Also, in theory [Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!](https://youtu.be/a0f2gnBhSII) would qualify within your guidelines as it surprisingly [does not make any reference to the Holidays season in its lyrics.](https://genius.com/Dean-martin-let-it-snow-let-it-snow-let-it-snow-lyrics) But I get that this answer is not in the spirit of the thread.
Everything Mario 64 sounds like Christmas to me. I didn’t even discover the game during Christmas back then! Same goes for the four (mainline) Gambare Goemon games from the Super Famicom, only because I replayed them all on WiiU one Christmas in London (2013? 2014?). As I played through them, I would share both my thoughts and some seasonal greetings within their respective Miiverse channel communities, and as a result, I strongly associate these games and their tunes with the season now.
https://youtu.be/j24rC5FSurU
Getting out of video games for a minute, I have always felt that Char Aznable’s repertoire had a pretty strong Christmas vibe.
easily the album that sounds the most like christmas to me despite having nothing to do with christmas^1 is michigan by sufjan stevens. i listen to it extensively every winter. i threw on two of my favorite tracks from the album, “all good naysayers, speak up! or forever hold your peace!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BFO2FmJ_2I
and "vito's ordination song"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po5vpwuBhB0
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1: it does have a pine tree on the cover, i hope that's not too christmassy. while that flower may resemble holly, however, it is actually an apple blossom, the state flower of michigan.
i was watching something that played a version of ode to joy/beethoven‘s 9th over the opening shot of christmassy streets. that’s not a piece of xmas music as far as i‘m aware, it’s just from the 1800s and the victorians were mad for all things christmas.
it's funny you should bring that up. my wife and i were in the kitchen a couple nights ago and i could hear my daughter in the other room listening to what i thought was that mariah carey song, and i say to my wife, who isn't a christmas music hater, (and also can't hear very well, so i know she didn't even know what i was talking about), "oh god, why is kat listening to christmas music?", to which she, my wife, just smiled smugly, but then i noticed thom yorke was the one singing, and my heart grew three sizes.
@“chazumaru”#p93691 Everything Mario 64 sounds like Christmas to me.
btw, i took it upon myself to add _inside the castle walls_ from _mario 64_ to the playlist, because i thought _cool cool mountain_ was too obvious. but since you got me on mario mode, i'll also add the _mario galaxy_ overworld waltz.
@“pasquinelli”#p93707 Damn your kid is cool. A cool kat, dare I say.
Here is a personal Classic for Winter season: the George Benson album (1970) entirely made with covers from The Beatles’ Abbey Road (1969). Most famous for [Here Comes The Sun](https://youtu.be/Rr-EZ974OCM) but the rest is great and cozy as well.
I think Quarterflash (I don't know the right way to write it) follows the rules the best, while the other entries could be considered cheats.
You've got me digging, though. I just discovered Yoshiko Miyazaki and her song "No Return," but I have to find a translation. It definitely has those early 80s Christmas vibes.
@“yeso”#p93821 a bit generous to call what is almost definitely a tambourine “sleigh bells” on that stooges song >!or, show me to the disinformation thread at once! !<