Amoeba Music

Originally released in 2006, Billy Idol’s Happy Holidays has been remixed and remastered just in time for the Christmas season. It's one of those albums that seems like such a wild concept you just know it’s going to work. The leather-clad “Rebel Yell” singer is the perfect holiday host, lending his own unique vocal stylings to Christmas classics like “White Christmas” and “Frosty the Snowman.” Is this album the epitome of swinging Christmas cool? If you’re the type of holiday fans who appreciates both the twinkling lights and the darkness they illuminate, the answer is a resounding yes.

Steve Perry’s The Season is an excellent addition to the ever-growing catalog of holiday albums interpreted by legendary rockers. The former Journey frontman keeps it simple and soulful on this collection of classic holiday numbers; he has stated that his aim was to “make sure to record them all in a simple way that honors how I first heard and fell in love with them as a child.” With a musical arsenal consisting of piano, strings, and upright base, Perry does just that. His voice shines on these elegant interpretations, hovering above the cheerful orchestrations, like a bright star on a cold winter’s night. The result is an easy-to-love album that gets the holiday spirit right.

The restored vocals of Nat "King" Cole are paired up with contemporary vocalists this holiday season for A Sentimental Christmas with Nat "King" Cole and Friends: Cole Classics Reimagined. Johnny Mathis, Kristin Chenoweth, John Legend, Gloria Estefan and Calum Scott take turns singing with that legendary voice, thanks to the magic of GRAMMY-winning engineer Dave Reitzas who brought us Natalie Cole's virtual duets with her late father. From Estefan's full-bodied vocals to sweet-voiced Chenoweth to the smoothness of John Legend, this is the perfect group to spice up these classics.

It might seem like a no-brainer for Norah Jones to have recorded a Christmas album, but I Dream of Christmas is actually the first one for the jazzy, golden-voiced artist. Naturally, it’s several rungs above your standard holiday fare, including strong originals like the stylish and quirky “Christmas Glow” and “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones),” a subtly groovy number with head-bopping percussion. Jones also delights with her renditions of the classics, especially her swinging and sultry rendition of The Chipmunks’ “Christmas Don’t Be Late.”

GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum presents his second Christmas album, the reverent and soulful new How Does Christmas Sound?. Instead of an overly cheery collection of carols or holiday classics, Whalum offers originals and familiar tunes that highlight the spiritual side of the holiday. The set even includes a cover of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” that turns the object of desire into something more holy.