The Barometer: Animal Collective; Grizzly Bear; Camera Obscura; Tom Waits; Bing Crosby & David Bowie; The Beatles

Animal Collective My Girls

Released in January, the trio's blissful experimental trip remains a good shout for song of the year.

Grizzly Bear Two Weeks

Brilliantly artful choral pop and the standout track from the acclaimed Veckatimest LP that wooed many this year, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z.

Camera Obscura My Maudlin Career

Jangly guitars, a wall of sound and Scottish melancholy combined perfectly in one of the year's best songs.

Tom Waits Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis

Waits' beautifully sad boozy piano ballad is essential for anyone's Christmas playlist; a nice counterweight to all that good cheer.

Bing Crosby & David Bowie Little Drummer Boy

Watching the video of this unlikely 1977 TV duet on YouTube is a must at Christmas.

The Beatles Christmas Time (Is Here Again)

Forget John and Yoko's ubiquitous Christmas song and go back to the Fab Four's light-hearted 1967 oddity.