You need new holiday songs. Plain and simple. And although its almost Christmas, it’s never too late!
I’m tired of listening to the same holiday songs and Christmas music every year. That’s why I’m supplying you with the top 10 best holiday songs for guitar.
This week on Acoustic Tuesday, I’m updating your holiday songs with an awesome playlist of acoustic guitar holiday songs and albums.
From “David Grisman’s Acoustic Christmas” to Molly Tuttle’s “Old Toy Trains,” you’re getting nothing but the best holiday songs this year.
As always, you can watch Acoustic Tuesday at 10am every Tuesday in these four places:
- Acoustic Life YouTube channel
- We Play Every Day Facebook Community
- Get show notes emailed directly to your inbox.
- Listen to audio-only below or in iTunes
This Week on Acoustic Tuesday
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but holiday songs have remained relatively unchanged in the last couple of decades…
You got your Bing Crosby, Mariah Carrey, and your occasional pop star that covers a song.
BUT!
Have you looked into the holiday songs that acoustic guitarists have been quietly making for the last half-century?
I’m covering the top 10 best holiday songs for guitar precisely so you can find some high-quality acoustic guitar holiday songs.
So, without further ado, here’s my list:
10.) Doyle Dykes – “Christmas with Doyle Dykes”
Highlight: “Little Drummer Boy”
Buy “Christmas With Doyle Dykes“
9.) Dan Crary – “Holiday Guitar”
Highlight: “The Last Noel“
Buy “Holiday Guitar” By Dan Crary
8.) David Grisman – “David Grisman’s Acoustic Christmas”
Highlight: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen“
Buy “David Grisman’s Acoustic Christmas“
7.) Laurence Juber – “Holidays and Hollynights”
Highlight: “Deck The Halls“
Buy “Holidays and Holly Nights“
6.) Doug Young – “A DADGAD Christmas”
Highlight: “O Little Town of Bethlehem“
Buy Doug’s “DADGAD Christmas” Album
5.) Mark Hanson – “Yuletide Guitar”
Highlight: “Go Tell It On The Mountain“
Buy Mark Hanson’s “Yuletide Guitar“
4.) Doug Smith – “A Guitar For Christmas” and “Another Guitar For Christmas”
Highlight: “Sleigh Ride“
Buy Doug Smith’s “A Guitar For Christmas“
Buy Doug Smith’s “Another Guitar For Christmas“
3.) Stephen Bennett – “Acoustic Guitar Solos”
Highlight: “Walking in a Winter Wonderland“
Buy “Christmas Acoustic Guitar Solos” by Stephen Bennett
2.) Pete Huttlinger – “First Light a Pete Huttlinger Christmas”
Highlight: “The Christmas Song“
Buy Pete’s “First Light Album“
Bonus Spot) Molly Tuttle – “Old Toy Trains”
Highlight: “Old Toy Trains“
Listen to “Old Toy Trains” Now
Now, in trying to decide the best holiday song for you to listen to … it came down to a three-way tie for first place!!!
1.) Tommy Emmanuel – “All I Want for Christmas”
Highlight: “One Christmas Night“
Buy the “All I Want For Christmas” album
1.) Jerry Douglas – Jerry Christmas
Highlight: “Christmas Time Is Here“
Buy the “Jerry Christmas” album
1.) John Fahey – “The New Possibility”
Highlight: “Auld Lang Syne“
Buy John Fahey’s Christmas albums
If you’re looking for a place to listen to all of my holiday song picks for 2019, be sure to visit my Spotify playlist here!
ok – let me stop you here! THE quickest way to lose customers? XMAS SONGS! We get hammered with them everywhere! It is the reason I paid for subscriptions to music services. You try to support your local radio station and how do they reward you?! Playing Q#[email protected]#$Q#$%Q#$Q#$#Q$ XMAS SONGS! NO XMAS song is good. Lennon, on his worst day ever, , wrote one…grrrrrr! The King nearly became a queen when he sang one (blue xmas?! yeah – only because he sand that!). The ONLY decent XMAS anything was done by Martin Scorsese (that’s it!). NEVER play with fire! (xmas songs).
Doyle Dykes is playing a Sand guitar by Kirk Sand of Laguna Beach (just down the road from me). Sitka Spruce & Mahogany w/ abalone purfling (about $6500). Chet Atkins played one too (w/ a Gibson sticker on the headstock to honor his contract).
Kirk specializes in nylon-string ‘crossover’ guitars. They are amazing, and someday I’ll own one.
Anyone know what Doug Smith is playing (w/ that “flying G” on the headstock? Beautiful tone!
Also notice that Stephen Bennett is playing a 12-fret w/ slotted headstock. Also very nice sounding guitar.
Hello Tony and. Very Merry Christmas to you and yours. If I may be so bold to ask, where is Noah ? I am a total Acoustic Tuesday junkie. I have noticed Noah hasn’t been with you for a few weeks. I just hope he is well.
Jim Young
Hi Tony, Merry Christmas! Love your show and have been watching for a long time. As I was looking at Google News the other day and I saw an article on the Fender American Acoustasonic™ Telecaster®. Interesting guitar. I would like to get your take on it. I haven’t had a chance to play it since I had wrist surgery a few weeks ago (putting a damper on my acoustic life journey) but the article had a demo so I could hear it being played. I haven’t decided if I like this hybrid guitar or not but it seems like something that could grow on me.
On a side note, I miss your interaction with Noah. Are there plans on getting a Noah 2.0?
Cheers, Bob W in Broomfield, CO
Hey Tony–from what I heard,these are all Christmas songs–What’s with the “holiday” moniker
#FavoriteHolidayAlbum – A John Prine Christmas. I actually performed “Silent Night All Day Long” at a local pre-Christmas Open Mike.
Feliz Navidad — Jose Feliciano — simple song, but a classic!
Favorite acoustic album: The Gift by Eric Tingstad & Nancy Rumbel. Bought it in the early 1990s and still love it.
Hi Tony, from Montreal. Here’s wishing you and your’s the best of everything as we approach the new year. I’ve been a fan since day 1, haven’t missed as episode yet. I went to check out Miss Tuttle’s last video “Sleepwalking”, and was blown away. Her star shines brightly, a true inspiration through and through. Thanks again Tony for your generosity and professionalism, I’ve learnt a lot through your show and am continually impressed and humbled by the immense talent out there. Acoustic guitarists unite and peace unto all.
Hi Tony, Thanks for reviving my passion for the guitar. I haven’t missed 1 of your shows since I discovered them. The guitar Tommy Emmanuel was playing is a Maton made in his home country Australia
Hi Tony (and the absent Noah), Thank you so much for including Doug Smith on your list of guitarists for the holiday season. He lives here in Portland, OR, and has always been a favorite of mine. He is also a member of Acoustic Guitar Summit (with Mark Hanson and Terry Robb). You may want to feature them another time along with The Trail Band (http://www.trailband.com/albums.htm#joyride) which played holiday concerts in the Northwest for over 20 years to help raise money for all sorts of good causes (like the school district I used to work for). The band is now retired, but featured Marv and Rindy Ross (formerly with Quarterflash) and Cal Scott (http://www.calscottmusic.com/Home.). And another Oregonian, Mason Williams (Classical Gas) has a holiday album – A Gift of Song. And thanks for the Frettboard Wizzard course. I’m going through it for my 2nd time now.