For the first ever My Favorite Album Christmas special, I delve into the origins of the Christmas pop songs we all know today with musicologist and Sydney Morning Herald music journo Tim Byron - how did we go from religious music to songs about cold weather? Why were all the best Christmas songs written by Jewish guys? And why is an album of Christmas standards by a Canadian outselling ever album but Adele?

I also check in with friend of the show Kristian Bush (Sugarland) to talk about his new original Christmas song - what Christmas music did he dig growing up? How do you write a great Christmas song? And what are the essential elements of Christmas music?

Plus Canadian Corb Lund on why he'll never make a Christmas album and Lee Brice on why he will.

Come back for our next episode - an emotional deep dive on the greatest Christmas album of all time.

My Favorite Album is a podcast unpacking the great works of pop music. Each episode features a different songwriter or musician discussing their favorite album of all time - their history with it, the making of the album, individual songs and the album’s influence on their own music.Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist and photographer from Sydney, Australia who has worked in the music industry since 2007. He directed the the feature music documentary Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts (out now!) and the feature film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins, in addition to many commercials and music videos.

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