It’s December, which means Mariah Carey’s smash hit All I Want For Christmas Is You is probably following you around like a bad cold. Whether it’s on the radio, blasting through shopping mall speakers or dominating your TikTok feed, the earworm track has become the holiday’s unofficial anthem. And if it isn’t Carey’s high notes on repeat, it’s either Wham!’s Last Christmas or any of Michael Buble’s festive favourites.
Sick of Mariah Carey and Michael Buble? Try these obscure Christmas songs instead.Credit: Compiled by Nathan Perri.
If you’re looking to switch up your yuletide soundtrack this year, here are 10 of the best forgotten Christmas songs to get you started.
Mr and Mrs Santa Claus, George Jones and Tammy Wynette
This is country Christmas at its finest from one-time power couple George and Tammy.
It’s a simple yet timeless tune about parents enjoying Christmas morning with their children accompanied by a catchy country twang.
Jing a Ling, Jing a Ling, The Andrews Sisters
If you need a jolt before heading into Christmas dinner with the in-laws, try turning this rapid-fire number on. Jingle Bells may usually get all the credit, but this track is arguably more dynamic, with its constant change of pace.
Ain’t No Chimneys in the Projects, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Most children have at least once wondered how Santa delivers gifts to those without chimneys and fireplaces.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings took that question and transformed it into a funky and seriously hummable song that offers relief to any concerned child.
Baggage Claim, Smash Mouth
Who knew rock band Smash Mouth, the masterminds behind All Star, also deliver A-level Christmas songs? Baggage Claim is a punk-rock joy to the ears that – thanks to its focus on meeting loved ones at the airport during the festive season – really should have been the theme tune for Love Actually.
Reindeer Rock, The Sportsmen
We’re familiar with rockin’ around the Christmas tree, but what about simply rockin’ with the reindeer?
This number from The Sportsmen, a barbershop musical quartet from the 1940s, will surely get you in the holiday spirit, beginning smooth and slow and building up into crescendos of nothing but “rock rock rock”.
The Merriest, June Christy
Another jazzy earworm is June Christy’s The Merriest, a song so snazzy it will make you want to find a bar and order an old-fashioned. Credit to these clever lyrics in particular: “Thoughts for the musers / A cheer for the winners / Breaks for the losers / To the beats and the debonariest / Greetings like the Merriest.”
Oi to the World, The Vandals
This is not your average warm and fuzzy yuletide tune. After all, it’s about a punk who must defend himself against a racist skinhead on Christmas. But before dismissing it, know that it ends with an unexpected resolution (largely thanks to copious amounts of liquor).
Listen to this when you’re wrestling with the turkey, or right before wrapping the gifts to get yourself well and truly riled up.
I’m Gonna Lasso Santa Claus, Brenda Lee
Mariah Carey can step aside. The true queen of Christmas is surely Brenda Lee. Most people know her best for Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, but this playful ditty has the same jingly-bell rhythm, this time paired with a far more youthful, carefree energy and a wonderful steel guitar. This was Lee’s first single, which she released when she was 11 years old (take that, Mariah).
Christmas Eve, Rhys Lewis
Rhys Lewis’ boppy track about having a “little bit too much fun on Christmas Eve” will be relatable for many. It’s upbeat and cheeky, boasting lyrics like “And when we take the family photo / Don’t be mad if I look stoned / I can’t hide that both my eyes are as red as Rudolph’s nose”.
This, paired with a buzzy saxophone solo and some seriously punchy trumpet, makes it a timeless celebratory anthem.
Señor Santa, Y La Bamba
There are several incredibly catchy Spanish Christmas songs, the most well known probably being Feliz Navidad. But this soulful “Spanglish” number from Mexican-American singer-songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza and her folk-pop band Y La Bamba gives it a run for its money. It’s a reimagined festive version of Pat Ballard’s 1955 song Mr Sandman, replete with whistling, ukuleles and Latin flair.
New Christmas songs to keep an ear on
- You For Christmas, Kelly Clarkson
Sick of All I Want For Christmas Is You? Here’s the closest alternative from the person who brought us the major earworm Underneath the Tree.
- We Could Have This, Ben Folds (feat. Lindsey Kraft)
There’s no shortage of sentimental Christmas songs, but this Ben Folds’ track is so dreamlike and poignant that it could have featured in The Holiday.
- Blue Christmas, Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Swift
I mean, come on. It’s Jeff Goldblum singing one of the most famous Christmas songs in the world. ’Nuff said.
- Evergreen, Little Big Town
The band has been around for 20 years, but this is their first holiday album. Evergreen is a little poppy, a little country, and a lot holly jolly.
- Big Santa, Saweetie
Some may argue there aren’t enough Christmas R&B songs. Saweetie is here to rectify this, bringing you a hit that’s more naughty than nice.
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