The Mercury News

SING OUT! AND REFRESH THAT HOLIDAY PLAYLIST!

- STORY BY JIM HARRINGTON ILLUSTRATI­ON BY SARAH COLEMAN

For millions of listeners, the soundtrack to the holiday season has changed very little over the years. We love Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” but it’s good to mix in some newer material every now and again. So here’s a playlist refresh with 12 of our favorite seasonal offerings from the 21st century.

1 “I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS,” DIANA KRALL

The Canadian jazz vocalist-pianist has delivered so many great albums during her career, but her 2005 “Christmas Songs” is chock full of winners to satisfy die-hard jazz fans and seasonal listeners. This is the song that always stops us right in our tracks.

2 “O HOLY NIGHT,” PHIL WICKHAM

The platinum-selling singer-songwriter from San Diego, known for such popular songs as “This Is Amazing Grace,” delivers a stirring version of this classic on 2010's “Songs for Christmas.” Wickham's vocal work is transcende­nt.

3 “8 DAYS (OF HANUKKAH),” SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS

One of the best Hanukkah songs of the last 10 years, this one's delivered with passion and plenty of horn power by Jones and her mighty Dap-kings on the 2015 “It's a Holiday Soul Party.”

4 “8 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS,” DESTINY’S CHILD

The fun and addictive title track to this R&B group's 2001 seasonal affair is an unabashed ode to commercial­ism, as Beyonce, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams celebrate a season filled with expensive gifts.

5 “THE HANUKKAH WALTZ,” BÉLA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES

Fleck and company won a 2009 Grammy for best pop instrument­al album with their jazzy holiday offering, which is full of virtuoso musiciansh­ip and ambitious arrangemen­ts.

6 “MARY, DID YOU KNOW?” DOLLY PARTON

Try this lovely cut from “A Holly Dolly Christmas,” which just hit stores this fall. It's Parton's first holiday album in 30 years, an all-star collaborat­ion with Michael Bublé, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus and Willie Nelson.

7 “WHAT CHILD IS THIS?” CHRIS TOMLIN

This Christian music artist, who topped pop charts with 2013's “Burning Lights,” is in impressive form on 2015's “Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship” and this song is memorably poignant.

8 “O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL,” BAD RELIGION

Yes, that Bad Religion — the Socal troupe that has produced some of the finest punk rock of the last 40 years. The group behind “We're Only Gonna Die” and “Misery and Famine” is an unlikely suspect to deliver a seasonal outing, but we're fond of its 2013 “Christmas Songs” EP.

9 “JOSEPH’S LULLABY,” MERCYME

Millions know this band for the uplifting single “I Can Only Imagine,” which inspired the 2018 box office smash of the same name. This beautiful piano ballad hails from 2005's “The Christmas Sessions.”

10 “WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME,” JOHN LEGEND FEATURING STEVIE WONDER

This fun, upbeat number kicks off Legend's 2018 “A Legendary Christmas” in high style, with harmonica work from the one-and-only Wonder, who also recorded it on his 1967 “Someday at Christmas.”

11 “SANTA’S COMING FOR US,” SIA

We dig pretty much everything this singersong­writer has done, including her 2017's “Everyday Is Christmas.” The album opens with this groovy retro number, which has a fun music video featuring Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, J.B. Smoove, Susan Lucci and Henry Winkler in a campy, 1950s setting.

12 “HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS,” LAUREN DAIGLE

Daigle handles this strikingly tender version of the holiday classic with such exquisite care on 2016's brilliant “Behold: A Christmas Collection.” Consider it further evidence that Daigle – the multiplati­num singer behind the Grammy-winning single “You Say” – has one of the best voices in music.

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