Ultimate Christmas Sing-Along Playlist for Holiday Parties

Ultimate Christmas Sing-Along Playlist for Holiday PartiesThe holiday season is the perfect time to gather friends and family, deck the halls, and sing your hearts out to timeless carols and festive pop hits. A great sing-along playlist keeps energy high, encourages everyone to join in, and creates lasting memories. Below is a curated, thoughtfully ordered playlist plus tips for hosting a successful Christmas sing-along party, arrangements for different group sizes and ages, and ideas to make the evening memorable.

Why a Sing-Along Playlist Matters

A well-crafted playlist sets the tone for your party. It balances classics that everyone knows with modern favorites, alternates between high-energy and slower moments, and includes songs suitable for children and older guests alike. Including call-and-response tracks, easy choruses, and songs with strong hooks helps reluctant singers join in.

The Playlist (60 songs)

This playlist mixes traditional carols, mid-century standards, modern pop hits, and fun novelty songs. Order matters: start gently to invite guests in, build to an upbeat middle, slow down for intimate moments, and finish with jubilant group numbers.

1. Silent Night — Traditional
2. O Holy Night — Traditional
3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas — Frank Sinatra / Judy Garland era
4. White Christmas — Bing Crosby
5. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting) — Nat King Cole
6. Winter Wonderland — Dean Martin / Tony Bennett versions
7. Sleigh Ride — Leroy Anderson / Ella Fitzgerald versions
8. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! — Dean Martin
9. Jingle Bells — Traditional (easy chorus for kids)
10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — Gene Autry (children love this)
11. Frosty the Snowman — Jimmy Durante / children’s sing-along style
12. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town — Jackson 5 or Bruce Springsteen versions
13. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree — Brenda Lee
14. All I Want for Christmas Is You — Mariah Carey
15. Last Christmas — Wham!
16. Mistletoe — Justin Bieber (for a modern mellow moment)
17. Feliz Navidad — José Feliciano (great call-and-response)
18. Run Rudolph Run — Chuck Berry (rock up the tempo)
19. Jingle Bell Rock — Bobby Helms
20. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas — Michael Bublé version
21. Holly Jolly Christmas — Burl Ives
22. Little Drummer Boy — Traditional / Pentatonix (a cappella-friendly)
23. Do You Hear What I Hear? — Traditional (great for group harmonies)
24. Carol of the Bells — Trans-Siberian Orchestra / traditional arrangement (instrumental or choral)
25. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) — John Lennon & Yoko Ono
26. Santa Tell Me — Ariana Grande (upbeat pop)
27. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) — Darlene Love
28. Blue Christmas — Elvis Presley (slow, emotive)
29. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen — Traditional (arrange for group sing)
30. Deck the Halls — Traditional (call-and-response with verses)
31. We Wish You a Merry Christmas — Traditional (good closer for families)
32. O Come, All Ye Faithful — Traditional (grand, hymn-like)
33. Angels We Have Heard on High — Traditional (Gloria chorus is memorable)
34. Joy to the World — Traditional (uplifting finale song)
35. Baby, It’s Cold Outside — classic duet (choose wisely per guest comfort)
36. Underneath the Tree — Kelly Clarkson (modern festive anthem)
37. Caroling, Caroling — Nat King Cole / traditional feel-good tune
38. Christmas Wrapping — The Waitresses (novelty with storytelling lyrics)
39. Please Come Home for Christmas — Eagles / Charles Brown versions
40. Merry Christmas Everyone — Shakin’ Stevens (cheerful singalong)
41. The First Noel — Traditional (soft, narrative carol)
42. O Little Town of Bethlehem — Traditional (calmer reflective moment)
43. I’ll Be Home for Christmas — Bing Crosby / Michael Bublé
44. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year — Andy Williams (party starter)
45. Silver Bells — Bing Crosby / duet versions (cityscape mood)
46. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen — rock or a cappella twist (choose a version you like)
47. Caroling Medley — a short stitched medley of three quick carols to get groups involved
48. Christmas Island — Jimmy Buffett / upbeat islandy vibe
49. Where Are You Christmas? — Faith Hill / How the Grinch Stole Christmas (emotional)
50. A Holly Jolly Christmas — Michael Bublé version for modern crooning
51. Santa Baby — Eartha Kitt (sassy duet or solo)
52. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) — novelty fun with kids
53. 8 Days of Christmas — Destiny’s Child (R&B festive groove)
54. My Only Wish (This Year) — Britney Spears (pop throwback)
55. Celebrate Me Home — Kenny Loggins (reflective, cozy)
56. One More Sleep — Leona Lewis (contemporary upbeat)
57. The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth — Bing Crosby & David Bowie duet (unique duet option)
58. Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy — Pentatonix a cappella (if you want vocal inspiration)
59. We Three Kings — Traditional (oohs and harmonies)
60. Auld Lang Syne — traditional New Year’s sing, good if the party spans to midnight

Playlist flow suggestions

• Opening (songs 1–10): gentle, familiar carols to welcome guests and encourage casual singing.
• Warm-up & family-friendly (11–20): fun and upbeat tracks for kids and playful group participation.
• Peak party (21–40): high-energy pop and rock covers to get everyone dancing and belting choruses.
• Intimate interlude (41–50): slower, emotional or duet-able songs for quieter moments and couples.
• Finale & encore (51–60): novelty and communal closers, ending with Auld Lang Syne if crossing into New Year’s.

Hosting tips for a successful sing-along party

• Print or display lyric sheets for key songs (large font).
• Use a Bluetooth speaker with clear mids/highs; consider a small microphone for lead singers.
• Encourage group harmony by assigning simple parts (lead/backup/hand-clap rhythm).
• For kids: include short, repeatable refrains and a few toy instruments (bells, tambourines).
• Make a “request” jar so guests can add songs before the playlist moves on.
• Keep a gentle tempo and slightly slowed arrangements for older guests to follow.
• If people are shy, start with call-and-response lines or have one confident host lead.

Variations by group type

• Family with kids: shorten to 20–30 songs, emphasize Jingle Bells, Rudolph, Frosty, and novelty tracks.
• Adult party: include more pop (Mariah, Wham!, Kelly Clarkson) and a few duets/nostalgic standards.
• Caroling night: pick 12–15 strong hymns and carols with simple harmonies and a portable speaker.
• Virtual sing-along: send the playlist link ahead, use split-screen for duets, and mute/unmute for solos to avoid echoes.

Simple chord/lyric hacks for hosts

• Most carols use basic I–IV–V progressions — G, C, D or C, F, G for guitar-friendly keys.
• Transpose to comfortable keys: move songs down a whole step for most male guests, up for female leads.
• For a cappella groups, pick a song in a comfortable mid-range and build 2–3 part harmonies (lead, tenor, bass).

Equipment checklist

• Speaker, optional microphone, lyric sheets or projector, song list, extra batteries/chargers, simple instruments for kids, seating area for quieter songs.

Two quick sample setlists (printable)

Party Starter (90 minutes): Silent Night; Jingle Bells; Frosty; Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree; All I Want for Christmas Is You; Jingle Bell Rock; Feliz Navidad; Santa Claus Is Coming to Town; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas; We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

Cozy Caroling (45 minutes): O Come All Ye Faithful; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; The First Noel; O Holy Night; Little Drummer Boy; Silent Night; Joy to the World.

If you want, I can: provide printable lyric sheets for the top 12 songs, make a Spotify/Apple list in your preferred order, or create simple chord charts for guitar or piano.