Christmas albums released in 2018

Very few artists could/would be brave enough to write a whole album of new songs but plenty add one or two new songs into the mix of old classics. Also, many of the songs we think of as the ‘originals’ are just someone already doing a cover that they’ve ‘made their own’ many years ago.

All too lazy, same as when somebody decides to do a charity single. I wont use my talent I'll just do a cover version. In this day and age, anybody can easily get hold of the original track to listen to, why people bother to listen to poor cover versions is way beyond me. If you can add 2 new tracks, you can do a whole album

An album of all-new songs wouldn't be as successful, so the music industry knows it's easier to market albums that include familiar titles. Besides, just because the songs are new, it won't necessarily mean they're good. It's also possible to do radically different arrangements of classic songs. (I have a handful of favorite "White Christmas" renditions and none of them are by Bing.) I think the average performer is motivated more by nostalgia than laziness when choosing songs, and nostalgia is often a driving factor for consumers as well. But if they ever did attempt an album of all-new songs, well, I guess we know they could sell ONE copy, at least. LOL

Well if you think the greatest selling xmas songs are ALL original, the band aid song was written in minutes and is the best selling them you get Mariah Carey, the pogues with kirsty McCall, even chris rea's driving home for xmas has become a classic. How many cover versions of these songs come about again year after year? There is only kylie's rendition of Santa baby and even that barely touches the top 100. Perhaps if an artist decided to put time into it or heaven forbid a group of artists then they make make something that lasts rather than an album that will sell a few hundred copies and never be heard of again cause it's the same old thing and another artist will do their version of it next year anyway.

Well, I never said that I think the greatest-selling Xmas songs are "all original," so I don't know where you got that idea. Also, I couldn't care less what songs make it into the top 100, since Billboard charts are not even a worthwhile measurement of musical taste. More importantly, you seem to care way too much about this, especially in an age when it's easy enough to make your own playlist, thereby making the need to buy full Xmas albums unnecessary and rendering the concept of "complete album originality" thoroughly moot. I don't need all Xmas songs to be timeless, but I'll gladly take a new version of "Santa Baby" or "Jingle Bells" next year, even if I only listen to it once or twice. Bring on the variety. Give me more covers. The original classics have their place and aren't going anywhere, but they also grow tiresome after a while. Thank God for the seemingly infinite well of covers!

As long as there are people with the same attitude as yourself then there will always be easy money to made for established artists to pop into a recording studio and do some lame versions of old songs to make a quick buck.

Since all musical taste is subjective, everyone has their own opinion of what's considered "lame." If I find something enjoyable, then I obviously won't think it's lame. If you do, then it's your choice to not give those artists your money. If those artists find a way to make a quick buck, more power to them for their shrewdness...or maybe they were just doing it for fun, because they happen to like the songs they're singing and money was never a motivating force for them.

In my case, I don't spend money on new albums when I can sample them to my heart's content through my music streaming subscription. It's a great way to hear new music and I never have to feel like I've wasted my money on a clunker that takes up space on my shelf.

If they were just doing it for fun then they wouldnt release the music to make money, they would do it just for fun and keep it to themselves.