The Albums: Vince Guraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) Andy Williams' The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963) Stax Records' Christmas in Soulsville (2007)

Heat Rocks was hyped to have film critic Alonso Duralde (The Wrap), one of the hosts of Maximum Fun's movie podcast Who Shot Ya? guest with us to talk about our favorite Christmas songs, holiday fare, songs that should play when it's cold outside, baby.

We visit the canon of Christmas music over the years (Andy Williams 1963 The Christmas Album, Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas and Stax Record's 2007 compilation Christmas In Soulsville and across genres and styles - crooners, sweeping orchestral cinematic pieces, summer songs vs. winter songs, modern Christmas traditions, etc.

Alonso broke down the power of nostalgia as it relates to Christmas music and how our tastes in music are informed by tradition.

Don't be a grinch. Listen to this wintery wonderland of an episode about favorite Christmas tracks.

More on Alonso Duralde

• Alonso's podcast, Linoleum Knife
• Alonso on Maximum Fun
• Twitter

Show Tracklisting

• Andy Williams: The Christmas Song
• The Waitresses: Christmas Wrapping
• The Shins: Wonderful Christmastime
• Tracey Thorn: Snow
• Yogi Yorgesson: I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas
• Boyz II Men: Let It Snow
• Band-Aid: Do They Know It's Christmas
• Andy Williams: O Holy Night
• Andy Williams: Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells
• Andy Williams: It'as The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
• Andy Williams: Sweet Little Jesus Boy
• Andy Williams: White Christmas
• Vince Guraldi Trio: Christmas Time is Here (Vocal)
• Vince Guraldi Trio: Christmas Time is Here (Instrumental)
• Vince Guraldi Trio: My Little Drum
• Vince Guraldi Trio: What Child Is This
• Vince Guraldi Trio:Skating
• Vince Guraldi Trio: Hark, The Herald Angels Ring
• Otis Redding: Merry Christmas Baby take 1
• The Staple Singers: Who Took The Merry Out of Christmas
• Albert King: Santa Claus Wants Some Loving
• The Emotions: Black Christmas
• Isaac Hayes: The Mistletoe and Me
• Booker T and the M.G.'s: Winter Wonderland take 2
• Nate Dogg: Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto
• Little Johnny Taylor: Please Come Home For Christmas
• Juice Crew: Cold Chillin' Christmas
• The Free Design: Close Your Mouth (It's Christmas)
• Kenny Bobien: O Come Let Us Adore Him

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there

If you're not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!