Collectables Records' various-artists compilation The Ultimate Christmas Album has been released both on its own and as a tie-in with a series of radio stations. There are identical editions of the album associated with KLUV, K-Earth 101 FM, and WCBS FM-101.1 in addition to this version, WJMK 104.3 Chicago. The word "ultimate" has been overused and misused in record releases to the point that it doesn't mean very much to see it on the cover of an album. Whether or not one considers this album to justify its title will have a lot to do with individual musical taste. If the potential consumer is a listener to one of the radio stations listed above, which are oldies stations devoted to playing pop/rock music of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, he or she may agree that the album is the ultimate in holiday music of that period. Collectables has taken the trouble to license tracks from all of the major record labels except BMG, along with some minor ones, and several big holiday hits are included, among them Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock," Jimmy Boyd's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," Gene Autry's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Alvin & the Chipmunks' "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)," and the Harry Simeone Chorale's "The Little Drummer Boy." In addition, performers close to the hearts of pop/rock fans appear, including Stevie Wonder, the Drifters, Connie Francis, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Frankie Lymon, Chuck Berry, Dion, Fats Domino, the Four Seasons, and the Temptations. But can an album claim to be the ultimate Christmas collection without including Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" or Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song," to mention only two? No, it cannot. Call this one "The Ultimate Baby Boomer's Christmas Album." ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide