15 Vintage Christmas Songs to Get You in the Holiday Spirit

The holiday season is the most nostalgic time of year, so it only makes sense that some of the most popular Christmas music dates from the 1940s and ’50s. To really put a retro spin on the season, we gathered up 15 songs from even earlier—the 1910s, ’20s, and ’30s. And while they might not be coming directly out of a phonograph, they’re sure to put you in a very merry, sepia-tinted mood.

Perhaps the most traditional song on this list, its performers—the Edison Mixed Quartet (sometimes referred to as the Edison Concert Band)—also recorded a few similar-sounding Christmas tunes during the early 20th century.

OK, this isn’t a song—but we just had to include this 1922 bit that does end with a rendition of “Jingle Bells.”

If you’re a music lover, you know the blues legend Bessie Smith, but you might not have heard this holiday track, which combines Smith’s soaring vocals with delightfully jazzy horns and piano.

We’ve included a few blues tracks here, because, hey, the holidays are the best time to be cheerful—and depressed.

Vernon Dalhart was an important figure in the early days of American folk and country music—even with a background in opera. He auditioned for Thomas Edison and, over the course of several years, recorded hundreds of songs for Edison Records under a number of pseudonyms. After that, Dalhart began to record country songs, becoming a household name with 1924’s “The Wreck of the Old 97.”

If the song’s title didn’t tip you off, this is another blues track. And if you find yourself in need of more, click here, here, and here. Yes, there is a surprising number of great blues songs about the holidays, and these somber tunes will definitely bring you joy.

While the Christmas music of the 1940s and ’50s would make its way into the studio, much of the earlier music of the holidays still had that live, big band sound—including this 1930 recording.

This is the kind of song you might expect to hear in a Christmas special for kids (which is a compliment).

A very cheeky song honoring an age-old question you’ve never thought to ask.

An instrumental track that’s perfect for you if orchestra swells are what really get you in the holiday spirit.

“Swingin’” might actually be the best way to describe this 1936 jazz carol.

This song is sometimes listed as “What Will Santa Claus Say? (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’),” which is a pretty fun image to conjure.

This 1936 Christmas song sounds a bit like a scene out of an old Disney movie and tells the tale of all the little girls who dream of being the fairy on top of the tree. (It’s OK—we’ve never had that dream either.)

Before “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” there was “I Want You For Christmas.”

This 1939 song is a sweet ode to all the things we already have (with some not-so-subtle nods to the turmoil happening around the world at the time).

A version of this story was published in 2019; it has been updated for 2023.