The Best Piano Songs to Learn This Christmas
Music makes Christmas truly special. It helps us create that extra warm, classic holiday feeling we only get for a few days each year—and can make even the grumpiest Grinch’s heart grow a few sizes.
by Matthew Unicomb
With the nights growing cold and long, it's the perfect time to learn some songs to make your Christmas bright. With that in mind, we've handpicked ten of the most popular Christmas pieces from our special collection of holiday classics. Each piece is available to learn on flowkey.
1. Frosty the Snowman
This cheery Christmas classic was a sensation upon its release in the summer of 1950. Though its lyrics, written by Americans Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, make no mention of Christmas, the song has been a holiday staple ever since, famously covered by musical greats such as Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and even the ultra-cool post-punk group Cocteau Twins in the decades after its release.
With a radiant, easygoing melody, "Frosty the Snowman" perfectly captures the joyfulness of the season—it's no wonder it became an instant Christmas piano classic.
2. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
It's been more than sixty years since thirteen-year-old Brenda Lee first sang the lyrics to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," but this jubilant holiday song is as beloved as ever. Legend has it that Lee only needed one take in the studio to record her most famous vocal rendition, back in 1958. Just over three decades later, its placement in the iconic nineties film Home Alone cemented the song's reputation as a Christmas classic.
There are few songs better suited to a Christmas gathering, so consider this is a must for any holiday playlist. And in case you were wondering, singer Brenda Lee informed a radio host in 2014 about the correct direction to rock around the Christmas tree: south.
3. Feliz Navidad
Most of the lyrics to this 1970 song by the singer-songwriter José Feliciano are in Spanish, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming a hit in English-speaking countries as far away as Australia and New Zealand. A homesick Feliciano wrote the song while living in Los Angeles, reminiscing about the time he'd spent eating, drinking, and singing carols with his family while growing up in New York.
“Feliz Navidad” is a song full of feelings, from melancholic solitude to pure Christmas cheer. Its heartwarming melodies will give you all the emotions—and are best enjoyed with the ones you love.
4. Jingle Bells
Although this has been a Christmas staple for more than 150 years, legend has it that the composer, James Lord Pierpont, actually wrote “Jingle Bells” for a different occasion altogether: Thanksgiving.
That didn't stop "Jingle Bells" from becoming the most recognizable Christmas song of all time. In 1965, it became the first song performed in space when astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford gave Mission Control a surprise rendition with the harmonica and bells they'd snuck on board
Play this on piano when you need a surefire way to get even the Grinchiest listener in the holiday spirit.
5. Silent Night
"Stille Nacht," as it's known in the German-speaking world, was first performed in a small-town church in what is now modern-day Austria. Its serene melody came from Franz Xaver Gruber, a nearby village's schoolmaster and organist, who composed the music to a poem written by a local priest two years earlier.
Two centuries later, “Silent Night” is a quintessential Christmas piano song, a calming selection best suited to a cozy evening indoors when everything outside is cold, dark, and quiet.
6. All I Want for Christmas Is You
Thousands, if not millions, of people around the world wait the whole year just for an excuse to play this romantic Christmas smash. In this cult classic, Mariah Carey rebukes key Christmas traditions like gift-giving and decorations to focus on something else: romance.
The catchy melody, upbeat rhythm, and cheerful mood make "All I Want for Christmas Is You" one of the funnest songs in this list—and a must for every piano player at Christmastime. Not to mention, its unforgettable melody packs the power to provoke an instant sing-along. Don't fight it. Deep down, you know you love it.
7. O Holy Night
Many people see Christmas not only as a time for celebration, but also for reflection. We can use the holiday season as a chance to look back on the year and take stock of what we have: friends, family, whatever else we hold dear. A song like "O Holy Night" is an excellent soundtrack to this kind of thinking.
Even without its lyrics, the melody to this beloved Christmas carol is especially moving on piano, and a calming addition to any holiday playlist.
8. O Come, All Ye Faithful
"O Come, All Ye Faithful" is one of the oldest songs on this list, and its exact origins remain unclear. Whether the tune was penned by King John IV of Portugal in the 1600s or the German composer Christoph Willibald Gluck one hundred years later is still debated, but does it really matter?
What's certain is that "O Come, All Ye Faithful" is one of the most beautiful, touching Christmas songs ever written.
9. The Christmas Song – Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
There's never a bad time for jazz, but something about the holiday season makes lyrics like "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" feel especially timely. There are a few versions of this 1945 classic, but we're going to recommend the piano cover of the original, recorded by Nat King Cole in 1946. Upbeat yet smooth, “The Christmas Song” is sure to add some spark to whatever situation you find yourself in on Christmas Eve.
10. White Christmas
Of all the songs on this list, only one has a place in the Guinness World Records: Irving Berlin's "White Christmas." The 1942 version, performed by Bing Crosby, holds the record for the highest-selling single of all time, with an estimated whopping fifty million sales in the past sixty years.
Those fifty million people weren't wrong. The melody to this jazzy classic is a knockout.
Whether you want to lend atmosphere to a silent night, or infuse a family gathering with cheer, now is the time to start learning the piano songs that will help make your Christmas bright—or put the hum in your bah humbug, depending on your mood.
We hope our selection inspires you to learn a new song, or master an old one. We'd love to see what you choose, so reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok to share your progress.
Read next
4 Easy Chords to Learn New Piano Songs Quickly
Chords are the building blocks of music: Learn to master them and you'll be able to learn new songs even faster. Here's how.
10 Easy Piano Songs for Beginners
You don't need tons of practice to play piano songs that you love. Here’s our selection of easy-to-play pieces for beginners, plus a few key tips to set you up for success.
5 Beautiful Piano Pieces to Make Someone Fall in Love With You
If you can't find the right words to tell that special someone how you feel, say it with music instead. Play one of these romantic songs and they're sure to fall head over (piano) keys for you.
The 14 Classical Piano Pieces Every Musician Should Know
With centuries of history behind it, classical music deserves a spot on every pianist's playlist. Here are some of the most famous piano pieces from Baroque to Romantic.