Jsuk (that’s just so you know in internet slang), I won’t be including “Silent Night,” “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Feliz Navidad,” the Mariah Carey song, or that one by Wham! It’s not that those songs are unworthy—it’s just that when you hear them, you know, relentlessly, you kind of don’t want to hear them anymore. So I created a list of lesser-known—but definitely not unknown—tunes (or versions of tunes) to help answer the question, What are the top 10 Christmas songs of all time? As a disclaimer, due to slim pickings, not all these songs are masterpieces.
“Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
When your favorite radio station decides to play non-stop Christmas carols for an entire month, you start to miss the electric guitar and drums. Here’s a fix for that.
“My Favorite Things” by John Coltrane
This jazz legend and song need no introduction, though this particular interpretation might.
“Christmas Lights” by Coldplay
Is this one of the top songs in the British band’s portfolio? No. But we’re working on a different scale here.
“Sandhadi 2 (Joyful Noise)” by Dr. Shalem Raj
When you think India, you generally think Diwali. Of course, the country can rock it out to Christmas as well.
“Christmas Rappin'” by Kurtis Blow
What’s Christmas without a little hip hop?
“Little Drummer Boy (African Tribal Version)” by Alex Boyé featuring Genesis Choir
A cool take on a classic.
“24 de Diciembre” by Juan Gabriel
I had to include one in Spanish that wasn’t “Feliz Navidad.” This jam, courtesy the legendary Mexican singer-songwriter, is an upgrade (maybe).
“Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses
Okay, this one isn’t exactly lesser known. It just has to be one of the top 10 Christmas songs of all time.
“Caröl Von Holz” by Sofi Tukker and Holzbläser
In case all that eggnog puts you in the dancing mood, this electronic track should get the job done.
“Wizards in Winter” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Yeah, I know these guys aren’t Siberian—nor are they an orchestra—and they showed up on this list twice. But they’re awesome, and I promised no Mariah Carey or Wham!
And on that note, it’s time to go listen to “Joy to the World.” Again.
8 Responses
Great song choices!
Thanks!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3CWJNqyub3o
Jingle Bells continues to be my favorite!
Haha. Can’t go wrong with Jingle Bells!
This is wonderful! I always find myself listening to the same Christmas music on the radio. Thank you for broadening my choices!
Thank you!!
Interesting to note that even non-religious people enjoy these songs. thus, religion, art, music, culture, etc. are so mingled and can’t be separated. who would not want to visit Michael Angelo’s paintings when visiting Rome.
Well said!