Christmas songs that are actually brilliant

[RuffleCrow]

And that you like as songs in their own right?

Controversial but my first choice is Fairytale of New York. Poignant and raw. Shattered dreams, unhealthy codependency . Also a gorgeous melody and good arrangement (for 1987!)

My other choices are:

Just for Now by Imogen Heap

and

River by Joni Mitchell

Ideally i'd like a substantial playlist i can stick on when i've heard "Merry Christmas Everybody" one time too many. All suggestions welcome

m.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qE6WQmNus

Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa.

Annoying? Maybe, I just don’t hear it enough.

I do have a Spotify ‘Anti Christmas’ play list

I like Fairytale played by brass band, so much better than with the lyrics.

Stop the Cavalry by Jona Lewie

Gaudete - both Steeleye Span's version and Erasure's more recent one.

I love Fairytale of New York too though I know lots of people hate it. I also love I Believe In Father Christmas by Greg Lake. And River - never thought of that as a Christmas song but it is, isn't it? And so gorgeous.

I also adore Baby It's Cold Outside which it's now unPC to admit. I'm as feminist as they come and I don't think it's at all about him not respecting her wishes. He knows she wants to stay. It's her parents who don't want her to have a sex life. And it's freezing outside. She's better off inside. They fancy the pants off each other but in those days a woman wasn't allowed to say so directly and had to protest.

I love Slade 'Here It Is Merry Christmas' too, because of associations. Used to meet a huge crowd of great friends every Christmas Eve down at a gorgeous medieval pub by the river, from my mid teens onwards into my twenties (in the days when underage drinking was a thing) We always played that song and it was what put me in the mood for Christmas.

Do the Christmas Rush -Bentley Rhythm Ace
Zombie Christmas - Emmy the Great
Mele Kalikimaka KT Tunstall
Run Run Rudolf - Motorhead
Jingle Bells -Skid Row
All I Want for Christmas is you- My Chemical Romance
Christmas Lullaby - The Pogues
These are all on my Christmas playlist alongside Carol of the Bells and Mike Oldfield!!

@ScreamingValenta yes to Gaudete! So underrated!

I also like the Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses even he's blatantly Not That Into Her

Merry Christmas everyone.Perfect,totally light hearted gets to the point of xmas being a great time of year.

Also Feliz navidad.Heard it for the first time in years yesterday and it was catchy beyond belief.

I also love Gaudete (although it's slightly spoiled by Ashley Hutchings being a grumpy arse when i met him).

Also love Christmas Wrapping

Thanks for all the suggestions btw - that Bob Dylan one is positively nightmarish @ChateauMyself

Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas. Pretty much an anti Christmas song though.

I holy night by Mariah Carey is beautiful.
Last Christmas by Wham’s my forever favourite though

Love Fairytale of New York!
Low - 'Just like Christmas' is my other all time favourite.
The Polyphonic Spree (anyone remember them?) have a Christmas album, the track 'The working elf song' is so sweet, it was the soundtrack to Christmas time when my dc were young

White wine in the sun by Tim Minchin. I sobbed when I first listened to it properly. I was pregnant with DC3 at the time (and hormonal/emotional).

'And you won't understand but you will learn someday that wherever you are and whatever yo face these are the people who'll make you feel safe in this world'

That line still makes me teary 4 years later!

Stay by East 17

The power of love - frankie goes to Hollywood

Such a good song!

The whole of Bob Dylan’s Christmas in the Heart album which includes the excellent Must be Santa above and Bobs rendition of Hark the Herald Angels Sing which is a joy to hear.

Power of Love by Frankie goes to Hollywood
One of my top ten, even when it's not Christmas

Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson. Love it.

I want a hippopotamus by Gayla Peevey. I first heard of it 2 years ago on here and I wondered where it had been all my life. They’ll play it at my funeral ofc.

Completely uncool but Christmas isn't particularly cool either - All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey. Just ridiculously catchy, upbeat and fun with plenty of sleigh bells. Always gets me going.

Love the clip of hardcore rock/emo/goth types moshing in an underpass somewhere and this track is played over the top. It never fails to make me smile

What about Annie Lennox “god rest ye merry gentlemen” so so haunting

And perhaps at the opposite end of the spectrum is O Come O Come Emmanuel which gives me the shivers when sung in a choir. It's just so haunting and I love that it's in the minor key. Christmas isn't always fun, laughter and in the major key.

Step into Christmas by Elton John.