For years I’ve been the person who “doesn’t like Christmas music.” While other people are queuing up the Christmas classics as soon as it hits November, I have always steered clear of the most popular Christmas songs. I recently realized that it’s not Christmas music as a whole that I’m not a fan of, it’s overplayed Christmas music that I’m not a fan of. So, I have compiled a list of my favorite Christmas songs that might not appear on the most common Christmas playlists.
River covered by Sarah McLachlan
River was originally written by Joni Mitchell and tells the story of someone experiencing a heartbreak around the holiday season. While the original song is great, I personally prefer the version by Sarah McLachlan. I love the level of emotion in her cover and I think that the lyrics take on a deeper meaning. This song is at the top of every Christmas playlist I’ve ever made because it beautifully captures the melancholy aspects of the holiday season.
The Bad List by Z Berg Featuring Ryan Ross
Keeping with slow, melancholy holiday songs, we have The Bad List. It’s a beautiful song with soft instrumentation and gorgeous lyrics. It’s more recent than most Christmas songs and isn’t the most joyful, but it has perfect harmonies and is one of my favorites during the early weeks of December.
Christmas Drag by I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME
This song is definitely a change of pace from my first two suggestions. It is more of a rock style and goes against the general concept of Christmas music, but it’s a great groove and it’s just so fun. While this is my favorite song from the iDKHow Christmas EP, the other two songs, ‘Oh Noel’ and ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ are also both incredible and I would definitely recommend giving them a listen.
Believe by Josh Groban
Ok, I know that this song is kind of a Christmas staple because it’s the main song from the Polar Express, but I don’t hear it as much as I do other Christmas songs and I love it, so, it deserves a place on this list. It’s nostalgic for me, and really captures the magic of wintertime.
Everybody’s Waiting For the Man With the Bag Performed by Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
To finish off this list I chose the incredible arrangement of this Christmas classic performed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Vocalist Veronica Swift does an incredible job bringing this song to life and it’s impossible not to smile while listening to it.
So if you’re the type of person who gets tired of the same old Christmas songs, here are a few ideas to help spice up your holiday listening.
Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4GT8ce4okJnlrivtuAHiCN?si=596793e6b54e4001