Our household is in full-on holiday mode — and with that, comes copious amounts of holiday music. This prompted me to compile a mighty list of not-so-traditional tunes, from which I culled thirty of my favorites. A spirited mix, featuring everything from The Dickies to The Maytals and back again.
Mind you, there were plenty that did not make the cut… Winger’s monster ballad-y rendition of “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)”, for instance. Or the Decemberists’ “Please Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas)”. But the mix wants what the mix wants. And it wanted to get down with these thirty tracks. Hopefully you do too.
Ho Ho Ho.
- “Christmas Is” - Run D.M.C.
- “Father Christmas” - The Kinks
- “Holiday (What Do You Want?)” - Mike Doughty w/ Rosanne Cash
- “The Christmas Song” - The Ravonettes
- “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas” - Gayla Peevey
- “Back Door Santa” - Clarence Carter
- “Happy Christmas” - The Maytals
- “New Year’s Eve’s The Loneliest Night of The Year” - Trembling Bells w/ Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
- “Christmas Song” - Cocoon
- “Jesus Christ” - Big Star
- “Christmas Is Going To The Dogs” - Eels
- “Silent Night” - The Dickies
- “Space Christmas” - Allo, Darlin’
- “Christmas Is Coming Soon” - Blitzen Trapper
- “Come On! Let’s Boogey To The Elf Dance!” - Sufjan Stevens
- “Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto” - James Brown
- “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)” - The Ramones
- “My First Christmas (As A Woman)” - The Vandals
- “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah” - Barenaked Ladies
- “Christmas Wrapping” - Summer Camp
- “Xmas Time is Here Again” - My Morning Jacket
- “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” - Weezer
- “Please Come Back Home” - Glasvegas
- “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” - Belle & Sebastian
- “The Little Drummer Boy” - Johnny Cash
- “A Christmas Duel” - Cindy Lauper & The Hives
- “Just Like Christmas” - Low
- “Auld Lang Syne” - Martin Sexton
- “Fairytale of New York” - The Pogues
- “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” - Slow Club
