Favorite Underrated Christmas Hymns - 12 Days of Christmas

Welcome back to the 12 Days of Christmas!  We're talking about more music today because, let's be honest, do I ever talk about anything else?

Can y'all believe we're a day to Christmas?



I'm not freaking out.



Okay I might be freaking out just a little.


Anyway, today we're going to be looking at some of my favorite Christmas songs that are a bit underrated.  (I've put YouTube links to these songs if you want to give them a listen!)  Let me know if any of these are your favorites too! 


1. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
- my favorite version -
Yes, okay, I know the Casting Crowns version has a lot of fans (I like it a lot too), but the original melody is my favorite.  Steven Curtis Chapman has my favorite version that I've heard, but I'm sure there are others out there.  It's just so pretty and lilting and I love it a lot.


2. We Three Kings
- my favorite version -
Again, okay, this one isn't super underrated, but the not many people know the other verses.  And they are so. powerful.  Verse four gives me chills every time.  The Hound + The Fox has an absolutely gorgeous version.


3. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
- my favorite version -
(technically Laura Story adds a chorus, but I still love it)
This song has been in my life since I was a small child and learned it for children's choir, and I still love it.  It's just got such a fun feel to it, when so many songs of advent have a somber tone.  It's kind of lilting, very fun, and reminds of the joy that Christ's birth brought.


4. Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
I couldn't find a version of this that wasn't slow as all get out, so?  I've always sung it upbeat and peppy and all of these were slow.  Uh... no.  But I love this song, it just brings a smile to my face.  And my whole family knows the tune but not all the words so it just ends up being this fun "Infant HOLY, infant LOWLY, for his BED a cattle staaaall, la da bla bla ba ba da da…" etc.  xD


5. There's a Song in the Air
Again, couldn't find a version of this one.  Which tells you how underrated it is.  And it's so fun, too!  Another upbeat, happy song for Christmas that I absolutely love.  I mean, how can you not enjoy singing lyrics like, "Ay, the star rains it's fire while the beautiful sing for the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!" 


6. The Birthday of a King
I'm sending you to Judy Garland for this one, because apparently this song used to be known and just isn't any longer.  And even though she says alleluia weird, it's not a bad version.  Basically this is my list of "someone please cover this song, I'm begging you" xD


And for a bonus underrated Christmas song that's not a hymn,
7. The Night Before Christmas - Steven Curtis Chapman
Guys.  This is quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite Christmas songs because oh my gosh it's gorgeous??  Listen to it now.  Do it.  It's amazing.  The lyrics!  The accompaniment!  The message!  It's perfect and beautiful and has been stuck in my head for a solid week but that's a-okay by me.


So that's my list!  Are some of these on your "would someone please make a good cover of this" list?  What's an under-appreciated hymn I need to listen to?

Happy Christmas Eve!!

~ Abby