{"id":5585,"date":"2025-12-15T14:48:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T14:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/?p=5585"},"modified":"2026-02-02T18:55:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T18:55:46","slug":"a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/","title":{"rendered":"A Vintage Christmas Music Playlist to Brighten Your Season"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Collage<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

There\u2019s nothing like the right song to set the tone for the holidays. Whether you\u2019re decorating the tree, baking cookies, or taking a quiet moment with a warm drink, holiday music has a magical way of connecting us\u2014across memories, families, and generations. At the Recorded Sound Archives (RSA), we\u2019re surrounded by thousands of recordings that capture the warmth, nostalgia, and joy of this time of year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This season, we\u2019ve curated a special holiday playlist from the vintage treasures housed in the RSA. From classic crooners to rare gems pressed on 78rpm discs, these selections highlight the timeless charm of Christmas music through the decades. You’ll hear familiar melodies that wrap you in comfort, alongside a few surprises that show just how diverse holiday recordings can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our archives include everything from mid-century orchestral arrangements to early jazz interpretations, vocal quartets, novelty tunes, and beloved standards performed by artists whose voices defined holidays long before digital playlists existed. Every track is a small piece of history\u2014saved, restored, and made accessible thanks to the generosity of donors and the dedication of our team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make this playlist even more special, we\u2019re closing with something new: a list of favorite holiday songs chosen by RSA staff. From sentimental classics to upbeat retro favorites, our team shares the music that makes the season meaningful to them. We hope these picks bring you the same joy they bring us each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RSA Staff Holiday Playlist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Christmas Cookies, Jazz Treats for the Holidays<\/span><\/a><\/strong> by Various Artists<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Christmas Dreaming<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by Frank Sinatra<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by Frank Sinatra<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Santa Claus is Coming to Town; Christmas Song<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by Various Artists<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. See’s Candies Present \u2026 Songs of Christmas<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by Turk Murphy’s San Francisco Jazz Band<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Dixieland Christmas<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by The French Quarter Band<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Here Comes Santa Claus<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by Eddie Fisher<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by Frank Sinatra<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. O Holy Night<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by Various Artists<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. The Little Drummer Boy<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by Boston Pops Orchestra<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Sleigh Ride<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by Boston Pops Orchestra<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer<\/a><\/span><\/strong> by Boston Pops Orchestra<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. Silent Night<\/span><\/a><\/strong> by Franz Gruber<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  14. The Night Before Christmas<\/span><\/a><\/strong> by Victor Salon Orchestra & Milton Cross<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  15. Holy Night<\/a><\/strong> <\/span>by Evan Williams<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  16. White Christmas<\/span><\/a><\/strong> by Jascha Heifetz<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  17. All I Want for Christmas<\/span><\/a><\/strong> by Spike Jones and his City Slickers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  18. O, Come All Ye Faithful<\/span><\/a><\/strong> by Westminster Chimes<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    To continue exploring seasonal sounds, we invite you to discover more recordings in our Holiday and Christmas Collection<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, where you\u2019ll find a wide range of historic performances that reflect how holiday music has been enjoyed across generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As a special highlight beyond the RSA, take a moment to listen to Ben Roth\u2019s piano roll performance of \u201cSilent Night<\/span><\/em><\/a>\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    There\u2019s nothing like the right song to set the tone for the holidays. Whether you\u2019re decorating the tree, baking cookies, or taking a quiet moment with a warm drink, holiday music has a magical way of connecting us\u2014across memories, families, and generations. At the Recorded Sound Archives (RSA), we\u2019re surrounded by thousands of recordings that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[737,414],"tags":[635,166,633],"class_list":["post-5585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-collections","category-vintage-collection","tag-christmas-music","tag-frank-sinatra","tag-holiday-music"],"yoast_head":"\nA Vintage Christmas Music Playlist to Brighten Your Season - Recorded Sound Archives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover a festive vintage Christmas music playlist from the Recorded Sound Archives, plus holiday favorites selected by our staff.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Vintage Christmas Music Playlist to Brighten Your Season - Recorded Sound Archives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover a festive vintage Christmas music playlist from the Recorded Sound Archives, plus holiday favorites selected by our staff.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Recorded Sound Archives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-15T14:48:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-02T18:55:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sounds-of-the-season-Christmas-classics-revisited-2025.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Recorded Sound Archives\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Recorded Sound Archives\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/\",\"name\":\"A Vintage Christmas Music Playlist to Brighten Your Season - Recorded Sound Archives\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sounds-of-the-season-Christmas-classics-revisited-2025-1024x1024.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-15T14:48:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-02T18:55:46+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/294be88a20add4af24b618d63b9f59d7\"},\"description\":\"Discover a festive vintage Christmas music playlist from the Recorded Sound Archives, plus holiday favorites selected by our staff.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sounds-of-the-season-Christmas-classics-revisited-2025-1024x1024.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sounds-of-the-season-Christmas-classics-revisited-2025-1024x1024.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Vintage Christmas Music Playlist to Brighten Your Season\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Recorded Sound Archives\",\"description\":\"Florida Atlantic University Libraries\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/294be88a20add4af24b618d63b9f59d7\",\"name\":\"Recorded Sound Archives\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca0be8a154e625f6e8b045156f95af29?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca0be8a154e625f6e8b045156f95af29?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Recorded Sound Archives\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/author\/recorded-sound-archives\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Vintage Christmas Music Playlist to Brighten Your Season - Recorded Sound Archives","description":"Discover a festive vintage Christmas music playlist from the Recorded Sound Archives, plus holiday favorites selected by our staff.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Vintage Christmas Music Playlist to Brighten Your Season - Recorded Sound Archives","og_description":"Discover a festive vintage Christmas music playlist from the Recorded Sound Archives, plus holiday favorites selected by our staff.","og_url":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/","og_site_name":"Recorded Sound Archives","article_published_time":"2025-12-15T14:48:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-02T18:55:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sounds-of-the-season-Christmas-classics-revisited-2025.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Recorded Sound Archives","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Recorded Sound Archives","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/","url":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/","name":"A Vintage Christmas Music Playlist to Brighten Your Season - Recorded Sound Archives","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sounds-of-the-season-Christmas-classics-revisited-2025-1024x1024.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-15T14:48:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-02T18:55:46+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/294be88a20add4af24b618d63b9f59d7"},"description":"Discover a festive vintage Christmas music playlist from the Recorded Sound Archives, plus holiday favorites selected by our staff.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sounds-of-the-season-Christmas-classics-revisited-2025-1024x1024.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sounds-of-the-season-Christmas-classics-revisited-2025-1024x1024.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/collections\/a-vintage-christmas-music-playlist-to-brighten-your-season\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Vintage Christmas Music Playlist to Brighten Your Season"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/","name":"Recorded Sound Archives","description":"Florida Atlantic University Libraries","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/294be88a20add4af24b618d63b9f59d7","name":"Recorded Sound Archives","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca0be8a154e625f6e8b045156f95af29?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca0be8a154e625f6e8b045156f95af29?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Recorded Sound Archives"},"url":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/author\/recorded-sound-archives\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5585"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5585"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5585\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5602,"href":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5585\/revisions\/5602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}