Have you started listening to christmas music yet?! For years I made an annual Christmas Mix (a mix CD!) for my friends – Here are 25 of my indie/non-traditional favorites.
If you don’t feel like reading all of my notes on each song, skip ahead to the bottom for the link to the full playlist. You can also follow along daily on my instagram stories.
Also, just a note that these are in not really in any particular order, it’s really a mixture of what makes sense calendar-wise (you’ll see), plus whatever shuffle order Spotify decided to do as I put this playlist together. What am I missing? Put your faves in the comments below. Enjoy!
The Prequel: Thanksgiving Theme by Vince Guaraldi
Vince Guaraldi Trio’s Charlie Brown Christmas Album is one of my favorites. Get ready for Christmas with the catchy “Thanksgiving Theme”. Doesn’t this make you want to play a game of touch football and hang with the fam?
#25: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / We Three Kings by Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLaughlin
Kicking off the countdown with this catchy two-in-one number. This was on one of my earliest playlists and I listen to it every season.
#24: Alone on Christmas Day – Phoenix feat. Bill Murray
I think we can all relate to this one this year. This one is actually super catchy and not super Christmassy, which I like. Plus, you can’t go wrong with Bill Murray!
#23: Christmas Lights – Coldplay
I don’t care if you are team Coldplay or not, I LOVE THIS SONG! Again, we’re kinda on the “stay at home” vibe with this one. But I dare you to not sing along.
#22: Jingle Bells – Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
Okay, this one takes a minute to get kickin’. But when it does, it DOES, complete with the shoobee doobee doobee’s. This quickly made its way up the ranks to become my favorite Christmas album, introduced to me by my friend Sean a few years ago. Pretend you’re Meaghan Draper serving up some cocktails at a mad-men-esque holiday party.
#21: Underneath the Tree – Kelly Clarkson
I’m not necessarily saying that this is better than Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas… but … it MIGHT BE. Don’t @ me.
#20: Fairytale of New York – The Pogues
Wow, talk about going from a high to a low, no? Pour yourself a pint, pretend you’re in a charming pub, and listen to this one – it is the UK’s most-played Christmas song of the 21st century, after all.
#19: Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) – Death Cab for Cutie
Keep filling up that drink and keep listening. Who doesn’t love Death Cab? I guess this continues the “staying home at Christmas” theme. Thanks for being safe! We can all listen to this one and be sad separately-together.
#18: Snow – Seth MacFarlane
Yep. You read that right – Seth MacFarlane. From Family Guy. This is tied with Herb Alpert as my favorite Christmas album. The whole thing is fantastic and I recommend you check out the entire record! Picked ‘Snow’ for this playlist because who doesn’t love White Christmas?
#17: Carol of the Meows – Guster
This is exactly what you think it is. Go get your cat and sing along.
#16: O Tannenbaum – Nat King Cole
Yes, Nat King Cole’s chestnuts song is the *ultimate* Christmas song. But I do love this one as well. There’s something about this song being sung in its native German. Lovely! Fun fact: this originated from a folk song that had nothing to do with Christmas… just love for trees.
#15: Christmas is All Around – Rend Collective
Everyone loves Love Actually. Therefore, everyone loves this song. This is a fun cover by Irish band Rend Collective.
#14: Little Drummer Boy (feat. Mzansi Youth Choir) – Leslie Odom, Jr.
Are you Aaron Burr, sir? Leslie Odom Jr. put out this tune on his latest Christmas album, just released this year. I love the beat on this one.
#13: Bring Me Love – John Legend
A fun and catchy new Christmas bop from John Legend.
#12: Lonely Christmas Eve – Ben Folds
I recently read “the Grinch didn’t hate Christmas, he just hated people, which is fair”. Can you tell yet that I love me some piano ballads?
#11: Marshmallow World – Darlene Love
I worked for Crate & Barrel all through high school and college, and let me tell you, I found some great music from their store playlists, including their holiday playlists (shoutout Muzak!). This was one of them. A classic, but not overplayed.
#10: Sleigh Ride – Los Straightjackets
Cowabunga, dude.
#9: Christmas Treat – Julian Casablancas
Yep, that song from Saturday Night Live.
#8: A Christmas to Remember – Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers
I’ve always loved this song, but this year is the year of Dolly! Thanks to our country queen for funding the Moderna vaccine.
#7: White Christmas – Lady Gaga
Whether you like Gaga or not, you have to admit she’s got the pipes for this jazzy version. And of course she added another verse.
#6: Skating – Andrew Bird
I love the original Vince Guaraldi version of this song from Charlie Brown Christmas, but since I already put Thanksgiving theme on here, I thought I’d share this version from our favorite instrumentalist and whistler, Andrew Bird.
#5: The Nutcracker Suite (from Elf) – Brian Seltzer Orchestra
A classic, with some pizzaz, from the Elf Soundtrack. Get out your maple syrup. Hope you find your dad!
#4: 2000 Miles – KT Tunstall
Another UK Christmas chart-topper! Originally by the Pretenders, this is a fun version by KT Tunstall. Chris Martin of Coldplay has a great cover of this too.
#3: River – Sam Smith
A Joni Mitchell cover by Sam Smith. What else do I need to say?
#2: I’ll Be Home For Christmas – The Killers
The Killers blessed us this year by releasing their 2016 Christmas Album, Don’t Waste Your Wishes. I had a hard time picking a song from it for this playlist. It’s chock full of features including Elton John, Pet Shop Boys, Jimmy Kimmel and Dawes. Finally landed on this one, featuring the teacher that inspired Brandon to get into music, but check out the whole album- ‘Dirt Sledding’ especially slaps.
#1: Auld Lang Syne – Dougie MacLean
Technically a New Year’s song, I love this one to wrap up the Christmas Season. The phrase ‘auld lang syne’ roughly translates as ‘for old times’ sake’, and the song is all about preserving old friendships and looking back over the events of the year. I love this Dougie MacLean version with his Scottish accent, but there are hundreds of great versions out there!
BONUS: Kiss Me at Midnight – *NSYNC
Yeah, yeah, this is a New Year’s Song. Let’s go back: it’s pre- social distancing and pre- social media and you’re wearing your best shiny outfit complete with those Steve Madden chunky shoes and 45 butterfly clips dancing with your friends to this jam. Also, I am a millennial and I know how to pronounce *NSYNC, unlike that kid on TikTok.
Welp, that’s it! Thanks for reading all the way through! If you didn’t and you just skipped down here for the full playlist, that’s ok too. Here it is:
Happy Holidays everybody!