As the year-end holidays fast approach, we’re providing you an XPN-style soundtrack for your party planning, meal preparation, gift shopping, family gatherings, and your journeys there and back again.

Jingle Jams, our annual 24/7 stream of holiday sounds curated by DJ Robert Drake, launched on November 1st. You can flip it on whenever you need a little holiday spirit with no chatter, no spots – just wall-to-wall seasonal sounds from his collection! Head over to the WXPN Jingle Jams page to listen now through January 1st, 2025.

In addition, we’ve got an array of other programming for you, beginning the final week of November. Find the rundown below and check back, as we’ll update with more details as they become available.

Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 28th — Our array of festive programming includes two musical Thanksgiving traditions: a full playback of Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” at noon, and a full playback of The Last Waltz — the legendary final concert by The Band, recording on Thanksgiving in 1976 — at 4 p.m.

Wednesday, November 27th through Sunday, December 1st — Keep your holiday weekend energy high with WXPN Thru The Years. Starting on Thanksgiving eve at 6 p.m., we’ll spotlight the music of a different year, from the 60s to present, in a completely unpredictable order! Each hour, it’s a different year in music and culture, and a few times each day, we’ll spin a wheel to reveal a mystery year. Time travel with us!

The 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century

Thursday, December 5th through approximately Thursday, December 12th — The ballots have been cast, the votes have been tallied. Now it’s time to listen. We’ll dive into the music of the past 25 years as we play back the 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century as chosen by YOU. From the rise of social media to the shared experience of real-time live streaming, major music destinations like Bonnaroo and the growth hyper-local music communities in your own backyard, the 21st Century has been shaped by incredible music that has defined unforgettable moments in our lives. We can’t wait to listen back with you.

Year-In-Review

Friday, December 13th through Thursday, December 19th — As we look back over our favorite music of 2024, all of WXPN’s on-air hosts have compiled their own personal top ten albums of the year lists. We’ll reveal their lists a few at a time beginning on Friday with XPN Morning Show host Kristen Kurtis and showcasing everyone over the next seven days, leading up to the big reveal…

Friday, December 20th — It’s the best of the best, the top tier, the music of the year: the annual WXPN MEGA-LIST presenting our top 25 albums of 2024! On the air, we’ll kick it off in the morning, revealing four albums per hour and playing highlights from them; on our website, we’ll present you with the full list of 25, complete with commentary from your favorite XPN on-air personalities, telling us what they love about each album.

The Holidays

Tuesday, December 17th — Our end-of-year holiday programming kicks off on the WXPN Local Show with the annual WXPN Home For the Holidays concert! Listen for that on the first hour of the program, followed by a rundown of the best local music of the year chosen by XPN Local’s John Vettese with co-hosts Abdur Rahman and Paige Walter.

Monday, December 23rd — Get the whole family in the spirit of the season with a Kids Corner Holiday Special from 7 to 8 p.m. And then at 8, it’s The Countdown to the 32nd Annual Night Before on XPN, a nonstop mix of seasonal songs complete with a countdown until midnight. Set your alarms and don’t miss it!

Tuesday, December 24th — From midnight to midnight, DJ Robert Drake hosts The 32nd Annual Night Before on WXPN, playing music from his unique collection of holiday music and specials. Listen for audience favorite features, like a broadcast of Lux Radio Theatre’s It’s A Wonderful Life, and follow along in real time on the Jingle Cam at XPN.org.

Wednesday, December 25th — Ease your way into the day with the annual Sleepy Hollow Christmas, hosted by Chuck Elliott, from 6 a.m. to noon.

Tuesday, December 31st — Ring in 2025 with a celebratory, high-energy party mix on Dan Reed’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve beginning at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, January 1st — Take one more look over the year that was as we play back WXPN’s 100 Most-Played Songs of 2024.

Paul Beaubrun: Studio Session from Haiti