By BLAIR WEISINGER and JAKOB JENSEN
Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time for public spaces all over the country to flip their stereos to a holiday-centric playlist. While the hits of some songs can be off the charts, these tracks are worth pausing your routine and indulging in some Christmas cheer.
Mariah Carey — All I Want for Christmas Is You. Mimi’s entry into the Christmas canon is filled with flirtatious coos, beltable verses, and girl-group harmonies.
Alvin & The Chipmunks — The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late). A divisive track, to be sure, but you’re probably bluffing if you don’t crack a smile when singing along with Alvin’s wishes for a “hooooo-laaaaa-hoooooop.”
Daryl Hall & John Oates — Jingle Bell Rock. Bobby Helms’s 1957 celebration of Christmas rock is well-trod territory, but Hall & Oates’ blue-eyed soul version is a cut above its peers.
Madonna — Santa Baby. Madonna was in full-on Who’s That Girl mode for this cover of Eartha Kitt’s fireside seduction, all hiccupping flirtation and winking vamps.
The Jackson 5 — I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. Young Michael Jackson turns in one of his most joyous early performances, which is saying a lot given the ebullience quotient of his other Jackson 5 offerings.