One of the biggest joys of Christmas is the anticipation of the Christmas Number One. The compilation Christmas CDs hit the shelves with the songs that have entered popular culture as representing the festive period. People sing carols in churches. Music and singing has an important role in the Yuletide season, whether it is just to get people in the mood, to express their love, or to reach out to others. 

The Chocolate Emporium has compiled a (completely subjective) top ten list of songs that we feel perfectly represents Christmas. If you create a playlist of these songs and play them whilst you are wrapping your presents, we promise it will get you in the mood for a perfect Christmas...

10) Baby It's Cold Outside by Tom Jones

If you can excuse the rather lurid video which features Tom Jones as some kind of Devil God who has captured the chaste and innocent Cerys Matthews in a cage, this is a very classy and catchy song that captures the feeling of love between partners during the Christmas period. We suggest you play this song and sing to one another and try and resist having a laugh as you do. 

9) Santa Baby by Kylie Minogue 

A naughty, flirty number that captures all kinds of obscene imagery. It's massive fun, a simple song that Kylie brings to life with incredible verve. 

8) Santa Claus Is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen 

The opening of this song sums up Christmas better than pretty much any other song, as Bruce addresses his audience whilst the piano gently leads us into a song all about the delightful traditions of Christmas. It's a wonderful song for kids because it serves as a playful warning about being good at Christmas or receiving an empty sack on the big day. 

7) White Christmas by Bing Crosby 

Nobody sings it like Bing, his voice like honey and draining every subtlety and nuance out of what is in fact a terribly sad song when you read about it's origin. 

6) Have Yourself a Cheeky Xmas by The Cheeky Girls 

We've included this just to be facetious, rather than endorsing it as a solid Christmas number. It's indicative of the sort of plastic pap that is driven into the charts; a horrifically cheesy, tinselly song that will be stuck in your head long after it is over. There's no point in trying to avoid this kind of aural torture at Christmas, it's everywhere. 

5) In Dulce Jublio by Mike Oldfield 

A beautiful, uplifting piece of music without any lyrics that contains the very recipe for Christmas within and should get everybody up dancing (or doing something that resembles dancing). This is timeless, it will still be being played in a 100 years time and people will still be pretending to play the electric guitar when it comes to the crescendo. 

4) Fairytale of New York by The Pogues 

Everybody knows this one, don't they? It's the one that has the word faggot in it. It's also a remarkable song that proves to be extremely melancholic and uplifting during its running time. The song follows an Irish immigrant's Christmas Eve reverie about holidays past while sleeping off a binge in a New York City drunk tank. Cited by many as the ultimate Christmas song, this is one that deserves an airing every year because it provokes a genuine emotional response. 

3) When a Child is Born by Johnny Mathis 

Hauntingly beautiful, with what many consider to be the true Christmas message, When a Child Is Born is one of the most recognised Johnny Mathis songs. It isn't a Christmas song that is overwhelmed by music and because of that the sentiment is carried through Mathis' voice alone. You might think this is overly mawkish but listen to the words and consider their meaning. 

2) Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid

Often greeted with groans, this was number one for so long for a reason. We're still not sure about the line 'well tonight thank God it's them instead of you' but this song made a lot of money for impoverished people at Christmas and as a perk provided a catchy Christmas number that made people aware of their plight too. 

1) All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey 

Simply the perfect Christmas song from an underrated singer at the top of her game, we can only imagine the reaction to this song when it was announced and how people ate their words when it was released. Massively popular year after year, insanely cheerful, fast paced and singable, Carey truly struck gold with this number. Don't let it's horrific overuse blind you to the fact that this song encapsulates what so many people want from Christmas.