Christmas Party Playlist: Songs That Work

Christmas party playlist songs

Two hours of solid Christmas songs will finish a party, not fuel it. There are only about twenty genuinely great festive tracks, and once you've played them the room needs something else.

The trick is a 60/40 split: festive songs at the start and the peak, ordinary floor-fillers in between. Here's the list, and the order.

We don't sell music - we make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK. So this is a straight guide to the songs, and the card that goes with the day.

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The essentials, in the order they work best

  • Fairytale Of New York - The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl. Still the UK's favourite, and still best played around 10pm.
  • All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey. Save it for peak, not arrivals.
  • Last Christmas - Wham.
  • Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade.
  • I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday - Wizzard.
  • Step Into Christmas - Elton John.
  • Driving Home For Christmas - Chris Rea, good for the wind down.
  • Stop The Cavalry - Jona Lewie.

Less obvious ones worth adding

  • Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses.
  • Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney.
  • It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Michael Bublé, for arrivals and dinner.
  • Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt.
  • Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee.
  • 2000 Miles - Pretenders, for the quieter end of the evening.

Non-Christmas fillers to break it up

  • Run a block of disco and Motown between festive sets - September, Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Superstition.
  • Then a 90s and 00s block: Mr Brightside, Sweet Caroline, Valerie, Dancing In The Moonlight.
  • Come back to Christmas songs every third or fourth track once the floor is full.

Work do considerations

  • Check the lyrics of anything you play at a work party. Fairytale Of New York is usually played in its radio edit now, and it is worth choosing which version deliberately.
  • Keep it at conversational volume until the meal is over - the point of a work do is people talking to each other.
  • Avoid anything with an in-joke about the company. It never lands with the whole room.
  • Have an agreed finish song so the night ends rather than trailing off.

Family gathering, all ages

  • Start with the crooners - Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin - through lunch.
  • Move to the 70s glam Christmas run mid-afternoon when the children are awake again.
  • One singalong in the evening: Fairytale, then Driving Home For Christmas to close.

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How to write it so it lands

  • Download the playlist. Venue wifi in December is not to be trusted.
  • Put the big three - Fairytale, Mariah, Slade - in the second half, not the first.
  • Have a clear last song so the night has an ending.
  • Keep a quiet 20 minute playlist for the end when people are finding coats.

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Frequently asked questions

How many Christmas songs should be on a party playlist?

Around 20 to 25 festive tracks, mixed with about the same number of non-Christmas floor-fillers. Solid Christmas music for three hours is too much for most rooms.

What is the most popular Christmas party song in the UK?

Fairytale Of New York is still voted the UK's favourite Christmas song most years, with All I Want For Christmas Is You the most reliable dance floor filler.

When should you play All I Want For Christmas Is You?

At the peak of the night, usually between 10pm and 11pm. Playing it during arrivals wastes the biggest song you have.

What should you avoid at a work Christmas party?

Music that's too loud during the meal, novelty songs on repeat, and anything with lyrics that would be awkward to explain the next morning. Decide on song versions in advance.

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