10 Soul Christmas Songs

Most essential soul holiday albums are likely to include these 10 soul Christmas songs. Not only are they well-crafted and memorable songs, but they also feature some of the most talented and legendary artists in pop and R&B music. These ten songs make up a soul Christmas collection that should please most fans.

1. “Back Door Santa.” “Back Door Santa” is a classic soul Christmas song by Clarence Carter, a blind soul singer and musician. In this late 1960s single, Santa sneaks around with another man’s girl.
2. “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas.” Carla Thomas, a singer known as the “Queen of Memphis Soul,” released “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas” in the early 1960s. The song was a follow-up to her R&B hit single, “Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes).”
3. “Merry Christmas Baby.” “Merry Christmas Baby” is an R&B Christmas standard written by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore in the late 1940s. Many singers have covered the song, most notably blues singer Charles Brown and soul singer Otis Redding.
4. “Presents For Christmas.” “Presents For Christmas” is a popular soul Christmas song by Solomon Burke, a singer-songwriter and Pentecostal pastor. Known as both the “King of Rock and Soul” and the “Bishop of Soul.” Burke released the song in 2004.
5. “Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday.” “Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday” is one of the best-known Christmas songs of William Bell, a popular singer-songwriter. The song made an appearance in the 2010 film, “Repo Man.”
6. “This Christmas.” “This Christmas” is a well-known Christmas song by Donny Hathaway, the late R&B singer-songwriter also known as Donny Pitts. Released in the early 1970s, the single has become a modern holiday standard.
7. “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’.” Blues singer and guitarist Albert King is the best-known performer of “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’.” The soul standard is a composition by prominent songwriter Mack Rice, famous for “Mustang Sally.”
8. “Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto.” “Santa Claus Go Straight To The Getto” comes from legendary singer-songwriter James Brown (“tell him James Brown sent you”). The song is a standard on many soul Christmas compilation albums.
9. “I Want To Come Home For Christmas.” “I Want To Come Home For Christmas” is a song by Marvin Gaye, another legendary singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. The song appears on “The Ultimate Motown Christmas Collection,” a 51-song compilation released in 2009.
10. “Please Come Home For Christmas.” “Please Come Home For Christmas” is a melancholy Christmas song about a lonely guy who lost his girl. Blues musician Charles Brown released the single in 1960, and it appeared on Billboard’s Christmas singles chart for nine seasons.