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A Look At Elton John’s Christmas Songs list takes a listen to the multiple Christmas Songs Elton John has released throughout his career. While Mariah Carey may be the Queen of Christmas with her number one selling single of all time “All I Want For Christmas,” Elton John has indeed recorded some really fine Christmas songs that his fans have celebrated over the past few decades. This list will include the original Christmas Songs that Elton John has composed as well as the multiple Christmas duets he has recorded in recent years with the very popular Harry Styles and the phenomenal and ravishing vocalist Joss Stone. And no, this list will not include 1983’s “Cold As Christmas,” because that was not a Christmas song.
This list of Elton John Christmas songs has been compiled in chronological order.
Step Into Christmas
Up first on our Elton John’s Christmas songs list is his very popular original Christmas song entitled “Step Into Christmas.” This is the one that all Elton John fans will know. It is by far his most popular Christmas song, and for a long time his only Christmas recording in the studio except for the b-side. The song was originally released on November 23, 1973, as a stand-alone single. It did not appear on any album at the time. It would be later released as a bonus track on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road CD on which that original album also was released in 1973. Of course, it would also appear on many Elton John compilations that would be released over the years. Yet in 1973, the only place you could find the song was either on the radio or a 45 rpm vinyl single. Oh the good old days
The song was composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Elton John recorded the song in London with his legendary Elton John Band. That induced Nigel Olsson on drums, Dee Murray on bass, Ray Cooper on percussion and Davey Johnstone on guitar. The song was produced by Gus Dudgeon who put his own Phil Spector Christmas Ronettes-inspired sound on the recording.
This song was recorded when Elton John was on top of the world. Only a month earlier the single “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” had hit number one in multiple countries around the World. The previous single “Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting,” was a huge hit during the previous summer. A few months later Elton John would hit number one on all the charts with “Bennie And The Jets.” Sandwiched between all of these mega-hits was “Step Into Christmas which did not do too bad on the charts either. The song hit number one on the US Billboard Christmas Singles charts. It was also a top 10 hit single in the United Kingdom.
Ho! Ho! Ho! (Who’d Be A Turkey At Christmas)
Unless you were one of the millions of Elton John fans in the 1970s who purchased the “Step Into Christmas,” single, you probably have never heard this one. This is the long-forgotten Elton John Christmas song. The song was released as the b-side to “Step Into Christmas.” “Step Into Christmas,” was such a huge hit, radio pretty much ignored the b-side of the single as they did with most b-sides unless you were the Beatles. This one has a funky groove that sounds like something off Tumbleweed Connection instead of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
When I first listened to this song, I wondered if John Lennon was in the background because it sounded like he was. I thought that for many years that John Lennon was on the recording. However when it was released on Rare Masters in the 1990s, the liner notes explained that they were going for a John Lennon type of thing, so of course, he wasn’t on the track. It was just the vibe they were going for with all the noise in the background. The song was recorded just for the b-side of the single “Step Into Christmas.”
Calling It Christmas
In 2005, Elton John released a Christmas album entitled Elton John’s Christmas Party. The album was originally issued as an exclusive release in Starbucks cafes. This was at a time when Starbucks used to sell CDs. The album was a compilation of Elton John’s favorite Christmas songs by bands and artists like U2, The Pretenders, Bruce Springsteen and many more. Elton John’s “Step Into Christmas,” opened the CD and then it was all original recordings of other artists until the cd’s final song. The closing track was a new Elton John Christmas song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin called “Calling It Christmas.”
The song features Joss Stone’s stunning vocals complimented by Elton John’s deep tenor. It has a slow gospel-like feel that is just daunting. Long-time Elton John drummer Nigel Olsson and guitarists Davey Johnstone play on the track. Bob Birch played bass. The song also featured the Voice of Atlanta and Youth Ensemble of Atlanta choirs.
Merry Christmas
Even in 2021, more than fifty years since Elton John’s debut album was released, the man is still as entertaining as ever. While we were all hunkered down binging Netflix shows during the initial covid lockdown, Elton John was still writing and recording music. One of the results of that writing was a collaboration with Ed Sheeran on this fabulous new Christmas song simply titled “Merry Christmas.” This is a really beautiful song. The song is once again driven by that famous Phil Spector drum beat and then fueled by Elton John’s iconic eighth-note piano playing. Ed Sheeran gets the first verse and then is met by Elton’s legendary voice.
“Merry Christmas,” is such a beautiful song that we really didn’t want to include the remix of the song that was done by Ladbaby called “Sausage Rolls for Everyone.” But since it did feature Elton John we added it below. It is kind of funny though and it was done for charity.
Good Grief
A Look At Elton John’s Christmas Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. 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However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. 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When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. 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In 1999 he also released White Christmas, a duet with Rosie O’Donnell
That was on the CD A very Rosie Christmas. We thought about that one but decided to keep the list to just original Elton John Christmas songs. Good call though!
I like his song Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher from the Peach Tree Road album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsQKo1BnwoM