Tired of musical treacle at Christmas? Had enough of Alvin? Burled out? Brenda too cute? I offer relief: Here are my 10 favorite Christmas songs of all time, in no particular order.

• “Did Jesus Have a Baby Sister?” Written by Dory Previn in 1974 and perfected by the two-woman reggae group Casselberry-Dupree.

• Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” It has recently gained traction in malls, where singers blend among shoppers until a cue snaps into position and sends them into song. The shopper next to you turns out to be a tenor. My favorite version is by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

• “Merry Christmas from the Family.” An anthem to holiday dysfunctionality. The best take is by the deeply lamented Diesel Doug and his Long Haul Truckers.

• “Last Month of the Year.” Especially the pulse-pounding version by the Blind Boys of Alabama.

• “Blue Christmas,” by Elvis Presley. One of the first records I ever bought, and still one of the best. I’m  a sucker for the five-note falsetto lick by the Jordanaires.

• “River,” by Joni Mitchell. Painful, hard to listen to, but worth it.

• “Baby, it’s Cold Outside.” Sly, controversial from its 1944 beginning to this day, but brilliant. The best version is by Ray Charles and Betty Carter.

• “Must be Santa,” version by Bob Dylan. You have to see the video. Bob and his band take off at warp speed and smash all barriers. In the lyric he substitutes U.S. presidents for reindeer. Only Bob could make “Eisenhower” scan.

• “The Christmas Song.” Nat King Cole’s tender ballad. Co-written by Mel Torme, who, as legend has it, was almost struck by a chunk of plaster that fell from the ceiling of Portland’s State Theatre onto the stage while “The Velvet Fog” was performing.

• “Christmas in the Trenches.” The story of the famous 1914 Christmas Truce when, one winter night, German and English soldiers put down their weapons, climbed out of their trenches, and exchanged gifts. They even played a soccer match. The song is written and performed movingly by John McCutcheon.

So, there you have it. My top 10.  But before my boot heels start wandering, here’s a bonus: My all-time single favorite New Year’s song.  That would be “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” The consummate version was recorded by Rufus Wainwright. He is trying to work up the nerve to ask someone out. It’s A hopeful masterpiece.

Happy holidays!