who offered up two original songs as a songwriter (“Wooden Sherriff’s Gun and “Buckaroo Christmas Eve with Daryl Dasher), Amanda Stewart who also offered a couple top notch tracks, Jay Bragg who released a Christmas album including multiple new original songs, and Jon Pardi who probably released the country Christmas album of the year.
Merry Christmas!
* = original song
- *Matt Castillo – “Christmas Without Her”
- Jon Pardi – “Swing Down To Texas”
- Austin Moody – “Tennessee Christmas”
- Randall King – “Silent Night”
- * Few Miles South – “Winter Warm”
- *Zach Top – “For You For Christmas”
- Brett Kissel – “I Want A Massey Ferguson For Christmas”
- Andy Thorn – “Joy To The World”
- *Beth // James – “Marfa Christmas Lights”
- Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers – “Christmas At The Old Home Place”
- Darin and Brooke Aldridge – “Little Saint Nick”
- William Beckmann – “Blue Christmas”
- Scotty McCreery – “Feel Like The Holidays”
- Dunlap & Mabe (& Friends) – “We Three Kings”
- *Scott Southworth – “Wooden Sheriff’s Gun”
- Melissa Carper and Hayes Carll – “Christmas in Prison”
- Wynonna – “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”
- *Daryl Wayne Dasher – “Buckaroo Christmas Eve”
- The Kelley Family – “Angels We Have Heard On High”
- *Jay Bragg – “Santa’s Pub”
- *Amanda Stewart – “Since It’s Christmas”
- The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys – “I’m Going Home, It’s Christmas Time”
- Karen Jonas – “Blue Christmas”
- *The Northern Belle – “Silver Bows & Bells”
- Uncle Kracker – “Frosty The Snowman”
- *Hellroys – “Santa Claus Is a Commie”
- Koe Wetzel – “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”
- Eric Paslay – “Run Rudolph Run”
- Jason Byrd feat. Billy Dean – “There’s a New Kid In Town”
- Shelby Lee Lowe – “Christmas Eve Tennessee 1999”
- Brei Carter – “Old Fashion Christmas”
- Darin and Brooke Aldridge – “Christmas Time Back Home”
- *Joshua Ray Walker – “Christmas in Dallas”
- *Brandy Clark – “My Favorite Christmas”
- *Bryan Ruby – “Christmas With You”
- Van Plating (feat. Jack Barksdale) – “In The Bleak Midwinter”
- *Jack Lorry – “Mama, Santa & Cowboys”
- Jon Pardi – “Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy”
- *Logan Mize – “First Christmas”
- Amanda Kate Ferris – “Timeless Joy / O Holy Night”
- David Adam Byrnes – “There’s A New Kid In Town”
- *Bryan Ruby – “It’s a Wonderful Life”
- T. Graham Brown – “Santa’s Got His Baby Something Good”
- Whey Jennings – “Hallelujah”
- Jesse Lynn Madera – “Frosty The Snowman”
- Amanda Stewart – “Long December”
- Chris Janson – “Holiday Road”
- Andy Thorn – “Auld Lang Syne”
2023 Christmas/Holiday Country Albums:
- Jon Pardi – Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi
- Jay Bragg – Light It Up
- Darin and Brooke Aldridge – Hometown Holiday (bluegrass)
- Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers – Because It’s Christmas Time (bluegrass)
- Andy Thorn – High Country Holiday (Instrumental)
- Fred Eaglesmith, Tif Ginn – A Christmas Card
- The Kelley Family – Kelley Family Christmas
- Michelle Malone and the Hot Toddies – Toddie Time (rockabilly)
- Hillbilly Casino – Hang Your Stockings and Say Your Prayers (rockabilly)
- Randall King – Silent Night EP (all his prev. Christmas songs in an EP)
- Beth // James – Christmas at the Burchills EP
- Brei Carter – Twinkling Tales of Christmas EP
- Koe Wetzel – Koe Wetzel Presents … Wetzel’s Wonderland EP
December 11, 2023 @ 9:17 am
Song “First Christmas” by Logan Mize is a great new song if you are newly single. Logan also has a new Christmas album worth checking out
December 11, 2023 @ 9:31 am
Good one. I saw the Logan Mize release, but a lot of those songs were in an EP he released last year that I covered. One thing some artists do is re-release or bundle together Christmas songs they’ve released previously into “new” albums. Randall King did that this year as well. But that’s a good song and I added it.
December 11, 2023 @ 9:25 am
This is awesome. Thank you!
December 11, 2023 @ 9:26 am
For new releases, I’m really liking Jon Pardi’s Christmas album and singer/songwriter Irene Kelley (with the Kelley Family) Christmas offering. Both albums are worth repeated listens for the holidays. Cheers & Twangs!
December 11, 2023 @ 9:35 am
Good stuff! I saved it on my Spotify. Thanks for posting.
December 11, 2023 @ 10:58 am
Great list, Trigger! Thanks for including “Santa Claus Is A Commie” by the Hellroys. As the wisemen said: Mariah ain’t got sh*t on this tune!
December 11, 2023 @ 10:59 am
Something to save humanity from Paul McCartney and Wham! this Christmas.
December 11, 2023 @ 11:43 am
thanks so much…
December 11, 2023 @ 11:43 am
“400 Horsepower Sleigh” is my absolute favorite song the Pardi album. Don’t tell me you left it off your list because it’s about a truck!
December 12, 2023 @ 8:53 pm
Chevy should use it in their commercials
December 11, 2023 @ 11:51 am
Can you please put this playlist on Apple Music?
December 11, 2023 @ 12:44 pm
I had no idea that “A Long December” was such a popular track to cover on a Christmas album, but thanks for turning us on to that Amanda Stewart version.
Beautiful cover.
December 11, 2023 @ 12:51 pm
Caitlyn Smith put out a few Christmas singles recently. They are exactly what you’d expect from her. I particularly like Snow Day
December 11, 2023 @ 1:46 pm
Don’t forget about the instant anti holiday classic Goddamnit, It’s Christmas from Slackeye Slim’s 2023 Scorched Earth-Black Heart record.
December 11, 2023 @ 2:41 pm
Thanks for including “Wooden Sheriff’s Gun” and DWDashers “Buckaroo Christmas Eve”…appreciate the support!! Merry Christmas – SS
December 11, 2023 @ 3:04 pm
Thanks Trigger! I’ve accumulated well over 3,000 Christmas songs from downloads, cds, etc still on my ipod touch I and appreciate hearing new music. I did a notice a lack of new Christmas albums in many genres this year. Not sure why. Thanks for bringing the cheer!
December 11, 2023 @ 5:03 pm
Not sure if this made it on previous year’s list but Mudbone’s Christmas Whiskey is a must listen for me this time of year.
December 11, 2023 @ 5:32 pm
Scott Southworth’s, “Wooden Sheriff’s Gun.”
Beautiful.
Link provided:
https://youtu.be/lKuznIQedZQ?si=mGC5mZpkvW-Np3ct
December 11, 2023 @ 5:48 pm
It is indeed hard to find good country Christmas tunes every year, with the onslaught of mediocrity. I applaud your work. I would only add Jade Eagleson’s “Joy to the World.”
December 11, 2023 @ 10:30 pm
Jon Pardi’s “reindeer” is the song I’ve played the most such a clever written song, then Scott’s wooden sheriff gun song would be 2nd
December 11, 2023 @ 10:51 pm
Christmas music sucks. Bah humbug!
December 12, 2023 @ 3:08 am
Need to add Ian Munsick Santa Ain’t a Cowboy to the playlist.
December 12, 2023 @ 5:01 am
I’m giving Amazon music about one more chance to fix the fuckup they’ve made of their app then I’m cancelling it and switching to Spotify.
(I’m on the annual plan or this would have already happened.)
December 12, 2023 @ 5:41 am
“How Do I IExplain Holy?” Dixiebrownmusic.com Beautiful!
December 12, 2023 @ 10:29 am
Glad you included Few Miles South “Winter Warm”!!
December 12, 2023 @ 12:01 pm
Hey brother man,
Thanks so much for including me on your playlist of Christmas songs!! I’m still alive and kicking and will be releasing a retro soul album in a couple of months called “From Memphis To Muscle Shoals”. I went down to Muscle Shoals and recut 14 60’s soul classics. My duet guests include Wynonna, Dwight Yoakam, Sam Moore, Tanya, Eddie Floyd, Sammy Hagar, Bettye LaVette, “Little” Anthony, Delbert McClinton, Zach Williams and Randy Houser. Be looking for singles starting in February.
Keep, fighting the good fight!
In spirit,
T. Graham Brown
December 12, 2023 @ 4:07 pm
It is hard to top the Alabama Christmas album.
December 12, 2023 @ 8:55 pm
Scotty Mcreery’s new song is a cover??
Thought it was an original. Maybe Trig forgot to put a “*” next to it?
December 12, 2023 @ 10:05 pm
Great to be in such good company there. Thanks, Trig!
December 13, 2023 @ 7:37 am
I wouldn’t include Hallelujah on any Christmas music list. I think you should listen to the lyrics more closely.
December 13, 2023 @ 4:02 pm
Excellent list ! A lot of excellent songs.There’s also a great version of “Mele Kalikimaka” by Cody Canada, Lee Ann Womack and Asleep at the Wheels, released in November. .
December 13, 2023 @ 6:32 pm
Joshua Ray Walker’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is in my book as one of the greatest holiday covers of all time.
But “Santa Claus is a Commie” is on my year-round playlist. That’s one of the songs that has no right to be that good. Poignant lyrics, catchy melody, and the Hellroys sound like they had a lot of fun with it.
December 24, 2023 @ 5:41 pm
Thanks for the kind words, cb. We did have big fun recording this one. The Great Joe Viers engineered this one at his Sonic Lounge Studio in Grove City, Ohio.