25 Best 70s Christmas Songs, from John Lennon to Elton John and Slade

What is the most popular 70s Christmas song?

"Feliz Navidad" by José Feliciano (1970) and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono (1971) are the most played 70s Christmas songs today. "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney (1979) is close behind, and "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway (1970) is the soul classic every R&B Christmas playlist starts with.

The biggest 70s Christmas hits

1. "Feliz Navidad", José Feliciano (1970): the bilingual song everyone can sing.
2. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", John Lennon and Yoko Ono (1971): a Christmas song and a peace anthem, with a children's choir.
3. "Wonderful Christmastime", Paul McCartney (1979): synth-pop cheer.
4. "This Christmas", Donny Hathaway (1970): warm, soulful and endlessly covered.
5. "Merry Christmas Darling", Carpenters (1970): Karen Carpenter's tender ballad.
6. "Step Into Christmas", Elton John (1973): a joyful piano romp.
7. "Please Come Home for Christmas", Eagles (1978): a bluesy cover of the Charles Brown song.
8. "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer", Elmo & Patsy (1979): the novelty song that never went away.

70s soul and Motown Christmas songs

9. "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", The Jackson 5 (1970): young Michael at full speed.
10. "Give Love on Christmas Day", The Jackson 5 (1970): a sweet ballad about giving.
11. "Silent Night", The Temptations (1970): the deep-voiced version heard on R&B radio every year.
12. "Christmas Rappin'", Kurtis Blow (1979): one of the first hip-hop records of any kind.

70s glam rock and UK Christmas songs

13. "Merry Xmas Everybody", Slade (1973): the UK's favorite party Christmas song.
14. "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", Wizzard (1973): sleigh bells, saxophones and a children's choir.
15. "Lonely This Christmas", Mud (1974): an Elvis-style ballad that reached number one in the UK.
16. "I Believe in Father Christmas", Greg Lake (1975): a grand, reflective song about the meaning of Christmas.
17. "A Spaceman Came Travelling", Chris de Burgh (1975): a nativity story told with a science fiction twist.
18. "Father Christmas", The Kinks (1977): a punchy rock song with a social conscience.
19. "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord", Boney M. (1978): a disco-era nativity medley.
20. "Run Rudolph Run", Keith Richards (1978): a raw cover of the Chuck Berry rocker.

70s country and folk Christmas songs

21. "If We Make It Through December", Merle Haggard (1973): a working man's hard Christmas.
22. "Christmas in Prison", John Prine (1973): a tender, funny love song.
23. "Light of the Stable", Emmylou Harris: a country carol with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt on harmonies.
24. "Christmas Must Be Tonight", The Band (1977): a quiet nativity song from Robbie Robertson.
25. "River", Joni Mitchell (1971): the sad Christmas song for anyone who wants to skate away.

70s Christmas songs for karaoke

The easiest 70s Christmas songs to sing are "Feliz Navidad", "Merry Xmas Everybody" and "Step Into Christmas": short lines, big choruses and a crowd that knows the words. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" works as a group finale. For a strong voice, "Merry Christmas Darling" and "This Christmas" show off range without going too high. More ideas in our Christmas karaoke songs.

70s Christmas songs for kids

Kids love "Feliz Navidad", The Jackson 5's "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer", which is silly enough to win over any child. "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" has a children's choir they can join in with.

Why 70s Christmas songs sound different

The 70s were the decade when rock and soul artists started writing their own Christmas songs instead of covering standards. The results were more personal: songs about war and peace, about money being tight, about being alone. Next to the big band classics of the 40s and 50s, they sound loose, warm and often a little sad.

A 70s Christmas party playlist

• Start warm: "This Christmas", "Merry Christmas Darling" and "Give Love on Christmas Day".
• Turn it up: "Step Into Christmas", "Merry Xmas Everybody" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town".
• Sing together: "Feliz Navidad" and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)".
• Laugh: "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer".
• End quietly: "River" or "Christmas Must Be Tonight".

Christmas songs from the 80s and 90s

If you love these, keep going: the 80s brought "Last Christmas" and Band Aid, and the 90s brought Mariah Carey and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. See our lists of 80s Christmas songs and 90s Christmas songs.

Sad and funny 70s Christmas songs

"River", "If We Make It Through December" and "Lonely This Christmas" cover the bittersweet side of the decade. For laughs, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" is unbeatable. More in our lists of sad Christmas songs and funny Christmas songs.

A Christmas song for parents who grew up in the 70s

For parents or grandparents who grew up with this music, a personalized Christmas song in a soul, folk or classic rock style makes a warm gift: their names, the family's traditions and memories from the year, in the sound of their youth. See our guide to a Christmas song for parents.

For the top 100 across every style and decade, see our list of the greatest Christmas songs of all time.

How to create a Christmas song for your parents

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: pop, rock, country, acoustic and more.
2. Add their names.
3. Share three family memories and a few Christmas traditions.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give them a song in the sound of their youth: create a Christmas song and hear four previews for free.