Turkeys have been stuffed, football has been watched, pies have been eaten, and America as a whole is sitting in a food coma stupor with the remnants of Thanksgiving dinner being scraped onto bread for day-after sandwiches, which means one thing and one thing only… It’s time for Alan Jackson Christmas music.
I get why some people are against Christmas music. For the most part you hear the same songs over and over again for a month whether you’re tuning into your local soft rock radio station or running to the grocery store, but real country music lovers know there’s a bunch of quality Christmas music out there for your listening pleasure.
Megan Moroney already put out a Christmas EP titled Blue Christmas… Duh, Riley Green got us all feeling sentimental with “Christmas To Me”, and Toby Keith’s iconic performance of the Roger Miller classic “Little Toy Trains” was remastered and rereleased on an updated version of Christmas to Christmas, which was originally released in 1995 but has long been out of print and not available on any streaming services until this year.
Those are just some of the new Christmas projects from this year but we’ve got a bunch already out that are truly special. A Cody Johnson Christmas, Carrie Underwood’s My Gift, Koe Wetzel Presents… Wetzel’s Wonderland, and all the rest on Whiskey Riff’s Country Christmas Songs That Don’t Suck playlist come to mind immediately, but there’s one country Christmas album that is a clear stand out from the rest.
Let It Be Christmas
Of the country music legends that are still with us, Alan Jackson is truly one of a dwindling kind.
The Newnan, Georgia native has solidified himself as one of the greatest neo-traditional artists of all-time, with songs like “Chattahoochee”, “Drive (For Daddy Gene)”, and “Remember When” becoming key pieces of the modern day country music canon. Unfortunately, Jackson has to call it quits way earlier than everyone, including him, would have liked due to a Charcot-Marie-Tooth diagnosis, which is a degenerative nerve disease that affects his arms and legs, making it difficult to stand and walk.
His Last Call: One More For The Road tour runs through May 2025 and it’s going to be a concert you don’t want to miss. Not only is it probably the last time you’ll be able to see Alan Jackson live, he’s bringing some great talent, such as Megan Moroney and Zach Top with him to open the show. So make sure you grab your tickets before it’s too late…
While AJ’s catalogue is top to bottom rock solid, I’ll forever be partial to his 2002 Let It Be Christmas album. It was actually the second holiday project of his career but contains some of the best covers you’ve ever heard and one of the best Christmas originals in the title track.
A solo-write by Alan Jackson, “Let It Be Christmas” captures the essence of what cold weather, family, and end of year festivities mean to so many of us.
A simple but beautiful song, it’s an absolute staple in my Christmas rotation and should be for you too
Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing
Let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas, Christmas everywhere
The project also contains many traditional Christmas songs, such as “Silent Night”, “Away In A Manger”, and “The Christmas Song”, but I’ll always be partial to “O Come, All Ye Faithful”. Maybe it’s the fact I grew up singing in our church choir or that my grandpa used to walk around the house belting it out, but I’ll always smile and feel a bit of warmth inside when I hear it.
I’m a firm believer in not doing anything Christmas until after Thanksgiving, and now that turkey day is behind us, it’s full steam ahead for trees, lights, cookies, and presents.
Tis the season folks, so crank up some Alan Jackson get your Christmas spirits flowing.