Had enough of Bing Crosby’s crooning? Handel’s Messiah not your cup of nog? This holiday season, in what has become a perennial tradition, a host of popular artists (think ‘N Sync and 98 Degrees) has reroasted the standard Christmas chestnuts. We sampled a few of the more palatable:
ARTIST/ALBUM JEWEL Joy: A Holiday Collection
STYLE Plaintive pop starlet with seasonal affective disorder
HOW’S WINTER WONDERLAND? Fine, except for the yodeling
BEST TRACK Face of Love
SKIP The a capella Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
SURPRISE FACTOR Even singing holiday songs, she sounds forlorn JINGLE BELL ROCK RATING (OUT OF 5) [2 1/2 ornaments]
[ARTIST/ALBUM] GARTH BROOKS Garth Brooks & the Magic of Christmas
[STYLE] Chris Gaines meets Kris Kringle
[HOW’S WINTER WONDERLAND?] By the book
[BEST TRACK] Baby Jesus Is Born
[SKIP] A sleep-inducing Silver Bells
[SURPRISE FACTOR] He crosses over into yet another genre
[JINGLE BELL ROCK RATING (OUT OF 5)] [3 ornaments]
[ARTIST/ALBUM] RINGO STARR I Wanna Be Santa Claus
[STYLE] Yellow Submarine with jingle bells
[HOW’S WINTER WONDERLAND?] He’s not known for his singing
[BEST TRACK] Christmas Eve
[SKIP] A frighteningly militaristic Little Drummer Boy
[SURPRISE FACTOR] Ringo Starr did a Christmas CD
[JINGLE BELL ROCK RATING (OUT OF 5)] [1 ornament]
[ARTIST/ALBUM] ROSIE O’DONNELL and friends: A Rosie Christmas
[STYLE] Like a Bob Hope special
[HOW’S WINTER WONDERLAND?] A Donny Osmond duet–enough said
[BEST TRACK] Lauryn Hill on Little Drummer Boy
[SKIP] The duet with Elmo on Do You Hear What I Hear?
[SURPRISE FACTOR] How irritating Elmo can be
[JINGLE BELL ROCK RATING (OUT OF 5)] [4 ornaments]
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