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TL;DR:

  • The Beatles’ Christmas songs mostly appeared on their Christmas albums.
  • After The Beatles’ breakup, multiple members of the band made Yuletide songs.
  • Ringo Starr worked with other rock stars to create seasonal tracks.
Ringo Starr of The Beatles with Christmas lights
The Beatles’ Ringo Starr | Aaron Rapoport / Contributor

The Beatles‘ Christmas songs don’t get as much attention as they should. The band produced quite a few Christmas songs while they were together and they subsequently made Yuletide classics as solo artists. Here’s a look at some of their best seasonal songs.

4. ‘I Wanna Be Santa Claus’ by Ringo Starr

Other members of The Beatles made Christmas songs, but Ringo was the only former Beatle to release an entire solo Christmas album. While some Christmas albums are entirely composed of covers, it’s nice that Ringo took the time to write a handful of original songs for I Wanna Be Santa Claus.

The title track of I Wanna Be Santa Claus is a kitschy delight featuring Timothy B. Schmit on backing vocals. For context, Schmit was a member of Poco before becoming a member of The Eagles. He appears on multiple tracks on the album while Joe Perry of Aerosmith plays guitar on a cover of The Beatles’ “Christmas Time (Is Here Again).”

3. ‘Christmas Time (Is Here Again)’ by The Beatles

The Beatles’ Christmas albums are essentially short jam sessions that feature The Beatles playing Christmas songs. The most famous song to come out of the sessions is “Christmas Time (Is Here Again).” The track is simple, repetitive, long, and incredibly charming. Fans of the Fab Four’s more obscure tunes might see this as the predecessor to “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number).”

“Christmas Time (Is Here Again)” never became a Christmas staple, but AllMusic reports it was included in the CD of The Beatles’ “Free as a Bird.” That might have given it more exposure than any of the band’s holiday albums.

2. ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ by Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” has the stiffness of a lot of McCartney’s lesser work. It also has some questionable lyrics (since when do children practice Christmas songs all year long?). But if it hits you in the right mood, the song is incredible. While many Christmas songs have big emotions behind them, this track captures the joys of a quiet and relaxing holiday. The song also manages to make the synthesizer sound like a Yuletide instrument.

Interestingly, The Monkees recorded this ditty for their final album: Christmas Party! Their cover is pretty conventional, but it has a special significance. The Monkees were heavily inspired by The Beatles, so The Monkees covering a McCartney track feels like the band coming full circle.

1. ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ by the Plastic Ono Band

Many Christmas songs just want to be cushy and nostalgic, and there’s nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, the Plastic Ono Band decided to use the season to ask listeners what they accomplished the previous year.

“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” is challenging, and its message of peace is just as relevant now as it was during the Vietnam War.

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