A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

What can go wrong. Seriously, what can go wrong with a Christmas album? Nothing. Furthermore, a whole lot can go right, and that’s what happens here. Everyone knows every song, which you can’t say for many other albums (or, in this case, compilations). It’s a whole lot of fun and the closest you can probably get to conveying the ‘Christmas spirit’ in popular song.

Always a listen during the Christmas times. Christmas Music may be cliché and overplayed and all that, but this album oozes atmosphere and good times, even if Phil Spector wasn't that good in delivering good times himself. The performances by the girls are amazing and the wall of sound works incredibly well for Christmas music, its like you're in a shopping mall in some feelgood Tim Allen Christmas Movie. The essential Christmas Album.

How cute that this album pops up on Christmas. Such a sweet idea. Lots of great Christmas songs on here and it was fun to listen to while hanging out at home relaxing.

Is it going to be on regular rotation throughout the year? No. Is it an excellent Christmas album I will throw on 11 months from now? Definitely. Festive 🎄

Christmasy

I was shocked at how many songs I recognized from this album.

A welcome Christmas gift with a bunch of classics and good covers 4/5

I’m not a huge fan of Christmas music, but as far as Christmas albums go, you can’t do much better than this. (Made me smile to see it pop up as the album for Christmas Day.)

Nice that this is "randomly" generated on Christmas day. It's a good Christmas album with "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" being my favourite. Merry Christmas!

Our host’s neat trick in saving this for Christmas Day has been a welcome one, sticking our household and maybe yours, Si, in this cheerful, compressed Groundhog Day. I don’t have the stomach to unpick Spector’s depredations, which would anyway do a disservice to those who actually played and sang these songs. This is a blast of cheer, and I’m surprised it lasted the day here, testament to its honing for mid-distance listening at varying levels of festive exhaustion.

Merry Christmas!

We don't start Christmas in our house until at least 21st December. This is always the first Christmas music played.

I really liked this album and the timing was perfect. Great to hear these takes I had not heard before on the classics. Got me in the holiday mood when I needed it.

I love this. Adding orchestra makes most music better, this is just super classy and happy. I got this album on Christmas Eve; did that happen to other people or is this a divine coincidence? Also, fuck anybody who says this album should be canceled because of phil spector. This album was the work of all these great singers and instrumentalists, not just mr. spector; their wonderful work shouldn't be thrown away for the sins of one guy.

Well hell if I'm gonna be the Grinch who criticizes this album... Obviously I'm not wanting to hear these songs for maybe 49-50 weeks of the year but if we're gonna have Christmas songs this isn't a bad way to go at all. Short, not too filled with saccharine; so shed the cynicism and enjoy a half-hour of simple early 60s holiday pop rock. (Um...you can skip Killer Spector's silly thank you "song" at the end tho) 7/10 4 stars

What a lovely Christmas treat! I'm pretty sure the admin programmed this in to be the album people get on Christmas, but that doesn't make it less special to me. Really consistent sound, timeless and classic songs done in that very specific "wall of sound" that made Spector who he was. I love that style, and I think it works perfectly with yuletide tunes. The thank you message at the end was nice, even if it reminded me that he was (later) a murderer. Also he died this year, totally forgot about that. Anyway, Merry Christmas everyone! I hate to think what Phil would've done if he saw his mommy kissing Santa! Favorite tracks: Frosty the Snowman, Sleigh Ride, White Christmas, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. Album art: It's a Christmas album, so not much creativity is necessary, but I like that all these great artists are packed in little presents. Phil really cares, doesn't he? Giving us this music? I hear he had a present for Lana Clarkson too. 4.5/5

I'm not a big xmas music guy, but this was really good. All of these songs are performed very well, especially the ones done by The Ronettes. It was nice to be able to include my family in this project for one day.

This is actually very good music in terms of the melodies, the variety of instruments used, and the vocals. And the idea of having cheerful songs about Christmas and winter to play around the holidays is great. The problem is that there aren't that many popular Christmas songs, so existing ones end up being overplayed.

I don’t know if there was programmatic collusion, but getting this album on Dec. 25th is a special treat. I enjoyed it a lot this morning while opening gifts. Very 60’s, a classic through and through. But only needed once a year.

This is the best example of Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound' production technique. Though it was incredibly influential, this technique can muddy the background quite a bit. Playing the studio like an instrument was new in the early sixties and would truly come to fruition in the hand of Brian Wilson and the Beatles several years later.

Very 60s-ish. A good thing to listen to on Christmas morning.

Yep thats Christmas music alright

Dear Phil Spector, Thanks for the Christmas gift, you creepy bastard. We will never forgive you for murdering Lana Clarkson, but here’s three stars for making a Christmas album that I actually wouldn’t mind listening to.

Alright, so clearly this generator is manipulated just a little bit -- and thank god for that, because I certainly don't want to listen to this album any other day of the year. That being said, this is a super pleasant Christmas record; lots of nostalgia, lots of Christmas cheer at its finest. And at first, listening to the Silent Night finale, I was like: "damn. How nice is that? You don't see that nowadays -- just a sweet ole producer thanking you for listening. Nice one Phil Spector." Turns out Mr. Spector shot a gal in the fucking mouth. Jesus Fucking Christ.

Some fantastic songs. Sleigh Ride is superb. I want to especially highlight the snare drum here, and its little "de-dum" lead-in to the verses. It's one of my favourite christmas musical moments. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is also fantastic. The Wall of Sound is really "present" here, and it must have been phenomenal to hear all this when it first came out. But on the other hand, there is also a lot of dross on this album. Frosty the Snowman is not enjoyable, and it gets worse. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus is awful. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers I would skip each time. And imagine getting this on vinyl, which would force you to listen to each and every song (without careful needle re-positioning)! It's also hard to hear a Phil Spector album without digging and feeling pained. It's not just the murder. Reading the wikipedia article for Ronnie Spector (née Veronica Bennett, who fronted the Ronettes) shows that Phil's crimes weren't limited to a single gunshot.

All the classics arranged by a beautiful psycho.

Christmas classics on Christmas Day! Who woulda thunk it? I wonder if everyone got the same album, or are there other Christmas platters that made the list? I guess I’ll go another year and find out!

As far as Christmas albums go, it certainly is one.

Christmas! But certainly not one of the best Christmas albums…

Might be my new go-to Christmas album. There's some great acts on here. The Ronnettes and The Crystals really shine here. The Wall of Sound reigns supreme. On a side note, I did some research on Phil Spector and he was quite the character... He had some major contributions to modern producing and mixing regardless of all the bad stuff that he did.

Have this one on Vinyl. I think its pretty overrated and nothing special about it at all. I like chucking it on once or twice a year in the lead up to Christmas (obviously) but I don't think it is a significant recording by any means.

white christmas... This is 2024, we don't have these anymore

Wait, did they purposefully give me this for Christmas? I guess if a Christmas album is on this list, it makes sense to give it in December, not in July. I was just watching a video about how Phil Spector screwed Darlene Love out of royalties in the making of this album, as iconic as she was in Baby Please Come Home. Phil Spector sketchiness aside, this sounds pretty epic for a 60s Christmas album in the singing and instrumentals. Still, it's a Christmas album, 3*.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! I think it's really fun that the guy who runs this website decided to give everyone the Christmas album on Christmas itself. You know, I can't say I've ever wanted a Christmas gift from a convicted murderer, but I will gladly take "A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector", because this is some good stuff. There really isn't much to say. This is an album with some absolute Christmas classic. They're some pretty good covers too. Some of these, like the Ronettes version of "Sleigh Ride" are even considered by many to be the definitive versions of these songs. The songs themselves are good Christmas songs. None of them have aged particularly poorly (although as long as you're not including Baby It's Cold Outside, I'm pretty sure you're set). It does end weirdly with Phil Spector thanking the listener over an instrumental of Silent Night. Obviously that's weird now with what we know about Mr. Spector, but even on its own it's kind of a weird way to end the album. Overall, it's nothing crazy, but a nice little treat for the Christmas season. High 3/5.

No. 78/1001 White Christmas 3/5 Frosty the Snowman 3/5 The Bells of St. Mary 3/5 Santa Claus is Coming to Town 4/5 Sleigh Ride 4/5 A Marshmallow World 4/5 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa 3/5 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 3/5 Winter Wonderland 3/5 Parade Of The Wooden Soldier 3/5 Christmas 5/5 Here Comes Santa Claus 3/5 Silent Night NR Average: 3,42 Liked the songs by The Ronettes & Darlene Love the best. On some other songs I thought the production didn't age too well. Comparable songs from Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra from this era did age way better. Was debating between 3 and 4, but since it contains so many classics I had to give a 4.

All the christmas classics on one album. A solid album, but nothing special.

Another Christmas album in american pop stile. Maybe the first in this stile?

I guess you have to grudgingly admire the craft, despite me preferring instead to hear a collection of TV themes and/or advertising jingles for variety at least at this point. Please never again... [edit - got it again, thanks Mark! Merry Xmas]

Do you know what people do for Christmas in Japan? They go to KFC. In the 1980s, KFC ran an advertising campaign in Japan, exhorting their customers to spend Christmas with a loved one at KFC. It proved phenomenally successful, to the extent that attending KFC on Christmas Day is now a bona fide Japanese tradition. People make reservations weeks in advance to get a table at KFC on Christmas Day. Also, as I recall, Japan is the only country where one can order beer at KFC. Now, I'm not above a KFC, no way. Indeed, out of the big fast food chains, KFC commands the most fondness from me. But as a Brit, the idea of visiting KFC on Christmas Day strikes me and plenty of others as hopelessly depressing, the practice of the loneliest men in the land. Also, the overt commercial nature of the Japanese Christmas KFC tradition surely runs counter to the western ideal of Christmas as an occasion to celebrate the things money can't buy (yes, we're all hypocrites in that regard, but that doesn't make us evil). So, I don't think I can understand emotionally how the Japanese view Christmas. So can I understand how the Americans view Christmas? Well, if I were to emigrate there, how I'd celebrate Christmas would automatically be some American form of Christmas, even if I retained all the trappings of a British Christmas: turkey and the complaints that it's not as nice as chicken, overheated rooms, at least one massive row, opening a can of lager before 10am (actually, I'm objectionably sober this year, what with my ruined feet). The story of America as a nation of immigrants means that the multiplicity of immigrant Christmas traditions, from German stollen to Italian panettone, all become possible additions to an American Christmas. Still, Americans have generated traditions of their own without recourse to the rest of the world's tired, poor and huddled masses yearning to breathe free. And this, Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift to You, is a uniquely American record with a uniquely American conception of Christmas. Well, that's my reasoning as to why this album left me completely ungripped. Any description of Phil Spector, who died at the beginning of this year, has to mention his murder of the actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. He was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison in 2009. Even before this tragedy, Phil Spector had a reputation as the most deranged producer in all of music, but he also had a reputation as one of the greatest producers in all of music. Known as the Dean of Teen, Phil Spector found fame and acclaim as the svengali behind numerous girl groups and songs, writing and producing classic tracks with his Wall of Sound method of multiple instrument layering to achieve as full a sound as possible. His talent as a producer led to many other cherished acts seeking either inspiration from him or just seeking him to produce. Brian Wilson admits to a lifelong Spector obsession that proved one of the key influences on Pet Sounds. Spector produced perhaps Tina Turner's finest moment, River Deep, Mountain High. The Beatles' last album, Let It Be, was produced by Spector, but nobody considers this the Fabs' finest album (in 2003 Macca released a version of Let It Be without all the strings Spector stapled on, but this fits perfectly into the curio box). John Lennon continued working with Spector on his solo albums, from his most celebrated to his most excoriated. The last major album Spector produced was End of the Century by the Ramones, long noted for their love of Spector's girl group singles. And throughout this time, Spector's behaviour was often fanatical, domineering and worrisome. Later in life diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Spector had serious problems with alcohol and suffered from paranoia, leading to a fixation on guns. Some figures, including Dee Dee Ramone, have accused Spector of pulling guns on them. Ronnie Spector, leader of the Ronettes and one-time wife to Spector, declared that Spector had been psychologically abusive, had kept her prisoner in his mansion and that she literally had to escape in order to leave the marriage. Several of his children also allege serious abuse on Spector's part. I have in no way covered all the details of Spector's iniquities, and nor do I want to. Now, it is perfectly possible for great art to be made by the monstrous. Separating the artist and the art is not only healthy, it's easy. We don't need to consider A Christmas Gift to You in light of Spector's crimes. But I do feel I personally have to consider it through the prism of how I perceive Christmas; it is a Christmas album, after all. The songs are very well-known, decorating so many American Christmas movies. And that's where I felt the album rode straight into the uncanny valley. These aren't my idea of cracking Christmas songs. The best Christmas song is Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody: it's great fun, it's not at all pompous, Slade sound as if they're genuinely enjoying themselves. Also, it's a definitive British Christmas song. It's a stellar example of that sadly lost practice of British bands mucking in and recording Christmas singles in order to entertain the nation. The main drive was enthusiasm and so the main result was glee. Yet this is an American Christmas album. Plenty of American acts have recorded Christmas albums. Plenty of Jewish American acts have recorded Christmas albums, continuing the custom inaugurated by Irving Berlin with White Christmas. But with this album and many other American Christmas albums, what I sense is not enthusiasm but slickness. When Spector used his Wall of Sound technique for love songs, the craft amplified the emotional impact. But these are songs about Santa and Frosty the Snowman. The songs are difficult to fault directly, but the Wall of Sound becomes routine, a procedure as fitting for a toothpaste jingle as for a declaration of love. And I find this bizarre, but I think Americans appreciate this aura of professionalism. It's a sign that you haven't been ripped off. Or maybe it's just not my Christmas. Perchance I were American, this would be as cosy and reassuring as a cup of pumpkin spice hot chocolate and a handgun. But I'm not, so this is essentially Japanese KFC. And remember: not everyone has it easy at Christmas. If you do find yourself feeling down at this time of year, you can always reach out and google "Phil Spector hair". NoRadio, signing off.

Hard to rate a Christmas album but I used to really like this one. Really gotta separate art from artist here, but his arrangements and sound are pretty amazing.

Not a fan of Christmas music, but this wasn't bad at all. I liked White Christmas, Sleigh Ride and Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) in particular. It does get boring as it goes on though. I was also happy Spector's Wall of Sound made these songs more lively and listenable as an album itself.

Phil Spector's album of Christmas songs may be the most famous Christmas album there is. In recent years around the holidays, this album always makes an appearance on the charts. And on lists of best Christmas albums, this album is always near the top. The songs "Marshmallow World," "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," "Sleigh Ride," and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" are iconic from this album and have become tradition. Other songs like "Frosty the Snowman" and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" are also almost as popular. Normally I don't go out of my way to listen to holiday music even at Christmas, but I do agree this might be the best album for this music.

It's a Christmas Album. And it's good christmas music, and good example of Spector's production. But I can't give a huge rating to an album I'll only listen to once a year at best.

Spector really killed it with the production here (har har). I'm not really a Christmas music person but as far as that goes these are good renditions in my opinion.

What are the odds? (The website probably did this on purpose) Phil Spector, notable producer and murderer, had designed the "wall of sound", where Spector pushed the limitations of audio recording technology by having a large an ensemble as possible. This would result in a much fuller sound unique to the 50's and 60's. This "wall of sound" was subsequently used by Spector when he gathered a few artists on his label to do a selection of (mostly) secular Christmas songs. I do not like the wall of sound. I think it obscures the arrangement and is a poor use of dynamics. Which is a shame because I like some of the songs on where with their arrangement choices! If they were just a bit more stripped back and sonically legible, I could enjoy it more. Perhaps for the time, the wall of sound was even helpful, but here I find it more annoying than anything. Everything else about this is great though!

Awesome holiday music🎄🎄🎁🎅🏼🧑🏼‍🎄👼🏻The Ronettes were my fav! Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night🥂On to the next album and New Year

Phil was as mad as a box of frogs. But I am sure most people will agree he was a very talented producer.

Phil Spector being a terrible, awful, horrible person knocks the star off the Christmas tree for me, and the oversaturation of Christmas music takes another half. So this album getting 3 stars is impressive, because it's a very good album. Spector was a revolutionary producer and his wall of sound works immaculately on the record's best cuts. Darlene Love is the MVP, as her melancholy, soulful rendition of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) has become a staple and the other songs she worked on were great, especially Marshmallow Land. Everyone else does a great job throughout and the joy that Spector's production conveys creates a classic Christmas album from the Grinch of the record label. Also Brian Wilson worked on it and cited the record as an inspiration for Pet Sounds. It's a festive joy that was released on the same day JFK died, and its classics (Sleigh Ride, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), White Christmas, Marshmallow Land, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, The Bells of St. Mary) will entertain and live in the hearts of eager children for years to come.

Living in the "eastern" half of the world, I received "A Christmas Gift for You" a day late. But I don't mind. After all, I live in a country where Christmas starts long before the winds get colder and ends several days after the New Year fireworks lighted up the sky. Also, I don't have time to listen to it on Christmas Day anyway. All I can say is, it's a decent gift that has everything one could expect from a set of Christmas songs. The notable things in this album is that it's so '60s. The sound of '60s pop songs rule this album. That, and Phil Spector's so-called "Wall of Sound" approach is well-compiled in this album. And perhaps that's the reason why this is included in the list. Overall, pretty good. Out of the four gifts, my favorite is Darlene Love and her powerful voice -- just look at her in the cover, at the top, waving her name like a banner. Not listening to it again next year though, nor blast it on speakers. I mean, Mariah Carey is overplayed as hell, but I liked the more recent versions of some classic Christmas tunes more than the outdated '60s pop version of them. Thinking about it, Christmas song is probably a great lens to look at the evolution of pop sounds throughout the years.

Bangers, fizzers and crackers throughout. Timely too! A great Christmas album.

Sparkly Christmas Murderer Cheese

The output of Phil Spector’s production feels like some kind of devilish stress test of the semi fictitious chimera of “Cancel Culture”. Sure, it’s branded with the name of a clearly terrible (and if you believe the reports of some of his family, genuinely evil) person. On the other hand do you punish the individual artists by tossing it all in history’s dustbin? Putting all that aside, none of this grabbed me that hard. I didn’t feel like Christmas classics were much improved by that famous Wall of Sound treatment.

Bad, bad Christmas nonce...but that's okay, because he shot a woman.

Spector is a dickhead

Very good for making your christmas

Fuck Phil Spector, I hope Ronnie is hunting him for sport in the afterlife 2/5

Strong performances from all the artists, but I hate Christmas music.

All songs are quite samey; most sound like children's tunes treated with the same "wall of sound" sauce. I like the sound and some songs are half decent but more variation would be good. And it's still a Christmas album, for Christ's sake (pardon the pun). A 2 is as far as I can go for a Christmas album until someone puts The Pogues, The Waitresses and the few non-annoying Christmas songs in existence on an album.

ok

A trifle, sure, but a tasy one. Maybe a little too much cream.

I HATE Christmas songs

I hate christmas music

I'd rather have gotten coal

341/1089 - I don't like holiday music. It always feels so cynically made. Paired with Spector's lush orchestration which makes me want to vomit and this wasn't a good combo. I don't mean to be a total grinch though. I do like the older church music (esp. on organ!) around Christmas and Vince Guaraldi. I also liked the Nostalgia Critic's weird christmas song and the PilotRedSun Grinch Ultimatum dance. Anyways hope you have the reciept cause I'm returning this.

Meh. Xmas music.

Christmas for boomers.

Fuck off

Um I’m gonna mark this as listened bc I don’t want to listen to this album again. But I didn’t actually listen to it in the first place. Phil Spector - go kill someone else why don’t ya. And get your hair cut too

Wtf? I don’t care how great the singers are, the songs are trash and so is the producer.

A couple people featured have nice voices, but I hate Christmas music with every fiber of my being. The only genre worse than Christmas music is country Christmas music

Ja es ist Weihnachten. Ja Phil Spector war ein innovativer Produzent. Und ja ich mag die Crystals und Ronettes. Aber ein Weihnachtslied nach dem anderen: No.

All Christmas music is bad. This is bad. How is this even on the list?

There’s a reason holiday music is only played once a year

Fuck Phil Spector

Not a fan of Christmas music and I would never pick any of these renditions if I was choosing to play Christmas songs. The Phil Spector “thank you” at the end is the worst producer tag of all time. Don’t see myself hitting “play” on this again

No. Just no. Sure, these are better-than-average Christmas songs, but they are still Christmas songs. Curated by a murderer. Just no.

don't love the Wall of Sound, don't want to listen to xmas music, don't want to receive any "gift" from a murderer!

I don’t particularly care for Christmas songs and these fell flat.

Seriously? Did any of these artists even write these songs?? Probably the only album on this list I’m not finishing.

Fuck, Phil Spector 😫💦💦

FUCK Phil Spector and his genius producing.

I actually prefer A Very Special Christmas from the late 80s as a rock and roll Christmas album while realizing that one stands on the shoulders of this one.

Gostei

I like this album, perfect for christmas.

already know this one, great album

one of only a handful of christmas albums you really need

5 stars. Not just the best Christmas album ever made, but a genuine great album. A fun, uplifting classic...

Heck yeah, what a great Christmas album. One of the very few “essential” Christmas albums in my opinion.

I wish I hadn't missed this, phenomenal album of traditional arrangements

Brilliant. Every one of these tracks should be played on the radio during the Season. All these artists and the producer (big separate the art from the artist energy needed on this one. Skip the final track I say) working at their peak.

I didn’t realize all my favorite Christmas songs were on one record, this is a delight!

Álbum aconchegante e com espírito natalino. “Santa Claus is coming for town” é minha favorita da obra.

The perfect concept album.

DELIGHTFUL. And he's dead. So it's fine. Good choice for vinyl.

Catchy

Good

I love Christmas music, and this is a great collection of. music. I was thinking it might be a 4 star, but in reality it's so good I think it deserves 5 stars for the talent and vibes.

Classic

Yes, it's a seasonal compilation album. Don't care. It's a perfect Christmas album. The soundtrack to the holiday season at every mall and party. Anyone who gives less than 5 stars is a Scrooge.

classic. christmas!

At Christmas a definite 5

Widely considered one of the greatest Rock & Roll Christmas albums ever recorded... who am I to disagree? They're all great songs and great performances and I love Christmas music. This is a classic and a classic it shall be.

THE greatest of Christmas albums! Long live Ronnie!

the best Christmas collection.

Best Christmas album ever.

merry christmas! fuck yeah

Every track on this album sounds like it belongs in a Scorsese movie while something terrible is happening. Fantastic album. Fantastic sounds. Terrible man was Phil Spector, but the work is good.

It is confusing and odd to listen to a Christmas album produced by a murderer but it is really good music and I can’t deny it. Every track feels rich and I enjoy the wall of sound technique here. Full of classics.

Classic stuff. Joni is the best.

this really is THE Christmas album. if only Phil Spector didn't suck so much!

Wall of Sound Wall of Christmas Wall of Joy

An absolute classic. My favourite Christmas album.

This is Christmas.

Music isn't about having the cleverest chords, the best production or recouping all your advances - it's about being an important part of life. Five fucking stars.

Got this on Xmas day but listened to it in the run up for the first time so counting it here. Obviously a classic, you've heard of all of these countless times.

Wonderful. Loved it

christmas :)

Spector, many great artists from the 60s, and hey - it’s Christmas- what’s not to like here?

Merry Merry!

Perfect Christmas album, just for an album made of black artists, Phil Spector has a big part.

Best Christmas album out there with lots of classics and songs I already knew.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Absolute gold. Darlen Love singing Baby Please Come Home is a powerhouse of Yuletide heartbreak. Silent Night, however, where Spector himself gives us a little cosy chat is a step too far into kitsch.

10/10 Perfect, wonderful, and whimsical

I love Christmas music

5/5 for just being a classic

YAYYYYYYY

Great Christmas album!

Normally I don't listen to Christmas music 🎵. But this album was def a vibe while opening gifts 🎁! Merry Christmas 🎄!

Solid Christmas album.

some songs gave me flashbacks to work but this album is saur good i had to ignore it 🥇a marshmallow world 🥈parade of the wooden soldiers 🥉frosty the snowman

Christler

Merry Christmas!

I love christmas music and I love being black. Easy listen for me!

so nostalgic! gets me in the Christmas spirit everytime!

Yes

One of the most iconic Christmas albums

perfect for christmas day

Some classic Xmas tunes!

favourite one for xmas

A quintessential Christmas album. Stoke the wood stove, drop the needle, and have you kids rip open presents like its 1985. Spike the eggnog with a shot of your choice at the turn and slip back into when Christmas still mattered.

Fun!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ MERRY CHRISTMAS

So great! What a Christmas treat

One of the best Chris albums made. Shame it was by a murderer though.

Xmas classic

Great on so many levels! Put it with my family at dinner, they loved it

Its Christmas I can't NOT give this 5 stars now can I

Simply superb. Not my first time with this one - love the sound and these songs will never get old. A stone cold classic that’s a must listen at Christmas.

Love this one! So wholesome, notwithstanding the Phil Spector of it all. Many of these are mainstays on my Christmas party playlists. The production is so bright and forceful, sounds great. And man, Darlene Love could sing!

Fantastic album.

Merry Christmas!

Phil Spector is obviously a bad person, but this is obviously an incredible album. Just skip the last "song" which is basically just Spector speaking. Everything else is fantastic.

This shit is so good

Classic christmas bangers for a reason. 1960’s black excellence!!! Frosty the Snowman by the Ronettes? GREAT WHITE CHRISTMAS by Darlene Love ?? ICONIC Sleigh Ride by Ronettes???? LOVED SO MUCH Rating: 5/5- GEMV (25.12.2025)

Love it

GOING IN: Very excited indeed LISTENED WHILE: Drinking an Old Fashioned in front of the fire FAMILIARITY: Part of my life this one SKIP RATE: Played it straight through REPLAY VALUE: Deffo play again DISCOVERY CURVE: Loved it straight away ALBUM ARC: Pretty even, consistent VERDICT: Absolutely brilliant BODY'S VERDICT: Toe tapping situation FAVOURITE TRACK: Very hard to choose!!!... Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) My Rating: 5

Best Xmas Album Ever 👌

Obviously Spector's a huge piece of shit and the world would be better off if he never existed. But also this is exactly what Christmas is supposed to sound like, so what can you do.

Yeah, ok, that was great.

The only Xmas album I have liked

🥞

Some of the only notable Christmas 60s recordings and arguably the defining seasonal album collection. Perfection of its kind

It’s perfect? Darlene Love and the Ravonettes bot doing the songs that are the original versions of the songs you know.

Wall of sound is an unexpected addition that Christmas was missing until this release A truly great album and possibly the greatest crimbo album ever . 5 stars all day long. Even if it’s only listened to 3 weeks of the year . Darlene love does a lot of the heavy lifting and it would have been interesting to hear a full album of her Christmas songs

Classic Christmas

If Carlsberg made Christmas albums then they'd be hard pressed to beat this one. 5 Stars all the way

Excellent album, full of favourites 🎄 Phil Spectors best moments - love it/ have it

Best Christmas Album ever!

I love Christmas. I love this album. I love the sound.

Loved it! Can’t believe I didn’t play until Christmas Day!

Loved this!

Christmas morning tradition is to listen to this. Killing two calling birds with one stone.

Best Christmas record ever.

Yep, it’s a brilliant album, heard it many times, but fuck me I’ve had quite enough of xmas so I’ll listen to it again in summer

You already know and love half of this album.

Рождественские песни лучшие!

40 years before he murdered Lana Clarkson, he murdered with this absolute banger of a Christmas album. I hate Christmas music. But this is an easy 5 star album. The wall of sound is in full force here. Darlene Love is incredible. Masterpiece.

Best Xmas album ever.

I have listened to this every December since 2020, typically multiple times in the month. Absolutely love it, Spector's wall of sound work is pure ear candy. Best track is Christmas Baby Please Come Home, and it's also a cozy familiar feeling hearing the Be My Baby drumbeat on Frosty the Snowman. Only real downside is hearing Spector himself and his dorky ass voice at the end

So much for this generator being random (got this on Christmas day, no way that's by chance.) Yes it's perfect even if I don't want to hear every song when it comes on. Darlene Love is a national treasure. The Ronettes rule. I could've done without the Phil Spector parting note.

This is such a feel good album! Merry Christmas everyone!

Fuck Phil Spector. However. Hell yes to this collection. Merry Christmas everyone!

Perfect. Perfect timing, perfect sounds, perfect perfect perfect

Random album generator really hit this one out of the park. Classis.

The best at what it is. Just that.

Merry Chrysler!

Spector, despite holding his wife and children captive for years, allegedly molesting them, and killing someone, just to die of COVID. . . produced a good album here. And besides him, this record is amazing. I would honesty be surprised if any American (or perhaps, any westerner) above the age of 2 has never heard at least one song from this album.

Spooky good

Outside of Phil Spector turning out to be a murdering psychopath, this is a flawlessly produced Christmas Album highlighted by Darlene Love which is truly a gift for the holidays.

YES This gets 5 stars if only just for Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)". Yes, I'm well aware of what a terrible person Phil Spector was. But these are all classics.

Awesome - if you're in the holiday mood

Amazing Christmas album and stacked with Phil’s wall of sound.

just straight up christmas bangers

10/10 Favorite: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Best Song: Christmas Baby (Please Come Home) It is so weird listening to Christmas music in September. Anyway, I think this is the only Christmas album on here and I wonder why. This is a great Christmas album. That Phil Spector really can find great musicians, I hope he never does anything stupid to get himself in trouble. 5/5.

This is one of the best sounding albums of all time. It's aged so well, most of the songs, you'd think were recorded this century and not over 60 years ago. If you like christmas songs or not, this is an incredible album. A true 5/5!

Didn't expect a message from Phil Spector on Christmas Day. Very festive.

The seminal Christmas album

Interesting

Good.

The finest Christmas album ever recorded. If anyone should ever come at you with that "no such thing as perfection" tripe - play them Phil Spector's magnum opus and set the record straight as the nonbeliever's jaw drops.

A standard for Christmas Lunch parties since my Graduates group of friends started having them annually in 1985. Can be nothing but a 5

More Christmas albums please!!! So many of the classics are on this album! I wish I could give it a 10/10! It’s perfect.

Everything you want in a Christmas album

The definitive Christmas album. The only one probably actually worth owning. 5 Stars.

Nostalgic

So many classics on my Christmas playlist every year.

fun as hell little xmas spectacle -- I love the last track, even one day after xmas. FIVE! :) MERRY XMAS!

A very appropriate pick for Christmas Day. Well done, festive, and just far enough from the classics to be it's own twist on those songs, while nodding back at the originals. Will definitely keep in mind for Christmas breakfast cooking next year

The Ronettes, the Crystals, Darlene Love, and Bob Soxx and the Blue Jeans combine to deliver one of the best Christmas albums of all time. An unfortunate album title (and final track), but what can you do.

Nothing but bangers. The ronnetes singing “ furah—stie the snowmaaahn” is my favorite

Love, love love. A seasonal favourite. Soooo Christmassy, and reminds me of childhood Christmases. The harmonies, the songs, the sound, the bells, the voices. All rolled into a fabulous snowball of festive fabulousness. (Fuck Spector though...but a Big Five for everyone else that worked on this album).

The sound of Christmas - second only to Vince Guaraldi Trio's 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' for me.

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without this album. All tracks are great, too many to list. The lesser known The Bells of St Mary stood out as one that doesn't get much airtime and should. Motown gold.

I almost don’t think of this as a Christmas album. I listen to it all-year-round, it’s that good.

#219/1001. As I saw this is included in the list, I expecting this present. So I started listening to it - about 20-30 years ago, daily for a week or two before Christmas. But isn't it funny how quick after xmas all the music that has been wassaled on the radio, at home on your albums, streaming playlists and c-tapes and in shopping malls, churches plus schools gets old and out of place. But year after year, this present is opened and delivers such joy to the world that I'm not sure if mankind deserves it.

24th album with group. Christmas music isn’t the best, but I’m not the Grinch. Good Songs - Sleigh Ride, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Winter Wonderland, and Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. Bad Songs - White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, The Bells of St. Mary, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Marshmallow World, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), Here Comes Santa Claus, and Silent Night.

Curiosamente había escuchado este disco ayer el 24. Estoy siendo generoso con un 5? Un poco, pero soy tan fan de las girl groups de esta época que me hacen olvidar momentaneamente que Phil Spector merece ir a chingar a su madre, aunque admito que su estilo de producción es perfecto para este tipo de álbum. Fav Tracks: *White Christmas *Santa Claus Is Coming To Town *Sleigh Ride *Here Comes Santa Claus Posdata: Me voy enterando de lo de Spector y que chingue a su madre. Califico puramente la música

Love this album, easy 5 stars

Pretty much the only Christmas we listen to. So good!

Phil Spector ist ein widerliches Arschloch, aber leider ein fantastischer Produzent. Habs in diesem Jahr nicht gehört, aber in den vergangenen Jahren eigentlich immer aufgelegt. Eine tolle Ansammlung an bekannten und weniger bekannten Weihnachtsstandards, wunderschön orchestriert und gesungen.

Love, love, love! I recognize a few of these from the radio, but I didn't realize there was full album I could put on each year.

Motown Christmas is my favorite Christmas subgenre. I can't help but feel a bit nostalgic when I hear these songs. I'd be hard pressed to find a better true Christmas album than this one. If I can find this on vinyl I'd play it constantly during the Christmas season. I'm not measuring this one on the same grading scale on the others, but rather how much it makes me feel the Christmas spirit.

A straight up classic. It isn't Christmas in America without these songs

Christmas albums do not get better than this. Am I a hypocrite for turning a blind eye to Spector actually murdering someone? Yes, yes I am. But I'm not holding that against Roni!

This has to be a seminal album, not just for the music, but for the moment when Christmas changed forever. So many enduring songs. Despite his misdemeanours Phil Spector was unquestionably a genius.

Great great great

One of my all time favourite Christmas albums. Could listen it to it year round if it wasn’t weird

A perfect Christmas Day listen. If not on Christmas Day it would be a very different rating

Very good Christmas album

Fortsatt en av de beste albumene i en vanskelig sjanger. Tror alle versjonene på plata her kunne gått i en juleliste. Så hvorfor ikke bare spille hele plata? Til og med snorkelåta «White Christmas» låter friskt her. «Silent Night» på slutten? Ikke en fullverdig låt, men på et julealbum som er «fra Phil Spector» så er det en naturlig avslutning på denne julepresangen. Glad vi fikk den nå i jula og ikke på sommeren.

So many classics that I had no idea were recorded for the same project. I feel bad for those who get this album any day other than December 25th because it just feels right. You start your day with presents, cookies, family and whatever traditions you have. Then you end your day after all the festivities and put on this album on. Sure it's just a bunch of Christmas songs, but these are really the top tier.

Merry Christmas!

One of two or three Christmas albums I wouldn’t mind listening to out of season. It’s starts off well enough, but by the time you get to Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, it’s full gas. The drumming is awesome and propulsive, bass lines are without flaw. It’s hard to separate this from Christmas dreck since it serves as the backbone to virtually all Christmas playlists, but you will be rewarded if you can.

5/5 - Is there a better Christmas album? No, there is not. I don’t want to hear this in July, but this is a perfect pick for the day.

SO GOOD I PULLED MY GUN ON CHER

That was a weird dark Wikipedia rabbit hole. Musically 5/5 right up my alley.

Like to imagine this album was playing when Phil surprised Ronnie with two human infants for Xmas '71 🎄🎁🎁 🍼🍼👶👶

(100/100)

Classic

Loved it!

I’m not sure which is more accurate: does ACGFYFPS get me in the mood for Christmas, or do I look forward to Christmas because I get to listen to ACGFYFPS? Along with Vince Guaraldi, this is one of two Christmas albums that cut through all of my cynicism and help me embrace joy. Darlene Love’s shout-singing and Phil Spector’s “wall of sound” are a match made in heaven. It’s genuinely great, and my only hesitation is how much the Christmas season does the heavy lifting. If I got this in July, would I reach for a fifth star? Still, there are stone cold classics that I listen to way less in a year’s time, or don’t make annual appointment listening (though now I think I should.)

Des tounes de noel à la methode classique, pour noel. Que demander de plus?

Next stop Christmas !

There's a reason why this is considered by many to be the best Christmas album of all time. It made for perfect background music for unwrapping presents and spending time with family. These versions of the songs are perfectly sung, played, and produced. My personal favorite is "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)," which is just a gorgeous song and, though U2 later recorded it, there's no touching the original. Phil Spector was a kind of sleazy guy but his production and ability to get the most out of his performers are in fine form here.

It feels a bit weird to say an album put together by a convicted murderer is "perfect", but this is a (near) perfect Christmas album for me. It does help massively that it has one of my all-time favourite Christmas songs - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love - but I genuinely loved the whole thing. It made me feel strangely nostalgic despite not being alive when these songs were released. I could have done without Phil having a chat at the end, but I'm not marking the amazing Darlene down for that. 5/5

A classic. Yes, I've heard every single track on this one a bazzillion times, but every one of them still holds up.

Julsånger är bra

A Christmas Gift for you from Darlene Love, The Ronettes, Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans, and The Crystals with some killer production. Can't think of a better Christmas album. Darlene's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is a top 5 all time Christmas song.

Easy 5 I love this

Murder aside, great album

This album gets heavy rotation around Christmas time. Fave parts are: - When the tempo picks up when the singing starts in Sleigh Ride - The spoken word thanks of the closing track

At first I thought it was cute to receive a Christmas album, but I must admit this belongs on the list. Phil Spector’s “wall of sound” production is legendary and makes even Pop Christmas music captivating. But none of that would be possible without Darlene Love’s amazing voice and the other musicians and vocalists that bring down the house. Even a deep cut (one of only a few) like “A Marshmallow World” was a jam. A consistently strong album from 1963. Merry Christmas!

A collection of timeless Christmas classics. The soundtrack to my childhood and adult holiday season

Christmas gold.

He's a big big wrong'un, one of the worst. This is such an incredible album.

We all wish it wasn't, but it is a 5.

So many definitive versions of Christmas Songs. Five stars for Baby Please Come Home alone. Darlene Love is so underrated.

The original Christmas album full on wall of sound can’t beat it

Lovely

Vintage fun

Whoah so this is like the GOAT Christmas album? I had no idea so many incredible songs came from this.

A+ Christmas album!

the ronettes are cool

Pure Cjristmas Spirits

Definitive. Don't like gatekeeping, but it really isn't Christmas until Phil's been. Some core songs on here.

A host of classics! When the time is right it’s perfection

Even before committing murder, he should have been put in jail for that voiceover on the final song

No matter what really happened with this dude, these songs are certified bangers.

What. An. Album. This song is nothing but holidays bangers from top to bottom. This album is only 34 minutes but it packs a party punch with the strongest performances coming from Darlene Love. I played this album in the background while opening presents on Christmas Day and it added the perfect ambiance while remaining interesting. This is the exact uplifting but fun and musical experience I seek from an album, let alone a holiday album.

The tidings are good.

This came at the perfect time. Right during Christmas. Amazing to hear that so many of the versions that we know are from this. Also, some other really great covers

Was always a big fan of the Phil Spector sound and loved Sixties music from the time I was a kid. I remember searching out this CD in the late 90s/early 2000s and finding it on Ebay, if I recall correctly. Just an amazing sound and wonderful Christmas album - gets a lot of airplay each year.

clásicos buenísimos. ideal para escuchar en estas fechas mientras se hacen otras cosas.

The absolute best.

Great album

Chrimbus

Cheeky lil Christmas album innit

very much in the Christmas spirit I like Christmas(baby please come home) it reminds me of cathedral kitchen i like sleigh ride too ( aslso reminds me of ck)

BEAUTIFUL Christmas album, i absolutely loved it !

Fav Song: Sleigh Ride Overall: 5/5

One of the best Christmas albums. All the classics!

60’s coded xmas songs. not bad for a xmas album

classiccccc!! 10/10

Love any Christmas album

Fantastic. Perfect. Definitive versions of several classic songs. No notes. Phil Spector was a terrible person.

Love Christmas music

I don’t love Christmas music but this is top tier compared to a lot of others.

Клас, те що теба для різдва

Best Christmas album ever?

This is what I want from a Christmas album. Old school nostalgic sounding Christmas music that feels warm and exciting with every song. This sound is Christmas joy and reminds me of my favorite Christmas movies. As far as Christmas albums go I have no notes and will be using for holiday seasons for years to come!

The best album for the Christmas! Lovely songs from all over the world.

a cinematic cacophony of noises! 10/10 will def liosten to again, also love their vibe as a band but who they thought they was not giving that hootin and hollerin lady on the great gig in the sky royalities?? clare torry i love you girl #sayhername #andgiveherhercoins

A festive reminder that great art can be made by terrible people.

I am very into album. Super nostalgic and exactly the thing to have on repeat in the background during Christmas Day. Tons of classics by legendary artists. 10/10

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, great music, great spirit

Hype asl

I really enjoyed it. I get sick of Christmas music easily, but I think I could listen to that album way more than others. And it had my favorite version of sleigh ride on it.

I'm not fond of the holiday season. And lately I've been feeling quite blue. This album helped cheer me up. I hate to admit it, but Christmas Songs are so damn good. Sucks that this was made by a murderer though. Favorite track: Sleigh Ride Least favorite track: none. All of them are fantastic.