December is here, and it’s safe to say that it’s the perfect time to start listening to Christmas music. Whether you’re someone who enjoys it year-round, starts right after Halloween, or waits until Thanksgiving is over, we can all agree that December is the ideal month to embrace the holiday tunes.
No matter if you prefer the classics, instrumental pieces, modern hits, or something different, you’ll find a Christmas song on this list that suits your taste. However, in this article, I will be highlighting some underrated and not so well-known holiday songs. If you want these songs and all the classics plus much more wrapped in one playlist, click the link below!
Listen to The Playlist Pulse’s Ultimate Christmas Playlist HERE.
Father Christmas – The Kinks
Rock (1977)
This fun and upbeat Christmas song is featured in one of my favorite Christmas movies, Unaccompanied Minors. It also appears in Step Brothers. It’s got a lot of 70’s rock influences while having small bits of Christmas thrown in there. Christmas bells and a celesta make this a perfect Christmas rock song. The story is filled with humor and commentary on Christmas presents. The song is from the point of view of a Santa mall who is mugged and beat up by rich kids.
Christmas Blues – Sabrina Claudio, The Weeknd
R&B (2020)
This sad and slow song clashes the typical joy of Christmas with themes of loss, loneliness and heartache. The song is from the point of view of a lover who wants nothing more than to have their partner back in their life during this winter time. Sabrina Claudio’s voice is angelic and is perfect for this type of song. It’s an easy listening, sad Christmas song that I listen to year-round.
Flurries – August Burns Red
Instrumental Metal (2012)
The first instrumental song features many guitars and a heavier feel than your typical easy-listening Christmas music. The metalhead in me had to incorporate at least one song by August Burns Red, as they have some great Christmas music, both covers and original work. If you like instrumental Christmas music, don’t let the “metal” tag scare you away. It is light for metal and the instrumentals are impressive, fast and fun.
Louisiana Christmas Day – Aaron Neville
Soul (1993)
This was one of my favorite songs that my dad always played around Christmas. It isn’t your typical sleigh bells, talk about snow and the cold, but rather a step into Louisiana and what Christmas is like there. A lot of the state’s music and culture shines through this exciting song. From piano solos, to soulful singing, this is a far too underrated holiday track.
Christmas Canon Rock – Trans Siberian Orchestra
Orchestral Metal (2004)
If I could only listen to one band or artist come Christmas time, Trans Siberian Orchestra would be my pick. I love their balance of instrumental and vocals, their shredding guitars and their angelic piano’s, their story telling and their many instrumental solos. They have a range of female and male vocalists, making it easy to have this band on repeat.
This song is their “rock” version of their well-known Christmas ballad, Christmas Canon. I love the guitar solo. It has so much power and emotion, and the lead singer, Jennifer Cella has an outstanding voice. Such a great Christmas song and band.
December Morning – Tim Janis
New Age Composition (1999)
The second instrumental song on this list is a unique one. The main instrument is the flute and that isn’t typically “Christmassy.” However, it is soft and sounds like, well, a December Morning. It transports the listener to a freshly snow fallen field filled with evergreen trees. Tim Janis has conducted the Czech National Symphony, and his talent shows in creating beautiful instrumental music.
Maybe Christmas “Orchestral Version” – Yiruma
New Age Piano (2020)
The original of this track is good too, but the “Orchestral Version” carries more emotion. It’s a beautiful piano centered song that is light, beautiful and can transport the listener. It feels like Christmas, even when there are no words in the track to help carry the holiday theme. Some songs sound like a specific season or time of the year, and this one just feels like Winter and Christmas. I love the buildup across the song. This is a great addition to an easy listening holiday playlist.
Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses
New Wave Pop (1981)
I thought this song was more popular due to the number of times I heard it growing up. I thought the trumpets at the beginning of the chorus were so iconic. It’s a great pop song, filled with jingle bells and holiday lyrics. While the music is fun and happy, the lyrics aren’t over joyful with Christmas cheer. It’s about the hustle and bustle of the season, especially after a long year. However, it has a happy ending. Overall, it’s a unique and fun song that is bound to be stuck in your head, even after the holidays.
An Angel Came Down – Trans Siberian Orchestra
Orchestral Metal (1996)
Trans Siberian Orchestra’s first song off of their first album is one of my favorites. It is tame in the versus then powerful in the choruses. The storytelling lays out a great intro to what is a great album. Many themes of Winter and Christmas are present, as well as bells, chimes and piano to create a great, dramatic Christmas song. This is one of my favorite choruses of all Christmas songs, and even all of music.
Merry Axe-Mas – Ice Nine Kills
Metalcore (2018)
This song won’t be for everybody and isn’t your typical “Christmas” sound. While elements like bells and song lyrics surrounding Christmas, it is very much a Christmas song, even being heavy and in the metal genre. There is even a part where they sample the song “Sleigh Ride” and change the words to fit their horror themed vibe. Then leads into a flurry of guitar solos and a brutal breakdown. There are many Christmas related puns, referring to the horror genre. This song is more specifically based around the 1984 Christmas horror film “Silent Night, Deadly Night.”
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