It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Johnny Mathis
Have A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer - Elmo & Patsy
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys
Merry Christmas Darling - Carpenters
Christmas Collage - Kathy Mattea
Little Drummer Boy - David Bowie/Bing Crosby
Track Listings (18) - Disc #2
Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Bruce Springsteen
Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
Love Is A Holiday - Michael Bolton
It Must Have Been Old Santa - Harry Connick Jr.
Jingle Bells - Diana Krall
Away In A Manger - Mannheim Steamroller
Deck The Halls - Ottmar Liebert
Love On Layaway - Gloria Estefan
Don't Save It All For Christmas Day - Celine Dion
This Christmas - Joe
Special Gift - Isley Brothers
Christmas In The Yard - Shaggy
My Only Wish (This Year) - Britney Spears
You Don't Have To Be Alone - 'N Sync
O Come All Ye Faithful - Luther Vandross
Silent Night - Boyz II Men
The title doesn't lie, even if it does sounds like a hyperbolic pitch from an old late-night cable TV ad. With 36 tracks of various genres spread over two discs, Now That's What I Call Christmas might be the best, most ... more »eclectic "value-plus" holiday record ever released, assuming your tastes embrace crooners such as Cole, Crosby, and Como, plus contemporary boy bands such as Boyz II Men, as well as the ubiquitous Britney Spears. In between there are the sumptuous classics by Bobby Helms, Brenda Lee, the Beach Boys, Elvis, and Burl Ives on disc one, balanced on disc two by more recent standards, including Bruce Springsteen's live version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" and John and Yoko's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)." You're not obligated to like everything here, but that's why Santa invented the forward button on your CD player. --Martin Keller« less
The title doesn't lie, even if it does sounds like a hyperbolic pitch from an old late-night cable TV ad. With 36 tracks of various genres spread over two discs, Now That's What I Call Christmas might be the best, most eclectic "value-plus" holiday record ever released, assuming your tastes embrace crooners such as Cole, Crosby, and Como, plus contemporary boy bands such as Boyz II Men, as well as the ubiquitous Britney Spears. In between there are the sumptuous classics by Bobby Helms, Brenda Lee, the Beach Boys, Elvis, and Burl Ives on disc one, balanced on disc two by more recent standards, including Bruce Springsteen's live version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" and John and Yoko's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)." You're not obligated to like everything here, but that's why Santa invented the forward button on your CD player. --Martin Keller
Michelle D. from HAMPDEN, ME Reviewed on 2/15/2021...
I had this as a young child, and I listened to it over and over. Then, it vanished. I ordered another last year because I had a few spare credits, and I listened to it again. I still loved it!
CD Reviews
The Who's Who in the Holiday Season...Then & Now!
J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 11/05/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Now where else can you find all this talent on just 36 tracks and 2-CD-Set that covers five decades of "Christmas Music"...from the popular "NOW" series from Universal Music, a decision was made to release some lesser known selections from top talent from the past and present...and you know what, it works!To clarify my above statement, many artist/musicians have released Christmas albums, but no one has ever heard as many of them on one CD..."NOW" gives you this and more...36 artists from 36 different genres such as Country, R&B, Alternative Rock, New Age, Folk, Jazz, Comedy, Reggae, Easy Listening and of course "Classic Christmas" standards.Must make mention of the stand outs ~ "MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING"(Carpenters)..."LITTLE DRUMMER BOY/PEACE ON EARTH"(Bing Crosby/David Bowie)..."HAPPY CHRISTMAS(WAR IS OVER)"(John&Yoko)..."IT MUST HAVE BEEN OL' SANTA CLAUS"(Harry Connick Jr.)..."JINGLE BELLS"(Diana Krall)...and my personal favorite "AWAY IN THE MANAGER"(Mannheim Steamroller), you'll never come up with a better compilation for this time of the year.Entire album will make your Holiday's a time to cherish...excellent opportunity to introduce the youngsters to some of the standard Christmas classics, and never a better time to familarize the older generation with the NOW generation!Total 2-CD-Set ~ Universal Music 314-585-620-2 ~ (2001)"
A Wonderful Christmas Album
K. Thompson | GA, USA | 11/12/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD set is really quite interesting. I bought this because of the first CD, which is full of clear, great recordings of all the Christmas classics. (like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," and Nat King Cole's must-have "The Christmas Song.")The second CD had some nice surprises too, though.
I felt the second CD was only there so that younger people would buy the set--what teenager, for instance, cares about Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, or Tony Bennett? So, they added Britney Spears, N'Sync, Joe, and other "modern" artists to appeal to everyone. While some of the songs, like Britney's, just sound like the same ol' pop songs with the words Christmas and Santa in the same-ol'-stupid-sounding lyrics, there are some jewels on this CD (like Boyz II Men's "Silent Night," John & Yoko's "Happy X-Mas," and Manheim Steamroller's (THE Christmas band) "Away in a Manger.")
Overall, I would say to anyone ("...kids from one to ninety-two...") buy this."
Perfect Stocking Stuffer
paperbackriter | USA | 11/30/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A remarkably low-priced two CD-set chock full of Christmas classics, "Now That's What I Call Christmas" is simply too good to pass up. The names read like a Who's Who of 20th Century Pop: Sinatra, Ella, Bing Crosby, Elvis, Lennon, Springsteen, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, the Beach Boys, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett and a host of others. The songs run the gamut from classic (Crosby's "White Christmas") to novelty (Elmo & Patsy's "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer") to flat-out fun (Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"). Disc One, loaded with classics, is the stronger of the two. However Disc Two, filled with more modern material, has its moments as well. Most notable are Springsteen's wonderfully gruff "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and Lennon's 1970 classic "Happy Christmas(War is Over)". Overall, you'd be hard pressed to find a better selection of Christmas music anywhere. It's all here -- from the crooners to the rockers. Truly a perfect stocking stuffer, I only wish this collection had been available years ago."
Now that's closer to what I call Christmas!
Angel Esping | Used to be SF, USA | 11/27/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I really loved "Now Christmas"! Almost every song puts me right into the spirit (even after hearing them all day at work!). There is a certian magic about Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, et. al. at Christmastime, and the first CD of this set does not fail to deliver! (I would also definitely recommend Bing Crosby's White Christmas album - I grew up on it, and just having White Christmas on this cd is not enough! You've gotta hear the rest of his xmas songs!)
Hearing Burl Ives' "Holly Jolly Christmas" brings a tear to my eye, remembering how the Rudolph TV show used to (and I bet it still would) make me cry! And I love the classic rock n roll songs like Jingle Bell Rock - the cd wouldn't have been complete without them!
And the second cd provides a more modern collection, some of the songs I like, some of them I love, and some of them I could do without. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is, of course, a main reason why I bought the CD, and it doesn't fail to shine brightly among the others! I really enjoy the Band Aid xmas song, The Carpenters' Merry Christmas Darling, Diana Krall's Jingle Bells, and even (dare I say it!) Britney Spears' "My Only Wish"! It's a really cute song, if you ask me!
Really, the only ones I would leave off this cd are: Grandma Got Run over By a Reindeer (I know it's essential, but I HATE THAT SONG!!!!!), Our Love is Like a Holiday, Love on Layaway, This Christmas (nothing against the song, but I don't like Joe), Don't Save it all For Christmas Day (I LOVE Celine Dion's xmas music, but I would have picked a different song) and You Don't Have to Be Alone (I would perfer a different NSYNC song, like maybe "Under My Tree" or "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"). Oh, and I would have added Feliz Navidad and something by Jewel - maybe if she was lucky, even Christina Aguilera could have a song on it (just promise you won't shout too loud! Wouldn't want to blow the speaker now!:)).
I really do love this CD, though! Buy it! :)"