Entertainment Movies Holiday Movies Celebrity Christmas Albums You Have to Check Out This Season From the Backstreet Boys to Alicia Keys, artists who are spreading cheer through song By Kate Hogan Kate Hogan Kate Hogan is Director of Digital Specials and Features at PEOPLE, as well as the editor of Stories to Make You Smile. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2008. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 8, 2022 12:44PM EST 01 of 08 Backstreet Boys: A Very Backstreet Christmas US: Backstreet Boys release highly anticipated first-ever Christmas album A Very Backstreet Christmas https://www.bmg.com/de/news/backstreet-boys-a-very-backstreet-christmas-announcement.html. Backstreet Boys - A Very Backstreet Christmas (c) BMG In July, the Backstreet Boys announced they'd made their very first Christmas album, dropping A Very Backstreet Christmas on Oct. 14. The album — featuring Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson — includes 13 songs, a mix of classic covers and original tunes. Buy It! A Very Backstreet Christmas, amazon.com 02 of 08 Alicia Keys: Santa Baby Alicia Keys Records Also dropping a Christmas album for the first time ever: Alicia Keys, whose Santa Baby features festive favorites like the title track and "The Christmas Song," plus new tunes including the lead single, "December Back 2 June." Buy It! Santa Baby, amazon.com 03 of 08 Harry Connick, Jr.: Make It Merry Georgia Connick Harry Connick, Jr.'s fourth holiday album, Make It Merry, features the singer's takes on "Jingle Bells" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," plus originals like "When My Heart Finds Christmas" and "Make It Merry." He's currently on a cheery tour in support of the record: check out the December dates here. Stream It! Make It Merry, music.apple.com 04 of 08 Thomas Rhett: Merry Christmas Y'all The Valory Music Co. It's a country Christmas! Thomas Rhett's first-ever Christmas collection, Merry Christmas Y'all, puts a Nashville twist on four crowd pleasers, "Winter Wonderland" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" among them. "I love everything about Christmas — there's nothing like the holiday season," he said in a release. "I wanted to record some of the Christmas songs that my family and I enjoy every year. I hope this music gets everyone in the holiday spirit!" Stream It! Merry Christmas, Y'all, music.apple.com 05 of 08 Various Artists: Def the Halls Def Jam Billed as a "Def Jam family showcase," according to a release, Def the Halls boasts tracks from Alessia Cara, Jhené Aiko, DaniLeigh and more, with 16 cool covers of yuletide hits. (Stay for Calabasas' take on "Last Christmas.") Stream It! Def the Halls, music.apple.com 06 of 08 Joss Stone: Merry Christmas, Love S-Curve "I have thought about making a Christmas album for years, I am Christmas obsessed!" said Joss Stone of her debut holiday album, Merry Christmas, Love, which opens with a cover of Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means to Me," plus tunes inspired by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and other classic crooners. The original "Bring On Christmas Day" evokes Stone's "lifetime love for the joyful holiday," according to a release. Buy It! Merry Christmas, Love, amazon.com 07 of 08 David Foster & Katharine McPhee: Christmas Songs David Foster and Katharine McPhee. Morelli Brothers It's all in the name! David Foster and Katharine McPhee's first joint album as a married couple is Christmas Songs, a collection of their favorites. "We thought we would just put a couple songs out on Spotify, and then we did this seven-song EP situation and our co-manager started sending it around to a couple labels," McPhee told PEOPLE. "Before we knew it, we had a whole Christmas plan of shows and promotion." Buy It! Christmas Songs, amazon.com 08 of 08 Andrea Bocelli with Kids Matteo and Virginia: A Family Christmas The Bocelli family. Courtesy Famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli wrangled two of his children, Matteo and Virginia, to join him on A Family Christmas, a 13-track album featuring modern songs like "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" and traditional carols like "The First Noel." "We really wanted to make an album that truly reflected us, to recreate a mood, that magical state of mind that Holy Christmas is able to instill in us," Andrea, who's also dad to son Amos, an engineer and musician who contributed his piano skills to the record, told PEOPLE. "I hope that the serenity and joy that constantly marked each moment of our work together comes through in every note sung." Buy It! A Family Christmas, amazon.com Close