Previously, I touched on the worst Christmas songs ever written, so why not try my hand at the best? The earworms, the nostalgia bringers, the tear jerkers, this list has them all, and then some!

During a crowded year in pop, these 20 songs still managed to stand out, and evolve the sound and approach of the artists behind them. Imagine a world in which any of these songs — or all of them!