Except for a 2003 EP, Michael Bublé hadn't released a holiday album until 2011's Christmas, which coincided with a television special on NBC, A Michael Bublé Christmas. The album was produced by David Foster, Bob Rock, and Humberto Gatica, and featured duets with Shania Twain, the Puppini Sisters, and Thalía, among others. Along with holiday favorites ("Silent Night," "Jingle Bells," "White Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), Christmas also features "Cold December Night," an original from Bublé. Special editions included three bonus tracks and an exclusive ornament with "extended" packaging.

John Bush, Rovi

There aren't many full-effort, front-to-back brilliant Christmas albums, but CeeLo's Magic Moment is one of them. Released ahead of a televised holiday special -- what Mr. Green hoped would be the first of an annual occurrence -- it covers all the bases. Sure, many over-familiar songs are interpreted for the umpteenth time. Who needs more "White Christmas," "Silent Night," and "Run Rudolph Run," right? However, there's so much joyous energy in the performances that one wouldn't be surprised to learn that Green has been plotting this move since Goodie Mob signed to LaFace. Green and company also tackle later material, crossing the '70s (Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas"), '80s ("Mary, Did You Know," popularized by Katty Mattea), and '90s (Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas"). The most natural fit is a rendition of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" that features a cappella group Straight No Chaser. At the other end, Green pulls off Joni Mitchell's somber "River" in convincing fashion. The overriding spirit is festive, exemplified by "All I Need Is Love," a rollicking blast that incorporates the Muppets and their "Mah Na Mah Na." Rod Stewart, Trombone Shorty, and Green's fellow "Voice" coach Christina Aguilera are also in on the fun. This is Christmas music that can be enjoyed by those who otherwise loathe it.

Andy Kellman, Rovi

Vocal gymnastics and Christmas songs are not often thought of as a compatible combination, but on Merry Christmas, Mariah Carey jumps, climbs, crawls, twirls, and dashes her way through both traditional fare and original Christmas songs. She shifts through styles, offering fans from all musical camps a gift of their own. There is even a "Joy to the World" medley mixing the old and the new: the traditional Christmas song and the Three Dog Night hit. And, as usual, her gospel-voiced background singers are out in full force. There are two ways to enjoy this album. One is to sit back and revel in Carey's vocal fireworks, and the other is to pour yourself a glass of eggnog, get cozy by the tree, and have yourself a Merry Christmas., Rovi

Vocalist Josh Groban delivers his first Christmas themed album with 2007's Noel. Once again produced by longtime "man behind the curtain" David Foster, the album features more of Groban's dewy, supple vocals set to Foster's cinematic orchestrations. As per the holiday theme, these are primarily classic tunes of the season including such chestnuts as "Silent Night," "Ave Maria," and, of course, "The Christmas Song." However, also included are a few lesser-known traditional songs as "Panis Angelicus" and "Angels We Have Heard on High." Similarly, while most of the productions here should appeal to longtime fans of Groban's particular classical-crossover sound, some cuts like soft rock inflected "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" and the Celtic folk leaning "Little Drummer Boy" do expand upon the Groban/Foster palette in a pleasing way. Notably, also showcased here are guest appearances by country superstar Faith Hill, R&B stalwart Brian McKnight, and perennial holiday backing band the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Matt Collar, Rovi

Indeed, it is the most wonderful time of the year, and this reissue of 1993's Christmas Interpretations arrives under the Universal 20th Century Masters series, which has launched its own subset of holiday releases. Produced by fellow soulful crooner Brian McKnight, this ten-song workout is not a collection of holiday favorites (aside from the traditional "Silent Night" that opens and closes the recording), but a series of brand new holiday compositions based on the quiet storm market. The Boyz are in fine form, as per usual, and the production work is of top-notch quality. However, within the smooth delivery lie lyrics that are melancholic and downtrodden, the kind of despair that is commonly associated with the holiday season but just not expressed so soulfully, most notably in the composition "Why Christmas," which reflects the existential angst of world issues during the holiday season. The results are a bit like crossing "What's Going On" with the New Edition classic "Can You Stand the Rain." Not exactly uplifting stuff to play when unwrapping presents or carving the holiday turkey, but if you are into pleasant-sounding melodies and silky-smooth production, then this is the perfect Christmas album for you. While most die-hard fans might already have this in their collections, fans who might have glanced over this release originally would be well-served to pick it up.

Rob Theakston, Rovi

Feels Like Christmas features legendary soul singer Al Green performing ten holiday classics. It's a fairly predictable run-through: "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," "Winter Wonderland," "White Christmas," "Christmas Song," and so on. Nonetheless, even if most of these songs are a little played-out, Green gives them new life with his charisma. He also offers a song of his own, the album-closing "Glory, Glory." Overall, if you like Green's singing, you'll surely enjoy Feels Like Christmas, even if it is a little skimpy on its offering.

Jason Birchmeier, Rovi

By condensing the sonic explorations of Meddle to actual songs and adding a lush, immaculate production to their trippiest instrumental sections, Pink Floyd inadvertently designed their commercial breakthrough with Dark Side of the Moon. The primary revelation of Dark Side of the Moon is what a little focus does for the band. Roger Waters wrote a series of songs about mundane, everyday details which aren't that impressive by themselves, but when given the sonic backdrop of Floyd's slow, atmospheric soundscapes and carefully placed sound effects, they achieve an emotional resonance. But what gives the album true power is the subtly textured music, which evolves from ponderous, neo-psychedelic art rock to jazz fusion and blues-rock before turning back to psychedelia. It's dense with detail, but leisurely paced, creating its own dark, haunting world. Pink Floyd may have better albums than Dark Side of the Moon, but no other record defines them quite as well as this one. The album was celebrating a total of 1,350 weeks on The Billboard 200 and Top Pop Catalog charts in Billboard magazine when Capitol Records released the 30th anniversary edition in 2003. The SACD version, as had previous digital remasterings, added space and definition to the elements of music, dialogue, and sound effects that made up the album, while the 5.1 remix expanded those improvements across multiple speakers. Original designer Storm Thorgerson contributed a new, subtly different album cover and a 20-page CD booklet that was a scrapbook of photographs and artwork associated with the album over the years.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi