Bing Crosby - Ultimate Christmas [2LP]

Bing Crosby's Ultimate Christmas gathers 28 holiday favorites across this 2LP set, a generous seasonal collection from the voice that did more than anyone to define the sound of a modern Christmas.

Crosby's relaxed baritone became the soundtrack of December for millions of listeners, and this set draws on his festive recordings from the 1940s through the early 1960s. It moves easily between sacred carols, swinging novelty numbers and the sentimental ballads that made him a fixture on the radio every winter.

White Christmas, naturally, leads the way, in the familiar version that became one of the best-selling singles ever recorded. Mele Kalikimaka adds a breezy Hawaiian lilt and a wink, while Do You Hear What I Hear? brings a stately, hymn-like grandeur from his later years. I'll Be Home for Christmas still carries the ache of wartime separation that made it so beloved in the first place.

Elsewhere, the Andrews Sisters and a string of vocal groups drop in to share the microphone, and the orchestras behind him swing with easy, unhurried elegance.

Put this on while the tree goes up and the house will feel warmer before the lights are even plugged in. Few voices make the season sound this effortless, or this much like home.