DUELING HOLIDAY DIVAS

Madonna, Streisand, Garland, & More: Who Sang It Better?

With Thanksgiving and Black Friday over, the holiday season is officially upon us, which means you are free to blast your favorite Christmas music without judgment.

The holiday album is a time-honored tradition on par with the yule log, and there is no shortage of celebrities — of yore and today — who have serenaded us with their best songs of the season.

Our favorite divas especially shine when it comes to singing a holiday tune, but with so many renditions of the same song, it begs the question: Who sang it better?

Scroll down to see some of our favorite divas singing Christmas classics. Which star do you think shines brightest?

Madonna versus Eartha Kitt: “Santa Baby”

We absolutely love this silly, sultry tune. Almost as much as we love fantasizing about our own “Santa Baby” showering us with expensive trinkets. Eartha Kitt made this song famous in her initial 1953 recording, and Madonna channeled her best Marilyn Monroe in her 1987 uptempo remake. So tell us: Catwoman or the Material Girl?

Judy Garland versus Christina Aguilera: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

Few Christmas songs elicit as much emotion as this song originally recorded in 1944 by the great Judy Garland for the film Meet Me in St. Louis. Christina put her pipes to work in her 2011 version at Disneyland. So tell us: Original or Cover?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4lY8Y3eoo

Celine Dion versus Mariah Carey: “O Holy Night”

Singing this Christmas power ballad is the true test of a diva. While many have tried (and some failed miserably), these two versions stand out from the pack. Picking a favorite would be like asking us to choose between our pet dogs. So tell us: who do you think sang it better?

Barbra Streisand versus Toni Braxton: “The Christmas Song”

This song (sometimes called “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”) epitomizes holiday music. Every time we hear it, we can’t help but imagine being curled up next to our boy toy by the fire in our warmest flannel and sipping hot cocoa. Barbra Streisand sang the song in 1967 on her A Christmas AlbumToni Braxton revived it on her 2001 holiday album Snowflakes. So tell us: Babs or Braxton?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-Vn0RsLvNM

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