By BBC Music Magazine

Published: Monday, 04 December 2023 at 20:21 PM


Christmas carols. Without them, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas. From angel-singing, bell-ringing ebullience to deep, spiritual contemplation, nothing can match the Christmas carol in terms of creating an atmosphere – whether echoing through a vast cathedral, or sung by children in a nativity play, their power to move can be simply overwhelming. But which are the best Christmas carols of all time?

We reveal the top 47 Christmas carol songs, as voted for by 50 top choral experts from around the world. Do you agree with their choices or have we missed your favourite Christmas carol? Here is our ultimate Christmas carol list.

For a sneaky preview of their top 5 Christmas carols check out the video below