Linked below is a playlist of Christmas music I created on Spotify. It’s your guide to some of the — in my opinion — best Christmas music, free of the not-so-great sentimental hymns, as well as the incarnationally void “holiday songs” like Jingle Bells and Let It Snow (…not that there’s anything wrong with that #Seinfeld).

Let’s cut to the chase though: there’s a lot of really good Christmas songs out there (which frankly I’d sing year round); but there’s also a lot of not-so-great Christmas stuff. And then, of course, there’s all the whatev- non-religious festive-type songs, which are at best occasionally sentimental and nice, but at worse annualized overkill and cumulatively annoying.

This playlist avoids the host of non-religous holiday songs, to give a pure Advent-themed playlist, but also cuts out all those — in my opinion — mediocre Christmas hymns. (If I didn’t include your favorite song, I’ll take suggestions; but if denied, #SorryNotSorry). What can I say? I’m kind of a Christmas song snob…

Most of the songs here are hymns, or the more “traditional” Christmas songs, although occasionally I’ll include something written more recently. Most of the stuff though is performed in a more contemporary fashion, with even some occasional modified renditions.

So… without further ado, here is your Kirk Miller approved Spotify Christmas playlist.