Released 11 years ago this November
The Complete Christmas Collection 1958–2010
Johnny Mathis · 2015
228 min · 71 tracks · pop music
Mathis’s supple croon moves from fireside intimacy to orchestral grandeur across five decades of Christmas music.
Top tracks — play these first
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The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) Start here — establishes the emotional core of the album
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Winter Wonderland — Mathis gives the familiar winter standard an easy warmth, showing how his phrasing can make a seasonal staple feel conversational.
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Sleigh Ride — Its brisk pace provides a playful counterpoint to the collection’s more reverent performances, with Mathis riding the song’s rhythmic bounce.
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The Little Drummer Boy — The song’s recurring drum imitation gives Mathis a simple rhythmic figure to shape into a devotional performance; the collection includes two versions.
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When a Child Is Born (Soleado) (1976 Stereo Single version) — The UK chart-topping single brings a distinctly 1970s pop ballad sound to the set and traces Mathis’s Christmas repertoire beyond American standards.
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Snowfall / Christmas Time Is Here — This medley pairs two wintry songs in an extended performance, offering a quieter contrast to the collection’s festive novelties.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
This collection showcases Mathis's smooth vocals but lacks strong cohesion due to its extensive tracklist.
What we noticed
- The album features a total of 71 tracks, including both traditional carols and original holiday songs, spanning over five decades.
- Mathis's vocal delivery is consistently smooth and emotive across the collection, with arrangements that emphasize lush orchestration.
- Many tracks include layered harmonies and instrumental interludes that enhance the festive atmosphere without overshadowing the vocals.
- Composition 25% of the score
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6/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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5/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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4/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- cozy holiday gatherings atmosphere
- nostalgic moments by the fire
- joyful sing-alongs with family
- warm melodies for winter evenings
- gentle background during festivities
Maybe skip if you
- seekers of high-energy tracks
- prefer modern, edgy sounds
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Fan Favorite — Celebrates Mathis's legacy in holiday music, cherished by fans during the festive season.
- Themes
- holiday nostalgia· warm family gatherings
- Career context
- Released in 2015, this compilation surveys Mathis’s Christmas recordings from his 1958 album Merry Christmas through 2010. It arrived nearly six decades after his recording debut, bringing together holiday material from across his long career.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Perry Como· Frank Sinatra· Nat King Cole
Tracklist
Disc 1
- 1 Ave Maria 2:59
- 2 Winter Wonderland 3:14
- 3 The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) Start here 4:18
- 4 Sleigh Ride 2:57
- 5 Blue Christmas 3:02
- 6 I'll Be Home for Christmas 4:04
- 7 White Christmas 3:28
- 8 O Holy Night 4:35
- 9 What Child Is This? 3:58
- 10 The First Noel 3:49
- 11 Silver Bells 3:32
- 12 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear 3:08
- 13 Silent Night, Holy Night 3:49
- 14 Ol' Kris Kringle 2:24
- 15 Give Me Your Love for Christmas (1961 version) 2:55
- 16 Christmas Eve 2:56
- 17 My Kind of Christmas 3:02
- 18 The Sounds of Christmas 2:35
- 19 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 3:34
- 20 It's a Marshmallow World 2:37
- 21 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 3:19
- 22 Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 4:12
Disc 2
- 1 The Little Drummer Boy 3:32
- 2 Have Reindeer, Will Travel 3:31
- 3 The Secret of Christmas 4:12
- 4 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 2:20
- 5 Carol of the Bells 1:22
- 6 Christmas Is a Feeling in Your Heart 3:03
- 7 Hallelujah Chorus 4:02
- 8 Jingle Bell Rock 2:11
- 9 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 3:29
- 10 My Favorite Things 2:37
- 11 Give Me Your Love for Christmas 2:37
- 12 Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town 2:19
- 13 What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? 2:52
- 14 Do You Hear What I Hear? 3:21
- 15 Calypso Noel 2:13
- 16 The Little Drummer Boy 2:28
- 17 Christmas Day 3:24
- 18 The Lord's Prayer 2:40
- 19 Sign of the Dove 2:49
- 20 Christmas Is... 3:06
- 21 When a Child Is Born (Soleado) (1976 Stereo Single version) 3:41
- 22 The Very First Christmas Day (Single version) 3:07
- 23 Christmas in the City of Angels 2:50
- 24 The Lord's Prayer 3:26
- 25 When a Child Is Born (Soleado) 3:52
Disc 3
- 1 It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas 2:14
- 2 It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year 2:45
- 3 Jingle Bells 2:54
- 4 Toyland 3:41
- 5 The Christmas Waltz 2:36
- 6 Every Christmas Eve / Giving (Santa's Theme) 4:03
- 7 Christmas Is for Everyone / Where Can I Find Christmas ? 5:09
- 8 We Need a Little Christmas 1:54
- 9 Caroling, Caroling / Happy Holiday 3:44
- 10 It's Christmas Time Again 4:28
- 11 O Tannenbaum 2:57
- 12 Joy To The World 2:01
- 13 Heavenly Peace 3:30
- 14 Away in a Manger 2:30
- 15 A Christmas Love Song 3:35
- 16 Frosty the Snowman 2:31
- 17 Have a Holly Jolly Christmas 2:00
- 18 O Little Town of Bethlehem 2:44
- 19 I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm 3:34
- 20 Snowfall / Christmas Time Is Here 5:00
- 21 Merry Christmas 3:12
- 22 Winter Wonderland / Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 2:47
- 23 What a Wonderful World (Christmas version) 4:31
- 24 Ave Maria (Long version) 4:34
What to play next
The Christmas Album
2002
Continues the holiday spirit with more classic Christmas songs and Mathis's signature vocals.
Sending You a Little Christmas
2007
Sets the festive mood leading into the complete collection of Christmas songs.
If this landed
Records by other artists that run on the same instinct.
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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