By Evan Crowther
If you’re tired of the same old Christmas songs you always hear, these unorthodox selections may be just what you need to spice up your holiday playlist.
- Father Christmas – The Kinks (1977)
This darkly humorous look at the holiday season follows a mall Santa who gets mobbed by a group of violent youngsters demanding cash.
- Christmas With the Devil – Spinal Tap (1984)
If your holiday playlist is missing a heavy metal touch, we’ve got just the thing. Christmas gets a hellish makeover complete with bells and face-melting guitar solos.
- Don’t Shoot Me Santa – The Killers ft. Ryan Pardey (2007)
What if Santa was a vigilante avenger instead of a bringer of presents? That’s the strange vision the Killers had for this lesser-known Christmas tune.
- The Season’s Upon Us – Dropkick Murphys
The Boston Celtic punk group offers a surprisingly cheery track with some lighthearted jabs at the chaos of family gatherings.
- Oi to the World – No Doubt (1997)
Originally recorded by the Vandals in 1996, this pop track tells the story of rival gangs who, after a brawl, find they aren’t so different after all.
- Christmas at Ground Zero – “Weird Al” Yankovic (1986)
After nuclear fallout, the parody master sings of Christmas joys like fighting off mutants and avoiding radiation poisoning.
- Present Face – Garfunkel and Oates
Female comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates may have written one of the most relatable songs of all time about feigning delight while opening the worst Christmas gifts.
- Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End) – The Darkness
The glam rockers behind “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” bring the same amount of flair to this double entendre-filled Christmas anthem.