A not-so-silent night: 5 Christmas albums you should check out this year

5 Christmas albums to check out in 2018: 1. A Legendary Christmas - John Legend

Earlier this October, John Legend, the world’s youngest EGOT winner, unveiled his first-ever collection of Christmas music. Titled 'A Legendary Christmas' (get it?), the album spanned 14 holiday classics like 'Silver Bells', 'Christmas Time is Here', 'Please Come Home for Christmas', and a soulful cover of Marvin Gaye’s 'Purple Snowflakes'. Executive produced by Raphael Saadiq, the album features Stevie Wonder on harmonica in 'What Christmas Means to Me' and jazz bassist/singer Esperanza Spalding on 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'. 'A Legendary Christmas' dropped Oct. 26 via Columbia Records.

5 Christmas albums you should check out this year 2. Shatner Claus: The Christmas Album - William Shatner

Also in October, Captain Kirk put out his first Christmas album! Hilariously titled 'Shatner Claus: The Christmas Album', the 87-year-old actor teamed up with a string of collaborators such as ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, who guests on 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' and Todd Rundgren, who appears alongside Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Artimus Pyle on 'Winter Wonderland'. Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson and Judy Collins guest star on 'White Christmas', and Brad Paisley features on 'Blue Christmas'. Perhaps the unlikeliest collaboration comes in the form of Iggy Pop, who lends his signature baritone voice to an eerie rendition of 'Silent Night'. The album dropped October 26 via Cleopatra Records.

5 Christmas albums you should check out this year 3. Happy Xmas - Eric Clapton

Guitar god Eric Clapton has experimented with a range of styles and genres over his sprawling 50+ year career, but here's a first: 2018 saw the release of Clapton's first ever holiday album, simply titled 'Happy Xmas'. The album’s 14 tracks are a mix of old classics -- including 'White Christmas,' 'Silent Night,' and 'Away in a Manger' -- and lesser known holiday tunes, along with an original new track, 'For Love On Christmas Day.' Interestingly, Clapton's rendition of 'Jingle Bells' is dedicated to "the memory Avicii," due to the singer's admiration for the young DJ who tragically passed away in April this year.

5 Christmas albums you should check out this year 4. Christmas Party - The Monkees

Two years after The Monkees put out their stunning 50th anniversary album 'Good Times!', the 60s psychedelic pop icons returned this year with their first ever holiday album. Titled 'Christmas Party', the 13-track effort was produced by Fountain of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger, and features new vocals by surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork, along with vintage recordings of the late Davy Jones. Guest spots on the album include Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo ('What Would Santa Do') and Andy Partridge of XTC ('Unwrap You At Christmas'), while R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey of The Minus 5 wrote the title track and contributed to a cover of Big Star’s 'Jesus Christ.'

5 Christmas albums you should check out this year 5. This Christmas Day - Jessie J

British song bird Jessie J puts her own spin on festive classics this year on her first holiday album, 'This Christmas Day'. The resulting 11-track album presents holiday classics such as 'Santa Claus Is Comin to Town,' and 'Let It Snow.' She also joined forces with Boyz II Men for 'Winter Wonderland' and 'This Christmas Song' features R&B superstar Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Production on the album was helmed by Grammy Award-winning producers David Foster, Babyface, Rodney Jerkins and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The album arrived October 26.