By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Weekend Editor

Each family has its own holiday traditions, including when the decorations go up, what type of food is prepared, when and, of course, what music is listened to.

Some families lean toward the traditional songs sung by choirs or performed by orchestras, while others gravitate toward their favorite popular artists' renditions of holiday classics. These are merely some suggestions that include artists on both sides of the proverbial fence.

One of the best Christmas albums ever is Vince Guaraldi's “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The songs were mostly heard in the “Charlie Brown Christmas Special,” which is among many people's annual holiday traditions. The album is very jazzy, relaxed and full of holiday classics.

Another favorite among many people (50 million at last count) is Elvis Presley. The King's “Blue Christmas” album fluctuates between his rock n' rolling side and his reverent side. The album has so much variety that it stands up to repeated listenings.

If you're looking for some instrumental selections, Mannheim Steamroller has several volumes of Christmas music available as does Windham Hill. Mannheim Steamroller first gained popularity in the early 1980s. They steamroll through all of the holiday classics, playing at a very upbeat pace and in medley form.

Windham Hill has gained popularity over the last several years with their “Celtic Christmas” albums. Most selections are played by the Windham Hill Orchestra, but several Irish folk and rock artists make appearances throughout. The Windham Hill albums also can be played after the holiday season is over and not sound out of place.

Kenny G also is a very popular instrumental artist, who saw one of his largest successes in his Christmas album, which sells exceptionally well every holiday season. It is very mellow, and includes most of the songs you'd expect.

If you like your Christmas music a little more upbeat, check out one of the volumes of “A Very Special Christmas.” Each album features a variety of popular artists, including Tom Petty, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Run DMC and TLC, singing traditional and some of the more non-traditional numbers. Portions of the proceeds go to several charities and have kept the albums going over the years.

Another very up-beat, and often silly, album is John Denver and “The Muppets Christmas” album. The song features your favorite Muppet characters singing Christmas carols with the late folk singer. The album also includes an original song that Denver wrote for Jim Henson's “Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas,” called “When the River meets the Sea.” It recounts all of the holiday favorites like “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and “Old Saint Nick” with a muppet's sense of humor and sentimentality.

These are just a sampling of what is available in the realm of holiday music. Other artists that have put out stellar holiday albums include Nat King Cole with his rendition of “The Christmas Song,” Frank Sinatra's version of “Greensleeves,” and the Brady Bunch. The Carpenters Christmas album also is popular with many shoppers, as are Garth Brooks, Perry Como and Boyz II Men.

The music will serve as a reminder of the special feelings of the holidays of the past and for many years to come.

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