State Champ Radio christmas
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Trending on Billboard
Have you ever wanted your Christmas tree to reflect your music taste? If so, you’re in luck.
ShopBillboard is getting into the holiday spirit by sharing our favorite musician-themed ornaments so your tree can finally reflect some of the greats on your playlist, from Taylor Swift and BTS to Elvis Presley and Freddy Mercury. Each ornament chosen is extremely expressive and detailed, depicting its respective artists in colorful hues, sometimes with glittering accents.
Kurt Adler Grateful Dead™ Glass 60th Anniversary Ornament
$30.20
$32.40
7% off
A Grateful Dead-themed glass ornament
If you’re looking to decorate your tree with a little music flair, this Grateful Dead glass ornament is for you. The piece features the iconic skull and rose imagery accompanied by glittering accents and vibrant hues of blue, red and silver. This ornament was released for the band’s 60th anniversary in August, and makes a great keepsake for the Grateful Dead fan in your life.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Elvis Presley Blow Mold Christmas Ornament – White Suit with Red Cape Holiday Decoration
$8.28
$8.87
7% off
An Elvis-themed ornament.
The King just got a whole lot cooler with this new decor. Clad in his iconic white bedazzled jumpsuit, this Elvis Presley ornament is the spitting image of the “Burning Love” singer down to his bright red cape and coiffed hair.
Zilker Home Taylor Swift Era-Music Tour Christmas Ornament
A Taylor Swift-themed ornament.
Ready to get into your Christmas Era? This Taylor Swift-themed ornament will surely get you on your way. Retailing for $13.99, this ornament is made of durable ceramic that can withstand drops and comes affixed with a motif of Swift in a Santa costume on the front, strumming a guitar with the phrase “In my Christmas Era” on the front. A gold string is looped through a hole on the top of the ornament, making it easy to hang.
Kat + Annie Ornaments The Beatles Drum, Silver and White
A The Beatles ornament.
The Beatles were very serious about Christmas, so much so that they released their very own holiday album in 1970, aptly titled The Beatles Christmas Album. If you want to get into the spirit, throw on that album and hang this Kat + Annie The Beatles Ornament on your tree. Retailing for $26.95, this ornament is made of glass and comes with a hook to attach to the tree. The front is equipped with black and white motifs of members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, along with their signatures. The back and front read “The Beatles.”
David Bowie Ziggy Stardust Christmas Tree Ornament Merchandise Decor
A David Bowie ornament.
David Bowie was another musician who was pretty active during the holidays. As far as Christmas is concerned, the star once collaborated with Bing Crosby on a track titled “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” in 1977. The song features Crosby singing the 1941 standard “The Little Drummer Boy” while Bowie sings the counterpoint tune “Peace on Earth.” In any case, this ornament of Bowie is a keeper, depicting the ever-popular Ziggy stardust, Bowie’s alter-ego, in the center of a metal snowflake-shaped motif. This is one of the more intricate entries on our list, and one that we’re sure would look great alongside your more traditional ornaments.
Cody Foster 4.75 In George Michael Christmas Tree Ornament, Christmas Music Wham 80’S
A George Michael ornament.
You can’t possibly celebrate the holidays without hearing George Michael’s sweet voice. Alongside Wham!, Michael produced some of the most iconic Christmas tracks to date like “Last Christmas,” which was released in 1984. With his contribution to the holidays, or at least your holiday playlist, in mind, we’ve included a George Michael ornament from Target retailing for $29. The ornament depicts Michael in glittering glory with a gold string attached to his head.
BTS Christmas Tree Ornament | K-Pop Holiday Decor
A tree-shaped ornament with the members of BTS on it.
We’ve always thought that Christmas was heavily lacking in K-Pop. Thus, we’ve included this cute BTS ornament from Etsy, retailing for $12.99. This ornament is shaped like a Christmas tree and comes in purple. The shape of the tree is created with each member’s name stacked on top of one another, all adorned with a star at the tippy top.
Cody Foster 4.75 In Freddie Mercury Christmas Tree Ornament
A Freddie Mercury ornament.
If you can believe it, Queen has a song called “Thank God It’s Christmas.” It was a B-side of the single “A Winter’s Tale” from the 1995 album Made in Heaven. While he doesn’t scream Christmas spirit, this Freddie Mercury ornament for $30 was too good not to include in this list. Like our George Michael pick, this ornament is a glittering bust of Mercury with a crown sat atop his head, along with a string to attach the ornament to your tree.
Trending on Billboard
Herb Alpert says he’s returned to holiday music as another thing to do — and for all the right reasons.
“I just like making music,” says the iconic trumpeter, composer and record company executive, who delivered Christmas Time Is Here, his third holiday set, on Nov. 7. “That’s what I do to stay healthy. I like to record, and if I can find a song that haunts me for some reason and do it in a way that’s different, that people haven’t heard before…that’s what I like to do. I picked out a bunch of songs, and even though I’ve recorded a couple of these songs before I felt I could put another spin on them.”
Holiday albums have certainly been good for Alpert during his 67-year recording career, which has put him in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and earned him a National Medal of Arts. Alpert’s first seasonal effort, Christmas Album in 1968, went gold, per the RIAA; 2017’s The Christmas Wish hit No. 2 on the Jazz Albums chart and No. 5 on the Top Holiday Albums chart.
“They sell every year,” Alpert notes. “You put ’em to rest for 11 months and they come back like they’re almost fresh. They’re good songs, and when you pick good songs, I think people appreciate that.”
Alpert tried a few different things with some of the 12 tracks on Christmas Time Is Here. Particularly notable is his new cover version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein standard “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music, which Alpert kept melodically faithful within a revamped arrangement. “I always liked that melody,” he explains. “It’s written in 3/4, like in a waltz time. I found a way to do in 4/4 that seemed like it fit the song. There’s been so many recordings of (the song), but this one certainly doesn’t sound like something that’s been overplayed.” Alpert, who’s joined by keyboardist Jeff Lorber on several of the songs, also lent a New Orleans flavor to the staple “Jingle Bells” and incorporates some vocals into the mostly instrumental set on tracks such as “Sleigh Ride” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
“It takes relaxation and not thinking too hard,” he says of the process. “I’m not trying to make a hit record that’s going to sell a zillion copies. I’m just trying to make something that feels good to me. I’m always looking for that. That’s my goal, to make music that feels good. So when I hit on a type of arrangement just felt right, felt interesting, that’s when I felt like (the songs) deserved to be done again.”
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the most contemporary selection on the set but one that’s certainly been on Alpert’s radar since its 1994 release. “I always thought it was a really good song, good melody, nice lyric — it didn’t surprise me that record of hers did so well,” he says of the perennial Billboard Hot 100 topper. “It’s always melody first; like Quincy Jones once said, you can take the greatest singer in the world, and if the song’s not there the record won’t be any good.”
Christmas Time Is Here comes in the midst of a variety of celebrations for Alpert during the past year-plus. During September of 2024 he released 50, his — wait for it — 50th studio album. This year, meanwhile, he turned 90 (on March 31) and has been commemorating the 60th anniversary of his breakthrough Whipped Cream & Other Delights — his first of five No. 1s on the Billboard 200 — by touring with a reconstituted Tijuana Brass, which hit the road again Nov. 9 with dates booked into next summer.
“It’s this new renaissance; I can’t believe what’s happening,” Alpert says. “I’m 90 years old and I’ve got this audience that wants to hear music that I did 60 years ago. I’m doing it for the right reasons; it’s something I have to do. It gives me energy; It gives me a reason to be. I like it, and I get a chance to make a lot of people happy. That seems like a good deal. I didn’t expect this to be happening at my present age.”
There’s more to come, he says. Alpert is planning to release a live album from the tour, though no release date has been determined. Meanwhile, he adds, “I’ve got a whole bunch of songs that are ready to be released,” again without a firm plan yet, and he’s confident there will be even more after that.
“That’s what I love to do,” he says. “I love to record. I love to work. I have a Logic (recording) system, and it keeps my brain working. I play the horn just about every day of my life. I’m a right-brain guy — I paint and sculpt and blow the horn. I’ve got this gift, and I love that I get to share it with people.”
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Trending on Billboard
The holiday season is fast approaching, which means it’s time to start thinking about decking your halls.
While you could go the classic garland and holly route, we’d suggest going the music fanatic route this season with Grateful Dead holiday decor available on Amazon now. The best part? The holiday offerings are on sale. The band’s official Amazon storefront includes two holiday pieces, although there are a bunch to choose from. Our picks? A nutcracker in the shape of a dancing bear, the band’s unofficial mascot, for $50.71 and a decorative glass ornament for $30.20.
The bear nutcracker stands at 10 inches and depicts the band’s dancing bear in blue wearing a festive holiday costume. An ornament is clutched in the bear’s hand. If you didn’t know, the dancing bear is meant to represent the band’s sound engineer and counterculture figure, Owsley “Bear” Stanley, who was nicknamed “bear” for his hairy chest.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Kurt Adler Wooden 10″ Grateful Dead™ Bear Nutcracker
$50.71
$53.25
5% off
A Grateful Dead-themed nutcracker.
The cheerful and psychedelic dancing bear motif was first featured on the back cover of the band’s 1973 live album titled History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear’s Choice) and was created by artist Bob Thomas, paying homage to Stanley’s nickname. The bear motif has become synonymous with Grateful Dead, following the band even after the group disbanded in 1995. In short, not only is this nutcracker aesthetically pleasing, it also helps you snack on nuts with ease.
If you’re looking to decorate your tree with a little music flair, the aforementioned Grateful Dead glass ornament is for you. The item is made of glass and features the iconic skull and rose imagery accompanied by glittering accents and vibrant hues of blue, red and silver. This ornament was released for the band’s 60th anniversary in August, and makes a great keepsake for the Grateful Dead fan in your life. It’s also just a beautiful ornament, what with all the sparkling aspects that catch the light with every move.
Kurt Adler Grateful Dead™ Glass 60th Anniversary Ornament
$30.20
$32.40
7% off
A Grateful Dead-themed glass ornament
Both the nutcracker and ornament were created in collaboration with Kurt S. Adler, a company that specializes in creating holiday goods. The brand’s official Amazon storefront also includes a whole host of Grateful Dead merch for fans and followers of the brand to choose from, including string lights, ornaments and even stockings cast in rainbow hues and full of holiday flare. While we are all for traditional Christmas decor, these pieces are a great way to change it up if you’re tired of the same old tinsel and red and green color scheme.
Shop More Grateful Dead Holiday Decor Below
Grateful Dead™ Van Ornament
$11.72
$18.80
38% off
A Grateful Dead-themed ornament.
Kurt S. Adler Kurt Adler 10 Grateful Dead Skull Light Set
A string of skull lights.
Grateful Dead™ Van Ornament
$11.72
$18.80
38% off
A Grateful Dead-themed ornament.
Trending on Billboard
Look out, Mariah! The Elf on the Shelf is coming for your Christmas music crown.
Below, Billboard Family is debuting “The Elves Went Over the Mountain,” the first music video from The Elf on the Shelf preschool YouTube series Scout Elf Squad, which finds Frostina, Shiver, Snowdrop and Blizzard making their way over the snowy hills to “see what they can see.” The brand-new song, out now, is part of the upcoming 10-track Scout Elf Squad: Sing & Play Nursery Rhymes album, which arrives Nov. 21.
“We’ve seen a wonderful surge in families wanting content created for our youngest fans—some as young as 2—whose parents are eager to share the Scout Elf they grew up with as part of their own holiday traditions,” Chanda A. Bell, The Lumistella Company’s co-founder and co-CEO (and Santa’s Chief Storyteller) tells Billboard Family of the pivot to music. “As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re delighted to introduce 10 new songs and a new pilot season of The Elf on the Shelf Scout Elf Squad on YouTube for fans of all ages to enjoy.”
Bell co-wrote the 2005 children’s book The Elf on the Shelf with her mother, Carol Aebersold, and helped bring their family’s annual Christmas tradition to a worldwide audience. Now, to celebrate two decades of the holiday staple, The Elf on the Shelf “Santaverse” is expanding to include the YouTube series and new music. According to a description of Scout Elf Squad, which arrives Nov. 24 on YouTube, “Four Scout Elves – Frostina, Shiver, Snowdrop and Blizzard – join forces for play and adventure after Scout Elf School each day! When they share the power of teamwork, imagination and their magical skills, they create a North Pole Power-up, enabling the squad to fix, help and save the day as they play along with other North Pole characters.”
As for the new music, Bell tells Billboard Family: “Christmas and music go hand-in-hand, and we’re excited for our merry band of The Elf on the Shelf Scout Elf Squad members, featured heroically in our new preschool show, to make the season a little brighter with these 10 delightful new songs. We hope they will inspire families and bring joy during this most wonderful time of the year.”
The full track list for The Elf on the Shelf Scout Elf Squad: Sing & Play Nursery Rhymes, out Nov. 21, is below:
“The Elves Went Over the Mountain”“One, Two, Cheers to You”“Adventure Time”“Santa’s Sleigh”“Three Elf Pets”“Teamwork Makes The Dream Work”“Frost Pips Lullaby”“Frosty, Fluffy Snow Cones”“Oopsie, Yeti, Did You Burp?”“North Pole Birthday Boogie”
Trending on Billboard
Another Kylie Christmas is coming.
Kylie Minogue will ring in the holiday period with the 10th anniversary edition of Kylie Christmas, featuring four newly-recorded tracks.
Due out Dec. 5, Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped) (via Warner Records) includes the new yuletide tunes “Hot In December,” “This Time Of Year,” “Office Party” and “XMAS,” an Amazon Music Original.
Pronounced X – M – A – S, the party number is available now to stream from Amazon Music, and is available as a stocking filler on CD, 7” gold vinyl and 12” zoetrope vinyl from the Australian pop princess’s official store.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
The album proper should make for a handy present for fans, and is available to preorder in several limited-edition vinyls, from candy cane to transparent red and pink and white marble color-ways. The Amazon exclusive album vinyl is a transparent green.
“Revisiting Kylie Christmas ten years on has been so much fun,” Minogue says in a statement. “Fully Wrapped has given me the chance to write and record four new songs and add a little extra sparkle – I can’t wait for everyone to turn up the volume on the new single, ‘XMAS’!”
Kylie is three decades-and-counting into her stellar career, and there’s a sense that she’s not yet hit her peak.
Raised in Melbourne, the pop veteran’s 2023 album Tension led the national charts in the United Kingdom and Australia, peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200, and spawned the global hit “Padam Padam,” which scooped a Grammy Award (best pop dance recording). Followup Tension II also led the charts in the U.K., Australia and cracked the top 100 in the U.S.
Kylie’s hot streak has included Las Vegas residencies, ARIA Awards; a deal with United Talent Agency (UTA) for live representation in the U.S. and Canada and acting roles worldwide; the Global Icon Award at the 2024 BRIT Awards, becoming just the second woman to win it following Taylor Swift in 2021; and the Billboard Women in Music Icon Award.
More recently, the Aussie legend was a guest on PinkPantheress’s all-star remix project of her Fancy That mixtape, which dropped last month, and she performed alongside ATEEZ for Apple TV+’s new music competition series KPOPPED.
Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped) – Amazon Music Editions tracklist:1. It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year2. XMAS (Amazon Original)3. Santa Baby4. Hot In December5. At Christmas6. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Featuring Frank Sinatra)7. This Time Of Year8. 100 Degrees (Featuring Dannii Minogue)9. Office Party10. White December11. Let It Snow12. Christmas Isn’t Christmas Til You Get Here13. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
All other formats1. It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year2. Santa Baby3. Hot In December4. At Christmas5. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Featuring Frank Sinatra)6. This Time Of Year7. 100 Degrees (Featuring Dannii Minogue)8. Office Party9. White December10. Let It Snow11. Christmas Isn’t Christmas Til You Get Here12. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Trending on Billboard It may not be time to defrost her classic holiday song, but it’s never too early to shop […]
Trending on Billboard When Mariah Carey speaks, the world listens. And on Tuesday (Oct. 28), with a cheeky video shared to her official social media pages, the music legend reminded fans that it’s not time for Christmas just yet. Explore See latest videos, charts and news For years, Carey has ushered in the holiday season […]
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz
It seems the relationship between Cardi B and Offset continues to sour. She is now claiming that he did not give their kids Christmas gifts and actually stole from her.
As per Rap-Up Magazine Cardi B has once again taken to social media to out her estranged husband. On Tuesday, Jan. 14 she hosted an X Spaces session, formerly known as Twitter, and proceed to air him out over his lack of co-parent support during the holidays. “You love your kids so much that you didn’t buy them s**t for Christmas, but you came to New York to buy your other kids gifts,” she alleged. “You ain’t bought my kids s**t on purpose to spite me.”
Cardi B also says Offset has failed to be in his newest daughter’s life as well. “[You said] you haven’t accepted the divorce [papers] because you want to see the kids. You just called your [newborn] daughter for the first time this year yesterday (Jan. 13).” Before closing out the session she alleged that he is also a thief. “Mind you, we were cool. We weren’t f**king, but we was cool,” Bardi explained. “You and your momma robbed me cold. Wiped my nose.” Cardi B did not clarify on what she believes was actually taken from her.
You can listen to Cardi B discuss Offset and more below.
Britney Spears is giving fans another glimpse into her special Christmas with her son, Jayden James Federline. On Friday (Jan. 3), the 43-year-old pop star shared a short video on Instagram featuring her 18-year-old son — whom she reunited with on Dec. 25 — opening a gift by a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. “Nice, nice, […]
Elvis Presley’s The Classic Christmas Album leads Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart for the first time, rising two places to No. 1 on the Jan. 4, 2025-dated survey.
In the week ending Dec. 26, the set earned 40,000 equivalent album units, a jump of 59%, according to Luminate.
The Classic Christmas Album was released in 2012 and features 17 holiday-themed hits from Presley’s catalog, including “Blue Christmas” and “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane).”
The collection, which previously reached a No. 2 best on Top Rock Albums over the 2020 holiday season, is Presley’s second No. 1 on the chart, which began in 2006, after Elvis Presley Forever led for a week in 2015. That album accompanied a “forever” postage stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service that year.
Concurrently, The Classic Christmas Album jumps 9-4 on Top Country Albums and 46-23 on the all-genre Billboard 200. It’s a new peak on both charts, usurping its prior Nos. 5 and 26 highs, respectively.
“Blue Christmas” was the album’s top performer in streaming last week. It ranks at No. 2 on Rock Steaming Songs with 27.1 million official U.S. streams (up 61%). “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)” also appears on the tally, at No. 11 (8.1 million, up 43%). “Blue Christmas” was the set’s top radio track, with 9 million in audience (up 33%).
On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, “Blue Christmas” rises to No. 21, a year after it reached a No. 18 best. The late Presley ties for the longest span of appearing on the chart – stretching across its entire existence, as he placed at No. 4 on the inaugural ranking (dated Aug. 4) with “Hard Headed Woman” and at No. 34 with “Don’t Ask Me Why” (both with the Jordanaires). Also with a 66-year and five-month span of hitting the Hot 100 from its first to its latest week, and likewise due to resurgent holiday hits: fellow late legends Chuck Berry, Nat King Cole, Perry Como and Dean Martin.
