9 Surprising Stars Who Released Christmas Albums

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The Holidays are nearly here, and what better way to get in the holiday spirit than with a little Christmas music?

We could all use some holly jolly good times with peppermint-flavored everything, family traditions, and musical merriment with mandatory bells that jingle. We love the standard Christmas music sung by Mariah Carey, WHAM!, Andy Williams, and David Bowie, but maybe you’re looking for something a little different? Maybe you’re looking for songs that still feel festive but from more surprising voices. Like, from someone you’re less likely to hear at the grocery store. Yeah? Great. We’ve got you covered.

Below, check out the list of stars you may not have realized released Christmas albums that are worth adding to your playlists.

Pretty Reckless — Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas

We all know Cindy Lou Who turned to heavy metal, and for 2025, the ever-so-iconic star, Taylor Momsen, combined holiday cheer with powerhouse vocals; this new album has it all!

Stray Kids — Christmas EveL

Did you know Stray Kids came out with a holiday EP? Not only does it feature the English version of “Domino,” but it has three original singles like “Christmas EveL” which has their iconic funky style, “Winter Falls,” which is a powerful ballad, and “24 to 25,” which is a cozy single!

Christopher Lee — A Heavy Metal Christmas

Legendary actor Christopher Lee released a heavy-metal EP that featured covers of “Silent Night” and “Little Drummer Boy;” making this one of the most unique Christmas releases from a celebrity to date!

Aly & AJ — Acoustic Hearts of Winter

If you watched Santa Clause 3, then you probably heard Aly & AJ’s original Christmas song entitled “Greatest Time of Year,” and lucky for you, this album has that along with beautiful covers of Christmas classics!

Taylor Swift — The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection

Chances are, you may have forgotten that Taylor Swift released a holiday EP back in 2007! While you can only buy it secondhand, you can still jam to her covers of classics like “Last Christmas,” “Santa Baby, “Silent Night,” and “White Christmas!” Plus, there are two original tracks called “Christmases When You Were Mine” and “Christmas Must Be Something More.”

Sia – Everyday is Christmas

Sia’s holiday album, Everyday is Christmas, has quickly become a staple thanks to all the original Christmas music from her! Both full of poppy songs and ballads, this album is also selling fast on Amazon!

Christina Perri — a very merry perri christmas

In Christina Perri’s holiday album, we get a mix of original music and classics, all of which give such a stunning, magical feel to the holiday music section!

Barbra Streisand — A Christmas Album

In 1967, in what feels like a lifetime before she wrote, starred in, produced, and directed Yentl, Barbra Streisand released a Christmas album. It’s stacked with classics and her voice is perfect because, well because she’s Barbra Streisand!! I believe that’s what we refer to as a Christmas miracle.

RuPaul — RuPaul Christmas Party

It’s the holidays and you’d better work. RuPaul really is a one-in-a-million and so is this Christmas album. It’s everything you’d expect and more. BAM! Super high energy. Campy. Festive as all get-out. To be honest, we’re wondering why there isn’t already a Peloton ride set to this album.

Are you ready for “A Heavy Metal Christmas (Twelve Days of Christmas)” because if you are, it comes with a rocker’s shopping list that’s pretty hard to beat: “12 silver crosses,11 black mascaras, 10 pairs of platforms, 9 tattered t-shirts, 8 pentagrams, 7 leather jackets, 6 cans of hairspray, 5 skull earrings, 4 quarts of Jack, 3 studded belts,2 pairs of spandex pants, and a tattoo of Ozzy.” Also, “O Come All Ye Faithful” bears more than a passing resemblance to the band’s monster hit “We’re Not Gonna Take It” — you can thank Santa and his elves for the magic that is the cowbell for that one.

Snoop Dogg — Christmas In tha Dogghouse

Looking for something a little less family-friendly (watch out little ones, it’s chock-full of explicit content)? With titles like “My Little Mama Trippin on Christmas” and “A Pimp’s Christmas Song” Snoop Dogg’s step into Christmas will give you that D O double G bounce when you need to power through last-minute gift wrapping.

Seth MacFarlane — Holiday for Swing

Were you expecting the creator and voice of Family Guy to drop a swing album of holiday standards? Well, in 2014 he did just that. It’s snark-free, quite delightful, and includes the spectacular Sara Bareilles on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”

Annie Lennox — A Christmas Cornucopia (10th Anniversary)

She once sang with The Eurythmics that “there must be an angel, playing with my heart” and honestly that’s how we feel whenever we hear Annie Lennox’s voice. It’s angelic. It’s stirring. It’s been known to make many a fan weep. Is it any wonder that we could listen to her Christmas album all year long? This collection is filled with Lennox’s personal favorites, which makes it feel so special and intimate. And as this is the season of giving, what gift could be better than more than one Annie? How about a chorus of them — which is what you’ll discover in her stunning versions of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Angels from the Realms of Glory,” and “In the Bleak Midwinter.”

Leslie Odom Jr. — The Christmas Album

Leslie Odom Jr., best known for his Tony Award-winning performance as Aaron Burr in Hamilton, released his second Christmas album this year. It’s a collection where instead of simply covering classics, he offers up beautiful versions of songs such as “Little Drummer Boy” with the Mzansi Youth Choir and “Winter Song” featuring Cynthia Erivo. The standout, though, is the inclusion and gorgeous interpretation of “Ma’oz Tsur,” a traditional Hebrew poem that is sung at Hanukkah after the lighting of the festival lights of the menorah.

Rosie O’Donnell — A Rosie Christmas

Did you know that Rosie O’Donnell and Cher recorded a Christmas duet? Do you believe in life after love? Well, now you do. On her holiday compilation, TV’s Queen of Nice meets up with the most eclectic mix of guest stars ever — Sir Elton John, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Gloria Estefan, Elmo (of course!), Rosemary Clooney, and more — for a collection of classics that you’ll be sure to sing along to.

Hanson — Snowed In

As Noel Gallagher says in the new Bee Gees documentary, “When you’ve got brothers singing, it’s like an instrument that nobody else can buy,” and that statement holds true for the brothers Hanson, who released their Christmas album back in 1997. Clocking in at 41 minutes, it’s filled with an upbeat selection of covers such as Stevie Wonder’s “What Christmas Means to Me,” Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” and Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run,” as well as three original recordings.

Before you go, check out even more holiday music: