The 2022 Country Music Christmas Playlist

There’s just something about country music and Christmas music that go together so well. The only thing that sounds more appropriate in a Christmas song than sleigh bells is steel guitar. Country music and Christmas music are both about evoking fond memories, and reminding us of home.

Below is the 2022 Saving Country Music Christmas Playlist. It is country. It is good. It is all new recordings of both classics and original songs released in 2022, delicately curated to remove anything that is too syrupy, too pop, or not cool. All the songs have been expertly arranged to be listened to consecutively.

Each year the Christmas playlist is a great opportunity to showcase artists who deserve more attention in country music, and artists who we otherwise may not talk about. We can always count on Randall King to deliver a cool original Christmas song each year. Hailey Whitters has turned in a couple of the best Christmas tracks of the season. And they both symbolize the promise of country’s future.

Chris Canterbury’s Quaalude Lullabies has been an album many have been raving about, and his cover of John Prine’s “Christmas in Prison” makes for a good introduction, as does Grant Maloy Smith’s original song “All On Christmas Day.”

You also need a little humor in your playlist, like we get with the Old 97’s cuts from the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie, or Bianca De Leon’s “Turducken,” or Wild Earp’s “The Krampus Song.” There’s few things worse than a Christmas playlist that’s too slick, or takes itself too seriously.

And what’s also great about country Christmas music is that it allows the roots of artists to come out, because country Christmas songs just beg for steel guitar and twang. O.N.E. The Duo is a great vocal group that flirts with traditional country. But with their Christmas songs, the country in their sound comes right to the forefront.

This has been a very light year for new country Christmas albums. Perhaps due to the pandemic, there were 30+ original Christmas albums released in 2021. This year, it’s just a smattering of EPs and re-releases, but you can find a glossary of them beneath the playlist. And if you want more where this came from, check out the 2021 Christmas Playlist, and the 2020 Christmas Playlist as well.

The 2022 Christmas Country Playlist is available on Spotify, on Amazon Music, and on YouTube. You can find respective players below, and a list of all the songs included below that.

Merry Christmas!


  • Hailey Whitters – “Meet Me Under The Mistletoe”
  • Jamestown Revival – “Blue Christmas”
  • Logan Mize – “I Saw Santa in a Bar”
  • Paige King Johnson – “Santa Train” (2022 Version)
  • Randall King – “Old Time Christmas”
  • O.N.E. The Duo – “Santa Clause is Comin’ to Town”
  • Britt Taylor with Mike and the Moonpies – “Lonely on Christmas”
  • Ian Munsick – “Santa Ain’t a Cowboy”
  • Kat & Alex – “Silent Night”
  • David Adam Byrnes – “Home at Christmas”
  • War Hippies – “O Holy Night”
  • Brian Ruby – “Christmas With You”
  • Jay Bragg – “December”
  • Old 97’s – “I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)”
  • Charly Reynolds – “Last Christmas”
  • Bri Bagwell with Paul Eason – “Please Come Home for Christmas”
  • Ryan Griffin – “Little Saint Nick”
  • Chris Canterbury – “Christmas in Prison”
  • Wild Earp – “The Krampus Song”
  • Hailey Whitters – “New Baby for Christmas”
  • Old Crow Medicine Show – “Trim This Tree”
  • TG Sheppard, Kelly Lang, The Oak Ridge Boys – “White Christmas”
  • Old 97’s and Kevin Bacon – “Here It Is Christmastime”
  • Grant Maloy Smith – “All On Christmas Day”
  • Anne Wilson – “Kentucky Fried Christmas”
  • Jon Langston – “I Only Want You For Christmas”
  • O.N.E. The Duo – “Sleigh Ride”
  • Mikayla Lane – “Silent Night”
  • Ray Scott – “Santa’s Sack”
  • Jamestown Revival, Nick Bearden, Ed Benrock… – “O Christmas Tree”
  • Runaway June – “Cowboy for Christmas”
  • Lola Kirke – “Christmas Alone”
  • Lewis Brice – “Rudolph”
  • Kelley Hunt – It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”
  • Bianca De Leon – “Turducken”
  • Caylee Hammack – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
  • Pam Tillis with Kory Caudill – “Christmas Time Is Here”
  • Tommy Buller – “White Christmas Makes Me Blue”
  • Gabe Lee, King Margo, Zoe Cummins – “Run Run Rudolph”
  • Hellroys – “Santa Claus Is a Commie”
  • Dickey Lee with Conrad Fisher – “The Christmas Ornament”
  • Ben James – “Christmas in Dixie”
  • Michaela Anne – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

2022 Christmas Albums

  • Jamestown RevivalSongs That Sleigh EP (Great steel guitar in this one.)
  • Bri BagwellRed or Green EP (A play off of red or green chile from New Mexico. Original songs and classics.)
  • Logan MizeMerry Christmas from Logan Mize EP (Some classics and a couple of originals.)
  • Various Artists – A RBR Family Christmas (Good Christmas bluegrass compilation)
  • Chris IsaakEverybody Knows It’s Christmas (Christmas songs rockabilly style)
  • Michaela AnneHappy Xmas EP (Four classics)
  • Anne WilsonThe Manger (Good country pop with traditionals and originals.)
  • Grant Maloy SmithThe Christmas Heart (Traditional religious songs.)
  • O.N.E. The DuoO.N.E. Very Merry Christmas (Great little three-song country Christmas EP)
  • Vince Gill and Amy GrantChristmas Traditions (A new compilation of previous recordings from Vince and Amy.)
  • Reba McEntireThe Ultimate Christmas Collection (A new compilation of previous recordings from Reba.)
  • Jamie O’NealSpirit and Joy (Australian country performer singing country standards.)
  • Davis Cause & Jay SmithPickin’ On Christmas (Instrumental Christmas standards.)
  • Kelley HuntWinter Soulstice (Soul/Americana Christmas album.)

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