Countdown

Out of all the many, many renditions of the Christmas classic 'Run, Run Rudolph' that have been recorded over the decades, Luke Bryan's 2008 release is the second-highest-charting, behind only the definitive recording by Chuck Berry. Johnny Marks wrote the song in 1958; ironically, though Marks was Jewish, he made a career out of writing Christmas songs, also penning other holiday classics like 'R

At first glance it might seem like an odd choice for country star Clay Walker to attempt a cover of 'Feliz Navidad,' but he did a credible job with a Christmas classic that might have been awkward for another contemporary country star. Released in 2002 on an album simply titled 'Christmas,' Walker's version of the Jose Feliciano hit features a Latin rhythm track, female backing vocalists and perfe

Loretta Lynn based many of her best songs on her own early life experiences, and her 1966 Christmasclassic 'Country Christmas' is one of them. Celebrating the simple holiday joys of an otherwise hardscrabble life of poverty, Lynn sang, "A good old country Christmas / That's what it's gonna be / With all the family gathered 'round our pretty Christmas tree...

The holiday season got a whole lot hotter with Kellie Pickler's 2007 release of 'Santa Baby,' the much-covered Christmas classic in which a woman is teasingly asking St. Nick for such extravagant gifts as sables and a yacht. The song is a perfect match for the sexy singer, who performed a sultry version of it on the 'CMA Country Christmas' special that year...

Before Lady Antebellum scored their first No. 1 hit with 'I Run to You' in 2009, they had a Christmas hit in 2008 with their rendition of 'Baby, It's Cold Outside,' which they also performed on 'The Today Show.' Playing up the vocal chemistry between Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott, the track is decidedly more straight country than the country-pop hits the band have mostly been associated with...

Country star Suzy Bogguss had a down-home Christmas celebration in mind when she released 'Two-Step 'Round the Christmas Tree,' with its classic country feel and merry-making uptempo beat. Written by Bogguss with her husband Doug Crider, the song was first released by Michael Martin Murphy on his 'Cowboy Christmas' album in 1991...

LeAnn Rimes shot to stardom with the 1996 release of her major label debut album 'Blue.' That Christmas season, fans who purchased the record exclusively at Target also received a bonus single titled 'Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart,' with 'Unchained Melody' as the B-side...

Country music was caught firmly in the grip of Garthmania in 1992, when Garth Brooks decided to release his first Christmas album. A breakout star in country at the time, Brooks titled his holiday release 'Beyond the Season,' a collection of holiday standards that included such appropriately earnest fare as 'Go Tell It on the Mountain,' 'Silent Night' and 'What Child Is This...

George Strait didn't release his most well-known Christmas song on any of his own holiday albums. 'Christmas Cookies' can only be found on compilation albums, like 'A Country Superstar Christmas III' and 'A Country Christmas' from 1999. Song...

With old-school harmonies and strumming guitars, Roger Miller's 'Old Toy Trains' is a simple country tune about Santa Claus bringing toys for a little boy on Christmas Eve. The little boy wants to stay up and see the big man in the red suit, but Miller is urging him to go to bed...