Top Five Christmas Music CDs for 2008

Do you love Christmas music as much as I do? In this list of the top five Christmas CDs for 2008, enjoy listening to a variety of Christmas carols by contemporary artists like Coldplay, Ingrid Michaelson Ben Folds or Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Many Christmas music CDs also offer you the chance to give something back to your favorite charity. In this list, be sure to read the Christmas CD description to learn more about how your purchase will go toward a good cause. If you enjoy Christmas carols and want to play some of these arrangements for yourself, you can find Christmas sheet music online in a variety of places. Whether you're a musician yourself or just really love Christmas music, these holiday CDs are a great way to lift your spirits.

Hotel Cafe Presents...Winter Songs Christmas CD - Released in October 2008, this new Christmas CD released during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Featuring a wide range of contemporary female songwriters, enjoy original music and classic Christmas carols from artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, Fiona Apple, Belinda Carlile and more. Downloadable on iTunes, a portion of the proceeds from each CD will go toward breast cancer. You can listen to samples of the Christmas songs on the Hotel Cafe Wintersongs website.

We Wish You a Metal Christmas...and a Headbanging new Year Christmas CD - Who says Christmas carols have to be boring? Also released in October 2008, listen to Christmas novelty songs and classics like "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" and "Silent Night" sung by heavy metal singers. From Alice Cooper to Geoff Tate from Queensryche, this head-banding selection of Christmas caroling classics is perfect for the metalhead in your family.

Christmas Eve and Other Stories by Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Blending traditional Christmas music with jazz and heavy metal, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has reinvented Christmas carols for music fans of all ages. This CD was released in 1996 and is Trans-Siberian Orchestra's first album. Mixing electric guitar with symphonic orchestra, TSO offers classic Christmas carols and new Christmas songs. Every time you listen to this CD, you'll hear something new.

Verve Presents: Very Best of Christmas Jazz CD - On the other end of the musical spectrum, this Christmas Jazz CD offers a different take on Christmas carols. With a little bit of blues and jazz, this Christmas Jazz CD features artists like Johnny Marks and Mel Torme to give you a little bit of soul for the holidays. Released in 2001, this is a good CD to add to your collection to play for your holiday parties.

A Very Special Christmas CD - This particular Christmas CD is part of a series of artists who perform to lend their voice to charity. Released every year since 1987, the Special Olympics A Very Special Christmas CD features contemporary and classic performers who range from country to jazz to pop and rock. Proceeds from the sale of this CD go to charity, and this year's three-disc set offers over fifty songs for your listening enjoyment.