Take a second to imagine this: it’s a crisp December morning, and you walk out of your room with fuzzy socks on your feet to find your parents breaking out the Christmas decorations. There’s a barren tree just waiting to be covered in lights and homemade ornaments. Oh, and what’s that playing in the background? It’s your favorite Christmas song. After one long 2020, the best time of the year has finally arrived.

Christmas music, or just holiday music in general, is something that anyone can connect to, no matter what you actually believe in. Let’s face it, pretty much everyone listens to some sort of holiday music whether it’s classic, pop or jazz… but which genre is the best?

Let’s start off with the classics. No matter what genre is your favorite, there’s no doubt you at least know Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” It’s hard to go wrong with a classic, and you can’t deny that it gets you in the holiday spirit as soon as it comes on. Personally, classic Christmas music is my absolute favorite. I love the way it makes me so into the Christmas mood almost immediately. I don’t tend to listen to older music, especially not music from the 1940s, but when it comes to Christmas, the classics are my go-to.

Pop may not be my favorite musical genre, but don’t get me wrong, I love pop Christmas music. It doesn’t give me the nostalgic feeling that classics give me, but they get me hyped for the holiday season. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I know pretty much every word to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” You could almost consider that song a classic; it is iconic for the holiday season. Pentatonix is also another pop group that I can’t go wrong with when it comes to Christmas. Their holiday tracks are perfect for snowy car rides or just jamming out in your room.

If I’m not in the mood for dancing or nostalgia, I’d go straight to some jazz Christmas music. When you think of jazz music, you might not think you know any, but some of the biggest Christmas hits are jazz. This genre is perfect for listening to while you decorate your home with your favorite holiday decorations. Whether it’s “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams or “Here Comes Santa Claus” by Ramsey Lewis, it always gets me into the Christmas mood. No one gets me into spirit more than Frank Sinatra; he almost deserves his own genre of Christmas music. My favorite song of his is definitely “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

Although it’s not the most traditional genre for the holidays, folk Christmas music is definitely something on my playlist. You may not be able to name any folk Christmas songs off the top of your head, but I don’t doubt that you at least know some version of “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes. Pentatonix’s cover of this song is very well known, but originally it was a folk song. If I’m not in the mood to get super hyped up, but instead be more low-key, I might listen to some folk holiday tunes.

If you’re anything like me, you probably start listening to Christmas music in early November… I’m not ashamed to admit it. There’s a genre to meet any mood for the Christmas season. If you’re feeling old-timey, the classics or some jazz would be perfect, but don’t be scared to jam out to pop tunes this Christmas either. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you listen to some of the best songs ever this holiday season. It’s almost a crime not to.