Various Artists: H
This index presents a selected discography of the best and/or most important various artist Christmas albums and soundtracks, organized by album name. Whenever possible, the listings are accompanied by links to the album art; to a place to buy the album (usually Amazon); and to my review of the album. Admittedly, the list skews heavily towards my preference for all things that rock, roll, swing, and twang. But, nothing's perfect - especially me and my crazy list. Please send additions, submissions, corrections, criticisms, and suggestions via email.
| Title | Date | Image | Buy | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration - Grammy-winning Quincy Jones production |
1992 | image | buy | |
| Hanukkah + - original and classic Hannukah songs from Jack Black, the Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo, HAIM, Loudon Wainwright III, and more |
2019 | image | buy | |
| Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus | 1993 | image | buy | review |
| Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus: The Second Coming | 1994 | image | buy | review |
| Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus Vols. 1 & 2 - CD compiles above two LP's plus new recordings on alternative indie label Sympathy For The Record Industry; reissued for streaming and download in 2012 |
1996 | image | buy | review |
| Happy Birthday, Jesus: The Freakscene Christmas Album - eclectic collection of Irish artists |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Happy Christmas Vol. 1 | 1998 | image | buy | |
| Happy Christmas Vol. 2 | 1999 | image | buy | |
| Happy Christmas Vol. 3 | 2001 | image | buy | |
| Happy Christmas Vol. 4 | 2005 | image | buy | |
| Happy Christmas Vol. 5 | 2010 | image | buy | |
| Happy Christmas: A Tooth And Nail Christmas - selections from previous releases |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Happy Christmas Redux: Vols. 1-3 - above six Christian alternative rock from BEC/Tooth & Nail Records |
2010 | image | buy | |
| Happy Holiday: Christmas Favorites - oddly generic indie/roots compilation with several noted Texas artists including Ian Moore and Lisa Loeb |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Happy Holidays (promotional) - from Your Friends at Redeye Distribution and Yep Roc Records! |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Happy Holidays!!! Love, Parasol - 7-inch, 4-song EP given away free to Parasol Records mail order customers |
1992 | image | buy | |
| Happy Holidays: Warm & Wonderful Christmas Favorites - part of loosely organized series of vintage lounge music |
1993 | image | buy | review |
| Hardcore Holiday - punk/alternative collection in Essential Noise label |
1996 | image | buy | |
| Hark, The Rock and Rollers Sing - local Boston charity album sponsored by WBCN 104-FM; may have only been issued on cassette |
1986 | image | buy | |
| Have A Boogie Christmas Rock & Roll! - very obscure music on very obscure label |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Have A Fun Christmas - 10-song Time-Life budget CD that would, subsequently, be greatly expanded... |
1995 | image | buy | |
| Have A Fun Christmas - 3-CD, 36-track Time-Life boxed set with different artwork than above |
2003 | image | buy | |
| Have A Fun Christmas - Time-Life compilation, different artwork and track listing than above; 14-song version sold in stores, 32-song version sold by Time-Life |
2004 | image | buy | |
| Have A Merry Chess Christmas - collection of rock and rhythm & blues from legendary Chicago label |
1988 | image | buy | |
| Have A Nice Christmas: Holiday Hits Of The 70's - one of the historic Rhino compilations; adjunct to the series Have A Nice Day: Super Hits Of The 70's |
1994 | image | buy | review |
| Have Yourself A Crazy Little Christmas - 10-song budget CD split between Stan Freberg and Yogi Yorgesson; includes most of the holiday tracks the two artists cut for Capitol Records |
1991 | image | buy | |
| Have Yourself a Funny Christmas - 2-CD import combining novelty tracks with vintage classics |
2012 | image | buy | |
| Have Yourself A Jazzy Little Christmas - classic jazz recordings from the vaults of Verve Records |
1989 | image | buy | |
| Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Reprise) - "Frank Sinatra and his friends want you to..." |
1963 | image | buy | |
| Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Reprise) - same as above with alternate cover |
1963 | image | buy | |
| Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Rhino) - eclectic, offbeat pop presented by Rhino Records |
1989 | image | buy | |
| Have Yourself a Soulful Christmas - excellent soul/funk/gospel compilation from UK indie Charley |
2010 | image | buy | |
| Have Yourself A Swingin' Little Christmas - 27 jazz and R&B chestnuts 1935-1959 from Germany's Bear Family Records |
2018 | image | buy | |
| Have Yourself Another Swingin' Little Christmas - 29 more jazz and R&B chestnuts 1950-1961 from Germany's Bear Family Records |
2022 | image | buy | |
| Headin' For The Christmas Ball - 31 jazz, swing, and R&B rarities 1939-1967 from Germany's Bear Family Records |
2020 | image | buy | |
| Hear Something Country Christmas - old and new tracks from BMG Music |
2007 | image | buy | |
| Heart of Texas: Country Christmas - indie artists produced by Justin Trevino and Jim Loessberg |
2012 | image | buy | |
| Heartland Hymns - collection of religious Christmas songs sung by country artists from the Capitol/EMI stable |
2002 | image | buy | |
| Heavenly Christmas - mix of pop, jazz, and new age |
2003 | image | buy | |
| Hello Family Santa special - from They Might Be Giants' subscription Hello Recording Club |
1995 | image | buy | |
| Here Comes Another Christmas: Greetings From the Salt City - blues-oriented set from Syracuse, NY, indie Blue Wave Records |
1993 | image | buy | |
| Here Comes Santa Claus: 29 Swinging Chestnuts - vintage jazz, blues, pop, and rock from Germany's Bear Family Records; vinyl edition includes just 14 tracks |
2021 | image | buy | |
| Here Is Christmas - European EMI compilation of classic-leaning rock; reissued in 1992 in elaborate digipak with different cover; one of the few collections that includes 1987 Roxette track "It Must Have Been Love (Christmas For The Broken Hearted)" |
1991 | image | buy | |
| Hi-Fi Christmas Party | 2002 | image | buy | |
| Hi-Fi Christmas Party Vol. 2 | 2006 | image | buy | |
| Hi-Fi Christmas Party Vol. 3 - above three power pop from Vandalay Industries |
2011 | image | buy | |
| Hillbilly Holiday - vintage country music; one of the historic Rhino compilations |
1988 | image | buy | review |
| Hip Holiday - budget-oriented 36 track, 3-CD set taken from the Capitol/EMI archives |
2008 | image | buy | |
| Hip Hop & R&B Christmas Gold - despite appearances, these are mostly new recordings compiled by X-Ray Records, a division of Cleopatra |
2016 | image | buy | |
| Hipsters' Holiday: Vocal Jazz And R&B Classics - one of the historic Rhino compilations |
1989 | image | buy | review |
| Ho Ho Ho Spice: A Hospice Awareness & Benefit Project - 2-CD collection of rare classics and new recordings benefiting Saint Barnabas Hospice in New Jersey; companion to Holiday Heart (2005) |
2002 | image | buy | review |
| Ho Ho Holy Shit, It's The Holidays - hardcore-leaning compilation from Music She Blogged |
2015 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Cheers from the Quincy Jones Music Publishing Songwriters (promotional) - eight exclusive tracks, gospel, hip hop, and rhythm & blues |
1997 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Collection Vol. 1 | 1993 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Collection Vol. 2 | 1993 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Collection Vol. 3 - above three MCA Special Products series benefiting City Of Hope |
1993 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast Vol. 1 | 1996 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast Vol. 2 | 1997 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast Vol. 3 | 1998 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast Vol. 4 | 1999 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast Vol. 5 | 2000 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast Vol. 6 | 2001 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast Vol. 7 | 2002 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast: Creme de la Creme | 2003 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast: Chanukah Feast | 2004 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast Vol. 8 | 2005 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Feast: Chanukah Feast Vol. 2 - above 11 CD's benefit Washington D.C. charity Hungry For Music |
2006 | image | buy | |
| Holiday HAAM Jam Vol. 1 | 2011 | image | buy | |
| Holiday HAAM Jam Vol. 2 - also see Holiday HAAM Jam Vol. 2: Bonus Tracks, a companion three-song EP |
2012 | image | buy | |
| Holiday HAAM Jam Vol. 3 - above three benefit for the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians |
2013 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Headbangers - hardcore-leaning compilation from Music She Blogged |
2014 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Heart: A Hospice Awareness & Benefit Project - 2-CD collection of mainly new, indie-oriented tracks benefiting Saint Barnabas Hospice in New Jersey; companion to Ho Ho Ho Spice (2002) |
2005 | image | buy | review |
| Holiday Heroes - star-studded effort produced by Jon Tivens; same sessions released as A Merrilly Christmas (Alan Merrill, 2001) |
1995 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Inn (soundtrack) - film starring Bing Crosby that marked debut of the song "White Christmas" |
1942 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Inn (soundtrack) - special edition of above also including the 1954 movie "White Christmas" |
2002 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Legends: Do You Hear What I Hear? | 2001 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Legends: Happy Holiday | 2001 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Legends: I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm | 2001 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Legends: Merry Christmas Baby | 2001 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Legends: Rock & Roll Christmas | 2002 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Legends: Warm December - above six compilations of classic pop from EMI Special Markets |
2002 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Party - hipster neo-lounge from LA-based tribute label Vitamin Records |
2005 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Remixed: Reworked Classics And Originals From The Mistletoe
Lounge - jazz, hip hop, electronica & lounge fusion; companion to Mistletoe Lounge (2006) |
2003 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Slow Jams - slimmed down version of Slow Jams For Christmas (2007) |
2008 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Sounds of the Season 2000 | 2000 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Sounds of the Season 2001 | 2001 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Sounds of the Season 2002 - above three mixed bag of pop/rock from BMG special markets |
2002 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Tribute To AC/DC: Hell's Bells of Christmas | 2007 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Tribute To Green Day: Green Days of Christmas | 2007 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Tribute to Metallica: And Christmas for All! - above three feature instrumentals by Santa Claws and the Naughty But Nice Orchestra; released by (now defunct) Christmas Rock Records |
2007 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Wishes | 2011 | image | buy | |
| Holiday Wishes II: River Of Stars - above two benefits for Make A Wish Foundation by artists from Northwest Ohio |
2012 | image | buy | |
| Holidays Rule - a who's who of hipster alternative acts (plus Paul McCartney) from Hear Music; in countries other than America, it's called Christmas Rules... |
2012 | image | buy | |
| Holidays Rule Vol. 2 - same concept as above (including the ubiquitous McCartney) and, once again, it's called Christmas Rules in countries other than America; maybe this 'war on Christmas' thing is more than right-wing paranoia... |
2017 | image | buy | |
| Holly Jolly Kids Christmas (Hip-O) - 11-song CD from the Universal Music Family division; companion to Christmas Classics |
2010 | image | buy | |
| Hollywood Christmas - Time-Life release marks first widely distributed CD appearance of Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road" |
2009 | image | buy | |
| Holy Cow Christmas: Texas Style! - shit-kickin' seasonal favorites from Compendia Records |
2003 | image | buy | |
| Home Alone Christmas - holiday songs from Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2 (1992) |
1993 | image | buy | |
| Home For Christmas - Rhino two-disc compilation of across-the-board classics |
1992 | image | buy | |
| Home For Christmas: Voices From The Heartland - roots catalog from Rounder Records |
2007 | image | buy | |
| Home For The Holidays (Om) | 2003 | image | buy | |
| Home For The Holidays (Om) Vol. 2 - above two jazzy, electronic 'chillout' music from OM Records |
2011 | image | buy | |
| Home For The Holidays (Polygram) - new and recycled pop & rock benefiting Phoenix House |
1997 | image | buy | |
| Home For The Holidays (RCA) - nine-track CD including songs from Foster & Lloyd, K.T. Oslin, and Clint Black |
1990 | image | buy | |
| Homecoming Christmas: A Musical Journey - new recordings by vintage country stars; produced by Norbert Stovall |
1997 | image | buy | |
| Homesick: A Spartan Records Christmas Album - interesting, if rather dreary, collection of indie rock from Seattle-based label |
2014 | image | buy | |
| Honkey-Tonk Holidays: Christmas In Deep Noellum - Dallas-based bands record for Dallas-based label Big Iron Records |
1995 | image | buy | |
| Hooray For Santa Claus! - Scotti Brothers collection of songs about St. Nick |
1995 | image | buy | |
| Hope For The Holidays: Rockin' Christmas For A Cure - benefits the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation |
2009 | image | buy | |
| More Hope For The Holidays: Rockin' Christmas For A Cure - slightly expanded version of above |
2010 | image | buy | |
| Hope: Island Radio Holiday Sampler (promotional) - twelve tracks from the Island Records catalog 1973-1995 |
1995 | image | buy | |
| Hot Rod Holiday - part of the Hot Rod Rock series, a joint venture of The Right Stuff (a Capitol-EMI label) and Hot Rod magazine |
1997 | image | buy | review |
| Hotel Café Presents Winter Songs - compilation from celebrated Los Angeles night club |
2008 | image | buy | |
| How Cool Is That Christmas - Food Network personality Rachel Ray compiles surprisingly decent CD |
2006 | image | buy | |
| How The Grinch Stole Christmas (soundtrack) - from the animated Dr. Seuss TV special; first issued on CD in 1995 |
1966 | image | buy | review |
| How The Grinch Stole Christmas (soundtrack) - audio track from TV special, plus "Horton Hears A Who" (1966) |
1999 | image | buy | review |
| How The Grinch Stole Christmas (soundtrack) - theatrical movie starring Jim Carrey |
2000 | image | buy | review |
| How The Grinch Stole Christmas (soundtrack) - new edition of 1965 TV special, same programme, similar cover to 1999 version |
2012 | image | buy | review |
| How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical - Broadway adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic |
2013 | image | buy | review |
| Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (soundtrack) - new computer-animated movie featuring Tyler The Creator and an odd assortment of pop classics |
2018 | image | buy | review |
| Hype Music Presents Holidays Vol. 1 (EP) - MP3 sampler from MTV-affiliated label |
2013 | image | buy |