“Bells will be ringing the glad, glad news. Oh, what a Christmas to have the blues.” – Please Come Home For Christmas, by Charles Brown
These blues Christmas songs bring smoky guitar, cozy vocals, and that little ache that makes holiday music feel real. Hit play while you decorate, wrap, or sip something warm. I’ll show you classics, modern picks, and full albums that sound amazing start to finish.
Sleigh With These Top 30 Best Blues Christmas Songs for Your Holiday Playlist! *Updated October 2025*
This post will make sure your holiday playlist is banging with these 30 Best Blues Christmas Songs: Music & Albums for the Season! Everything you want to get in the holiday spirit during the most wonderful time of the year. Perfect not just for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but all season long!
These are the most amazing Christmas songs you aren’t listening to! The best blues Christmas songs will make you wish you had been listening to them years ago. Adding these songs will immediately elevate your Christmas time playlist.
🎸 Jump to Blues PlaylistHow Do You Make The Perfect Christmas Playlist?
Take some songs from each of these lists, and you will have yourself the perfect Christmas or holiday playlist.
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Slowestuff Christmas Section
We don’t just have a list of the best blues Christmas songs, we have plenty of Christmas content on the blog!
Lots of song posts to find the perfect holiday vibe, like the funniest Christmas songs like that one time when Grandma got run over by a reindeer. Heading out to do some Christmas caroling? We have a list for that too! From punk to Motown, we have Christmas songs for every style!
We have all the gift ideas you can think of, for everyone on your list. Gifts for mom? We got you. Daughters or girlfriends? Also got you! We even have ideas about what to get a new boyfriend, without feeling awkward. What about client gifts? We got that too.
Scrapbookers and journalers, we have plenty of holiday inspiration over in the scrapbook section.
Check out our Seasonal Content section here. We have drop downs where you can find season specific posts for all kinds of holidays, plus each season. Our Christmas section has plenty of gift ideas for everyone on your list.
We love Christmas season!
Why Add Blues Songs To A Christmas Playlist?
If you’re tired of the same old Jingle Bells and White Christmas tunes, these rarely-heard blues Christmas songs will bring some flavor and soul to your holiday playlist.
You are lucky to be in a roomful of blues and once you start to listen to them, you won’t know how you did Christmas without them! There are plenty of blues songs and artists to choose from. Songs like “Merry Christmas Baby” by Charles Brown and “Back Door Santa” by Clarence Carter are ageless bangers that will add some Christmas soul to your celebration of hope. A few other more mainstream names like Ray Charles and Otis Redding are also great ones to search.
If you want a country twist on some of these, Willie Nelson and Kacey Musgraves have done their versions of them as well.
So add this to your playlist as you are decorating the Christmas tree or having a cozy evening with friends. This collection will elevate your holiday vibe in a way that only blues music can.
Curating these songs on your Spotify account or last.fm account will bring new life to Christmas time.
Blues Christmas Playlist FAQ
Not exactly. It’s a country-pop ballad that leans bluesy, especially in Elvis’s version, which is why it sneaks onto blues playlists. If you want it to feel truer to the genre, pair it with a real blues cover or follow it with a classic like “Merry Christmas Baby” so the vibe stays on track.
Start with Charles Brown’s “Please Come Home for Christmas” and “Merry Christmas Baby.” Add B.B. King from his holiday album, Etta James’s take on “Merry Christmas Baby,” Clarence Carter’s “Back Door Santa” for some swagger, Mabel Scott’s “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus,” and Lowell Fulson’s “Lonesome Christmas.” That mix gives you cozy, smoky, and a little sassy.
Yes. Keb’ Mo’s album “Moonlight, Mistletoe & You” is an easy win and sounds crisp next to the old stuff. Look for newer blues compilations from labels like Alligator Records and recent live holiday tracks from contemporary touring blues artists. Drop a few of those between the classics so it doesn’t feel like a time capsule.
You can find great blues holiday mixes on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube.
What Are The Best Blues Christmas Songs To Put On A Holiday Playlist?
Click the link to hear the song!
Best Blues Christmas Albums
Want a whole album to just hit play and go? These are great choices.
- B.B. King – A Christmas Celebration of Hope
- Charles Brown – Cool Christmas Blues
- Keb’ Mo’ – Moonlight, Mistletoe & You
- Various Artists – Alligator Records Christmas Collection
Classic Blues Christmas Songs
- “Merry Christmas Baby“ – B.B. King
- “Christmas Blues“ – Canned Heat
- “Santa Claus“ – Sonny Boy Williamson
- “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus“ – Mabel Scott
- “Lonesome Christmas“ – Lowell Fulson
- “Christmas Comes But Once a Year“ – Amos Milburn
- “Please Come Home for Christmas“ – Charles Brown
- “Santa Claus, Santa Claus“ – Louis Jordan
- “Bring My Baby Back“ – Lightnin’ Hopkins
- “Christmas in Heaven“ – Freddie King
Modern Blues Christmas Songs
- “Back Door Santa“ – Clarence Carter
- “Christmas Tears“ – Eric Clapton
- “Blues for Christmas“ – John Lee Hooker
- “Christmas Eve Blues” – Blind Lemon Jefferson
- “Santa Claus Is Back in Town“ – Elvis Presley
- “Stocking Full of Blues“ – Joe Bonamassa
- “Christmas Fais Do Do“ – Marcia Ball
- “I’m Your Santa“ – Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials
- “A Weary Silent Night“ – Earl King
- “Christmas Time Blues” – Mad Dog Mark and the Blues Hounds
Jazz-Influenced Blues Christmas Songs
- “White Christmas“ – Ella Fitzgerald
- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas“ – Etta James
- “Christmas in New Orleans“ – Louis Armstrong
- “Cool Yule“ – Brian Setzer Orchestra
- “Zat You, Santa Claus?” – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
- “Winter Wonderland“ – Bryson Tiller
- “Run Rudolph Run“ – Chuck Berry
- “Merry Merry Christmas“ – Koko Taylor
- “Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday“ – William Bell
- “Silver Bells” – Fats Domino
Blues vs Jazz Music – what’s the difference?
Blues and jazz are like musical cousins – they come from the same roots, but they have very different personalities.
Blues is often more straightforward, raw, and emotional. It’s all about expressing feelings, especially hardship, struggle, or longing, and it typically follows a predictable structure. When you listen to the blues, it’s like you can feel someone telling you their life story through their guitar or voice, pouring out their emotions in a way that really hits home.
A great example of blues song storytelling comes from artists like Lowell Fulson and John Lee Hooker, who bring a gritty yet emotional touch to classic Christmas music.
Jazz, on the other hand, is more unpredictable and free-flowing. It’s got this improvisational vibe, where musicians are constantly playing off each other, experimenting, and changing things up. Jazz can be upbeat and full of energy, or smooth and laid-back, but it’s always a little more complex and less structured than blues.
If blues is about telling a story with heart and soul, jazz is more like a conversation where each instrument gets to speak and take turns showing off. Both are soulful in their own way, but blues hits you deep in the gut, while jazz gets you thinking and moving.
Jazz often leans towards a smooth, elegant vibe, typically seen in Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole renditions, while blues is more heart-wrenching, making it a perfect fit for those seeking a different type of Christmas spirit.
30 Best Blues Christmas Songs: Music & Albums for the Season
We hope this list of the best blues Christmas songs has given you lots of great Christmas song additions to your playlist. We have loved listening to these Christmas albums while we were making this list. Don’t risk a silent night at your events! We know Santa Claus wants to have these playing when he visits on Christmas Eve.
If you are looking for more Christmas season ideas, inspiration and vibes, we have a whole section of the blog dedicated to it! Go check it out for more ideas and inspiration!
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❄️🎄🕯️ Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Enjoy Kwanzaa, and Season’s Greetings to all! 🎷🎵✨
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