A self-explanatory collection,
Classic Christmas Hits collects time-tested versions of Christmas songs by some of pop, rock, and soul's biggest names, including
Nat King Cole's definitive rendition of "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas Song),"
Dean Martin's "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," and
Bing Crosby's "Do You Hear What I Hear?" The compilation does a good job of covering a variety of festive moods, ranging from
the Beach Boys' rollicking "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" to gentler moments like
Peggy Lee's "White Christmas" and
Ella Fitzgerald's "Away in a Manger." An emphasis on soul and blues is a nice surprise, with
Al Green's "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and
Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas, Baby" ranking among the album's standout tracks. Some of the more recent tracks on the collection have a slicker-sounding production that sounds harsh and cheap compared to some of the older songs; this is particularly evident on
Pat Benatar's "Please Come Home for Christmas,"
Lou Rawls' "Winter Wonderland," and
the O'Jays' "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." However,
Classic Christmas Hits still has enough worthwhile moments to make it a decent, basic collection of Christmas songs.