12 Celeb Christmas Albums Coming Out In 2016

It's that time of year again: when musicians you've forgotten about and actors you didn't know could sing release albums of holiday classics. Of course, I don't mean that as a bad thing, as there's actually a pretty great selection of celebrity Christmas albums available this year. There's a wide range of new takes on old classics available, from comical songs that expose the dark side of the holidays to more traditional covers of "Jingle Bells," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," and "The Christmas Song."

Almost all of these albums are available on iTunes and streaming services, but it's also nice to own a Christmas CD, or give one as a gift. If you want to give a Christmas CD to someone who loves the holiday this year, why not play it safe and give them one you know they don't already have? Sure, old classics like Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas, The Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Ella Fitzgerald's Ella Wishes You a Swingin' Christmas are great, but there are plenty of new holiday CDs released every year to choose from. From country stars' first Christmas albums to veteran crooners recording yet another collection of festive hits to actors taking a stab at novelty recordings, here are 12 celebrity Christmas albums that have been or will be released by the end of 2016.

1. Simply Christmas By Leslie Odom Jr.

The smooth, soulful voice you know from Hamilton takes on Christmas classics, replacing Aaron Burr's attitude with festive heart.

2. Kylie Christmas (Snow Queen Edition) By Kylie Minogue

The re-release of last year's Kylie Minogue album is as poppy and fun as you'd imagine.

3. Christmas Party By She & Him

The folk band consisting of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward released their second Christmas album in late October.

4. A Pentatonix Christmas By Pentatonix

The superstar a cappella group's album came out in October, and it's full of their signature take on Christmas classics.

5. Christmas Queens 2 From RuPaul's Drag Race

The hilarious second Christmas album from the stars of the reality TV show is sure to appease anyone who loves RuPaul's Drag Race.

6. Glow By Brett Eldredge

Glow is the rising country star's first Christmas album.

7. A Swingin' Little Christmas! By Jane Lynch

Did you know that Glee star Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery (the ator who played Meredith on The Office) perform a cabaret show together? This album is the chance to experience their particular brand of musical comedy.

8. A Wonderful World By Susan Boyle

The Britain's Got Talent star and viral sensation released her Christmas album in November.

9. 12 Nights of Christmas By R.Kelly

The R&B singer's smooth, poppy takes on holiday classics are available now.

10. Wonderland By Sarah McLachlan

The singer-songwriter's new holiday album is the perfect way to sooth a stressful holiday party.

11. My Kind of Christmas By Reba McEntire

Reba's Christmas album is only available at Cracker Barrel, at least for right now.

12. Christmas With Jon Batiste By Jon Batiste

For all you Late Show With Stephen Colbert fans, the show's bandleader released a Christmas album.

Sure, it's all mostly the same songs, but "We Three Kings" sounds a lot different when it's sung by Lynch than when it's sung by Boyle.