Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

There have been many Beatles tributes. This one stands out for its vast range of major artists covering songs by McCartneyl, who ranks alongside Cole Porter and George Gershwin as the most successful composer of all time. “Yesterday” is the world’s most covered song, with over 2,200 versions. It’s sung here, with accordion backing, by Willie Nelson. Among the other 41 tracks are two contributions each from Heart, Billy Joel, Steve Miller and Alice Cooper. There are also fine renditions of “Helter Skelter” by Roger Daltry, “Let It Be” by Chrissie Hynde and “Things We Said Today” by Bob Dylan. Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love sing early classics, while Wanda Jackson tackles Sir Paul’s Chuck Ber...

She once called herself a lonely painter who lives in a box of paints. Canada’s legendary singer-songwriter took a visual approach to curating her songs into a romantically-themed collection. The resulting four-CD set includes Joni favorites like “Blue,” “Carey” and “River” and such ambitious, jazz-tinged numbers as “Hejira” and “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter.”

Queen Bey took the world by surprise just over a year ago, dropping her self-titled album on Dec. 13 at midnight without warning. “I didn’t want to release [it] the way I’ve done it—I’m bored with that,” she explained. “I feel like I’m able to speak directly to my fans.” Its 14 new songs and 17 videos formed what she called her first “visual album.” Now Beyoncé is reissuing that album, packaged with a live DVD and a disc of new tracks titled More. And while it’s not another stealth release, the Platinum Edition is the perfect Christmas gift for fans (those who digitally purchased Beyoncé can buy just the new material). Along with remixes of “Flawless” with Nicki Minaj, “Drunk in Love” with J...

The son of musicians Richard and Linda Thompson, Teddy is the composite of his revered parents—“betwixt and between,” he sings, “Sean Lennon you know what I mean.” With contributions from mum, dad, sister Kami and other relatives, Teddy produces a gorgeous folk-rock album built on the powerful ties that bind.

Call him Mr. Indefatigable. The Montreal-born artist just turned 80, but continues to thrill fans with his creative output. On the heels of his Popular Problems album comes this 3CD/DVD set recorded and shot last year at Dublin’s 02 Arena (the DVD includes bonus songs from the Canadian tour). Featuring over three hours of music, this is Cohen at his best. “Don’t know when we’ll meet again,” he says, “but I promise you that tonight we’ll give you everything that we got.” And he’s good to his word. Supported by his stellar band and backup singers, the fedora-sporting songman delivers superb performances from his songbook. Highlights include his earliest hit from the 1960s, “Suzanne,” his ’80s ...

Together with musical partner M. Ward, Zooey Deschanel (star of TV’s New Girl) indulges her undying love for retro pop. The duo’s fourth album features their rich, burnished renditions of romantic gems like Dusty Springfield’s “Stay Awhile,” the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” and Dionne Warwick’s “This Girl’s in Love with You.”

Blue Rodeo is a summer favorite. But here the veteran Canadian band brings its rootsy vibe to wintry songs, including Jim Cuddy’s new “Home To You This Christmas.” The group also delivers such superb covers as a chiming take on Big Star’s “Jesus Christ,” a warm rendition of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Song for a Winter’s Night” and a stirring version of The Band’s “Christmas Must Be Tonight.” 

Raised in the choir of her Baptist church, Measha grew up to become a respected opera singer. She draws on both musical influences on her first holiday album, which ranges from “Do You Hear What I Hear?” to a 16th century German carol. Measha also shows her soulful side with “The Little Drummer Boy,” which she turns into a funky Mardi Gras-style jam.

A star of stage and screen, Menzel sang the Oscar-winning song “Let It Go” in Frozen. Now the New York native lends her potent soprano to warming up old chestnuts like “Silent Night” and “What Are You Doing on New Year’s Eve?” But the highlights are her duet with Michael Bublé on “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and her rendition of Joni Mitchell’s Christmas-themed “River.”

Nashville loves a little twang in its Yuletide. On his fourth holiday album, Smith brings together the top names in country music, including Vince Gill and Martina McBride, to join him on their favorite festive tunes. The Grammy-winning singer also duets with Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum, but saves the biggest surprise for “The Darkest Midnight,” a traditional Irish carol read by U2’s Bono.