Best and worst Christmas songs

'God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen'

The best: Ronnie James Dio (from "We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year")
The Holy Diver applies that operatic voice to lines like “to save us all from Satan’s power, when we were gone astray,” and you realize that this Christmas classic always had a metal nougat center. On this year’s ”We Wish You a Metal Xmas,” Dio’s teaming with Black Sabbath axe man Tony Iommi makes us weep black tears of joy.

The worst: Jethro Tull (from "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album")
Giving Muzak a bad name, the prog-rockers’ flute-heavy (surprise, surprise) version has corny jazz guitar standing in for the vocal line.

Also performed by: Bing Crosby, Chicago, Crash Test Dummies, Jars of Clay, Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, Rascal Flatts, Relient K, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Toby Keith.