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Andy Williams Christmas Songs & Music

Andy Williams has recorded 8 Christmas albums since his self-titled one way back in 1963. For many he is as synonymous with the Christmas season as Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole and his vocal style mirrors the sort of croon that goes down so well over the 12 days. His most famous addition to the Christmas canon, 'It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year' arrived on his first seasonal effort 'The Andy Williams Christmas Album' and has been a festive staple ever since. Such has been Williams association with Christmas songs that he is often dubbed 'Mr. Christmas', helped in no small way by the numerous Andy Williams' TV Christmas specials that have appeared stateside down through the years.

Andy Williams Christmas Albums

1963: The Andy Williams Christmas Album

The original and still the best Andy Williams festive album. Christmas 1963 will always be remembered for giving the world 'It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year', the timeless classic that is still immensely popular today. As well as covering standards like 'White Christmas' and 'Little Drummer Boy' Williams showed he was capable of taking risks with relatively unknown songs like 'Sweet Little Jesus Boy' and 'Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells'. A genuine classic.

1965: Merry Christmas

Like it's predecessor Andy Williams second Christmas album 'Merry Christmas' has broken the million sales mark in the US alone. Again the album is a mix of well known and not so well known tracks, something that in other hands might not have worked too well. The oddest moment (and perhaps the album crowning achievement) came on Williams retelling of 'My Favourite Things' from the soundtrack of 'The Sound of Music' movie. At this stage everything Williams touched turned to tinsel and gold.

1970: Christmas with Andy Williams and The Williams Brothers

This is for those moments when one Williams is not enough. Released on the Barnby record label this record featured Andy and his 3 brothers singing just 7 cuts. And before you start feeling short-changed the closing track is a medley that stretches over 17 minutes and includes over a dozen standards including 'Joy To The World', 'The First Noel' and 'Caroling, Caroling' (twice).

1974: Christmas Present

This is Andy Williams going back to basics and singing about what Christmas used to be all about. Namely the religious as opposed to the pile under the Christmas tree. Apart from the title track 'Christmas Present' solely consists of hymns like 'Ave Maria', 'What Child Is This' and 'Angels We Have Heard On High'. As you can imagine this is not the liveliest of Andy Williams Christmas albums but it still has wholesome appeal for those looking for a more traditional soundtrack.

1990: I Still Believe in Santa Claus

16 years after his last Christmas effort 'I Still Believe In Santa Claus' proved that Andy Williams may well have been getting on in years but his voice was not showing any signs of wear and tear. This time the songs were all secular in nature (a real about turn given the religious overtures of 'Christmas Present') and included a reworked version of John Lennon's 'Happy Christmas (War Is Over)' that removed all references to war.

1994: The New Andy Williams Christmas Album

By 1994 even ex-presidents of the United States were calling Andy Williams a national treasure and when it comes to Christmas albums the singer can do no wrong. This album was a live recording of Christmas songs that Williams performed at his own Moonriver Theatre. The album reprised many of his favourites from previous albums, including his signature Christmas tune 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year'.

1997: We Need A Little Christmas

36 years after his first Christmas album and Andy Williams still looked great in a woollen jumper and perched next to an open fire. Whether his music could still do the same is open to question but that didn't stop 'We Need A Little Christmas' from selling over 800,000 copies.

1997: It's a Wonderful Christmas

Released in the same year as 'We Need A Little Christmas' this was not an Andy Williams Christmas collection per se, even if it did include his most famous song 'It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year'. The CD was largely made up of Williams reading of the tale which inspired the 'It's A Wonderful Life' movie called 'The Greatest Gift'. All told this was a welcome addition to Andy Williams vast contribution to the season of goodwill.