Blog: Holiday stations on Pandora

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November 26, 2007

Holiday stations on Pandora

Now that we're in the final week of November everybody is listening to holiday music 24/7, right? No? Well for those who would like a bit of holiday music to listen to easy-like, here's a few great stations. I made these stations myself and I have to say, they're very enjoyable. Even if you're feeling a bit Grinchy. Who knew there was so much interesting and unique holiday music out there?

Rockin' Holidays

Jazz Holidays

Country Christmas

Swingin' Christmas

R&B / Pop Holiday

Christmas Blues

A Classical Christmas

Peaceful Holidays

Folk Holidays

There's more holiday stations here. If you've got a great holiday station going, share it in the comments!


Of course, you're encouraged to make your own personalized stations from scratch! Here's how:
You can start by entering the name of a holiday song you like (for example, 'Winter Wonderland'). You'll be asked to pick from a list of artists who have performed the song. Pick one, and Pandora will create a station for you that features that song and similar holiday music.

Or, you can start a station based on an artist. Enter the artist's name followed by the word 'holiday'. (for example, 'Duke Ellington Holiday'). Pandora will use that input to build a holiday station for you based on the musical qualities of that performer's holiday songs.

Here's a few example songs and artists to get you started:

Holiday Song examples:

Santa Baby
White Christmas
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Jingle Bells
Joy to the World
Silver Bells
The First Noel
Angels We Have Heard On High
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Silent Night
O Holy Night


Holiday Artist examples:

Harry Connick Jr. (Holiday)
Frank Sinatra (Holiday)
Bing Crosby (Holiday)
Ella Fitzgerald (Holiday)
Louis Armstrong (Holiday)
Dave Brubeck (Holiday)
B.B. King (Holiday)
Johnny Cash (Holiday)
Destiny's Child (Holiday)
Mariah Carey (Holiday)
Celine Dion (Holiday)
The Beach Boys (Holiday)
Vienna Boys Choir (Holiday)
The Cambridge Singers (Holiday)



Enjoy the music!

Lucia

Posted by Lucia at November 26, 2007 12:25 PM

Comments

"All I want for Christmas, is..." Pandora outside the US. *wishes*

Posted by: Stijn at November 26, 2007 03:16 PM

Found this because of Garry Trudeau .... Doonesbury rocks and always has ....

I think I'm gonna like this!

Posted by: jb at November 27, 2007 10:35 AM

I was just going to say, you guys made Doonesbury. If that doesn't count as "Arriving," I don't know what does. Congrats!

http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.html

Posted by: Jay at November 27, 2007 01:54 PM

http://pandora.com/stations/a748b24e4c1f40a331dc9f42966277cb425ba2910f7abf8b#tbl_track_bookmarks,all

Happy Hanukka

Posted by: Mr. Basmt at November 27, 2007 02:08 PM

I really like this intelligent interface! If it's possible, please make "Download streamed radio into your ipod" kind of service.

Posted by: Kiichi at November 27, 2007 09:12 PM

Just been looking at your site, including your "about pandora". On one hand, I admire the dedication of listening to all the music, classifying it by multiple criteria and then building your database on this.

However, given the ability of computers to analyse music, could not much of this be done by a reasonably sophisticated bit of software. After all, once music is digitised, it is just a mathematical problem, which computers are very good at.

More work up front perhaps, but once it is going the savings would be enormous.

Posted by: Doug Stewart at November 28, 2007 08:42 AM

Ooo Thanks for the holiday stations! I created a holiday station last year that turned out really well- lots of variety and good songs.
http://www.pandora.com/stations/26d704a1e465ad197617c7a6e1fc0e7da0f202080df67652

I seeded it with these artists:
Barenaked Ladies (Holiday)
Ella Fitzgerald (Holiday)
Johnny Cash (Holiday)
Nat King Cole (Holiday)
Sarah McLachlan (Holiday)

And have lots of thumbed up songs.

Posted by: April at November 28, 2007 09:47 AM

Thanks for the great Christmas music. I love the cd quality sound. I also like the fact that I can choose what I want to listen to. Try that on off-air radio stations!

Posted by: Daniel at November 29, 2007 07:51 AM

I wanted to tell you what an amazing outlet this is as you seem to be interacting with me ,whenever I want to hear a certain artist, and type it in you are right on it. Thank You so much, I am so pleased to have discovered you.

Posted by: kay at November 29, 2007 12:57 PM

Please promise you will never have audio adds. This is great! I load up the mix and get to work. For someone on the computer for more than 8 hours a day, this is a godsend. Thank you. I will keep on listening.

Posted by: Brian at November 29, 2007 02:00 PM

Woot.. love christmas songs...

Suggestion: Not sure of the legality of it but would be nice if lyrics came up with the song thats playing.

Posted by: brooksb at November 29, 2007 02:30 PM

I love to see the musical influences deduced from the songs I select for playlists. Unfortunately it shows only for a minute, and appears to be unretrievable after that. It would be nice to be able to select music based on a list of these attributes, in addition to a single song or artist.

Posted by: Jon at November 30, 2007 10:47 AM

I wish that there was a station that included the new classical and traditional Christmas music that sounds like club/dance music. I have heard it on commericals and on some soap operas. I hope you will include in your line up.

Thanks

Posted by: Niyou at November 30, 2007 07:56 PM

I really enjoy the Christmas music however I find the Budweiser or Jack Daniels advertisements attached along side it offensive. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and getting high on alcohol is not what the holy day is about. I know Pandora needs the revenue but could not something more appropriate be used?

Posted by: Daniel at December 1, 2007 08:13 PM

Please try my station "Percy Faith and his orchestra (holiday)". I think I posted it on the shared station site that is if I did it right. Enjoy!

Posted by: Daniel at December 1, 2007 08:39 PM

Thanks for the holiday tips - I just wish I could listen to them. Apparently Canada has become a Digital No Fly Zone to you folks now, and I am left on the outside looking in. Hurray for rights and clearances! (pfffttt...)

On the plus side, at least I have good, free health care, subsidized education, a dollar worth more than yours, most of the world's water, most of your daily oil supplies and civilized countrymen who are waaay less likely to shoot each other to keep me entertained.

So good luck with your Digital Homeland Security - you and Bush are doin' a heckuva job.

Posted by: Stuart MacDonald at December 3, 2007 11:47 AM

Lucia, may God bless you for coming up with these wonderful holiday songs. I`m a long time lover of jazz music, especially jazz holiday music, which is very seldom hear on local radios in my area. Now I have created my on station and stays tuned 24/7. Thanks!!! Harold.

Posted by: Harold Grant at December 3, 2007 02:33 PM

I love christmas music. Here is the one I made. http://www.pandora.com/share/station/b9bef693cee532864476c14fe2094fd6425ba2910f7abf8b

Posted by: Darlene at December 4, 2007 01:00 PM

There's an important holiday song missing!! "Driving home for christmas" by Chris Rea. Please add it! :-)

Posted by: Connum at December 5, 2007 09:10 AM

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions!

We do hope to be legal internationally, and we're working on it.

Thanks for the station recommendations!


And Connum, we'll get your song.

Posted by: Lucia @ Pandora at December 5, 2007 01:03 PM

I can not thanks you enough, All is profeshional music and so expertly done. I just love Celine Bion and Mariah Cary and the Beach Boys are awesome as well. All of them doing their Christmas wonders.
Many thank.

Posted by: Mack Varnes at December 5, 2007 02:27 PM

I started making a holiday station, so here it is "Holiday Jingle".

http://www.pandora.com/stations/741eafbc78022ea7ecee1cbce4f83316425ba2910f7abf8b#

Posted by: Master G at December 5, 2007 03:41 PM

A little Celtic, a little British, a bit folky, a dash of orchestral and some classics:

http://www.pandora.com/stations/6e71d4aeebebc7156d1b3afd6a3b9185425ba2910f7abf8b

My first station, and I'm very pleased with it!

Posted by: Sue Mosher at December 5, 2007 08:53 PM

Behold my holiday station, which I've had going since last year: "Christmas Music That Doesn't Suck".

http://www.pandora.com/stations/35de42d9c8b6f0e721c30c79da9a0c17c083d46737a7e8a7

Posted by: Jack Maxfield at December 8, 2007 06:31 AM

Here's mine - "A Whole Lot of Christmas Radio"
-pruned two years and counting :)

Posted by: Mike at December 10, 2007 07:35 AM

Please could you put on Michael W. Smith's "Christmastime" album? That one has the best version of "Christmas Waltz" I have ever heard. Thanks for all the fun songs. Great to see Jaci Velasquez's and Point of Grace's holiday albums on here. :)

Posted by: jannwa at December 10, 2007 03:34 PM

I used to listen to Pandora all of the time and had a few stations set up. I was gone for a few weeks, and now it won't work. It won't let me create a new station or anything. When I click on the "Listen NOw" button, it goes to the information page. Can anyone help? Thanks

Posted by: Leslie at December 10, 2007 05:44 PM

I'm always a bit late to the scene. I'm an artist, is that an excuse? Now that I'm here, I just want to say thank you for existing; you've made my bill-paying 9-5 more than tolerable. I'm enjoying your holiday selections now and a stream created from entering 'cinematic orchestra'. Two thumbs up, brava, kudos and all of that to you...and happy holidays as well.

Posted by: Lauren at December 13, 2007 07:12 AM

Hi - I'm listening to the John Fahey Christmas station and I am, for the most part, quite pleased. I was looking for a feddback link on the Pandora Radio page and did not find one. I've been a Pandora listener, on and off, for the past two years (close to when Pandora started).

Thanks!


Posted by: Steve at December 14, 2007 08:11 PM

Thanks for the holiday tips - I just wish I could listen to them. Apparently Canada has become a Digital No Fly Zone to you folks now, and I am left on the outside looking in. Hurray for rights and clearances! (pfffttt...)

On the plus side, at least I have good, free health care, subsidized education, a dollar worth more than yours, most of the world's water, most of your daily oil supplies and civilized countrymen who are waaay less likely to shoot each other to keep me entertained.

Posted by: Kate at December 17, 2007 06:06 AM

I love Pandora! - The Pandora Presents with different music stations has been great -
Thank You.

Happy Holidays!

Posted by: Pat at December 17, 2007 09:29 AM

I LIKE PANDORA IT LETS ME LISTIN TO GOOD MUSIC

Posted by: Aurelio at December 19, 2007 05:37 AM

The Classical Christmas music is the best I've ever heard - I'm 66. I get up in the morning and put it on my computer whilst I do my morning stuff. Then I turn it off, go to work, put Pandora on in our lobby and enjoy it all day. Then dash home and put it back on my home computer. Really FANTASTIC. Great job, folks. Keep up the PHENOMENAL work. Georgina

Posted by: Georgina at December 19, 2007 03:22 PM

great place to experimen t with and listen to all kinds of beautiful and exotic music.....how about a bigger variety of international music.....afro-latin,indian,greek,hebrew,regional african music etc.......love this station...keep up the good work guys

Posted by: gordon at December 21, 2007 08:00 PM

Can I listen to this raio in Poland (online)

Posted by: zakłady bukmacherskie at May 7, 2008 05:38 AM

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