The King’s Christmas album is equal parts reverent and raucous

Elvis Presley's 1957 Christmas album, just his fourth studio LP, included eight new Christmas songs and four gospel tracks that had been released as the gospel EP Peace in the Valley. Presley managed to expand his repertoire and his reputation with renditions that ranged from gentle and traditional to bluesy and rocking, all without losing the conceptual thread. "Blue Christmas" adds a touch of Presley's seductive style to a rhythmic instrumental backing, while "I'll Be Home for Christmas" squeezes out the sweet sentiments without turning to histrionics. Frank Sinatra had issued A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra a month prior, and the two albums make a stellar case for the craft that these two major stylists of the '50s brought to everything they sang. Few singers could pull off Presley's jaunty take on "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)" alongside a touching and true take of "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," one of Presley's finest gospel interpretations. This continues to rank as one of the finest Christmas albums of all time.