The holidays are coming up, and something that comes along with all the festivities are the same few Christmas songs that get played over and over again in shops. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas songs, and I’m definitely guilty of singing along to All I Want For Christmas Is You, and I enjoy listening to Santa Baby and Last Christmas as much as everyone else, but listening to the same songs over and over again gets repetitive and tiring. So here, I have a list of songs that I think deserve more attention around the holidays. There’s a mix of newer songs and older songs, and I just hope that you’ll find something that suits your tastes in the midst of all of them.
- Baby Please Come Home – Josh Ramsay. This was originally sung by Darlene Love in 1963, but I enjoy Josh Ramsay’s heartbreaking cover just a little bit more. The background music that is in this version is also less complex, which I think really adds to the lyrics and changes the tone from the original version of the song.
- Make It To Christmas – Alessia Cara. This song is still pretty new, considering how it was just released last month, but I wish the video had more views. I love Alessia Cara’s music, her lyrics just do something to me.
- Like It’s Christmas – Jonas Brothers. This is also a newer Christmas song, but who doesn’t love the Jonas Brothers? It’s a cheery love song that also has the elements that gives songs Christmas vibes, so I think it’s worth a listen.
- Wouldn’t Be Christmas – Jessica Lee. This is probably one of my favourite Christmas songs ever, and it definitely doesn’t get enough attention. On YouTube there are usually multiple videos of the same song, but for this one, there’s only two videos. I couldn’t even find the lyrics, so I just had to do what I used to do before the internet was easily accessible, and listen to the song multiple times while I typed out the lyrics myself. If you only want to listen to one song out of this entire list, I implore you to choose this one.
- Underneath the Tree – Kelly Clarkson. This song has a similar theme to All I Want For Christmas Is You, but isn’t as overplayed. I think it goes without saying, but Kelly Clarkson is a vocal powerhouse, which is not missing in this song.
- Christmas Must Be Something More – Taylor Swift. While Taylor Swift has an entire Christmas album, this is a song that she wrote herself, and I really enjoy it! (Of course I do, that’s the whole point of this list…)
- Present Without A Bow – Kacey Musgraves ft. Leon Bridges. The way that their voices mesh together on this original Christmas track is music to my ears, with Kacey Musgraves’ country style and Leon Bridges’ bluesy contribution coming together to make a sweet, romantic song that I recommend even if you’re a fan of country music.
- Rockin’ Around The Pole – Mean Girls. This is not from the movie, but rather the 2017 musical. The song appears in the place of Jingle Bell Rock when the four girls perform at their talent show. It’s a cute song that is about what Santa Claus and the elves get up to after Christmas is over.
- Winter Song – Leslie Odom Jr. This is also a cover, and it’s originally by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, and I think that theirs is more haunting, and Leslie Odom Jr.’s version has a bigger presence. There’s actually no explicit reference to Christmas or any sort of holiday in the lyrics, but many, including myself, consider this to be a holiday song.
- What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? – Elizabeth Gillies. Here we have another cover!! The song was originally published in 1947 and it’s been recorded and covered by a lot of people, but definitely not to the extent of some other holiday songs. The one that I have linked is not an official recording, but Elizabeth Gillies has stunning vocals, so I had to share that one.
Again, I’m not trying to hate on the songs that keep getting played, because I still really enjoy listening to them, and I do know all the lyrics. I just think that the spotlight and attention could be shared with more songs, so I hope you enjoy the songs that I’ve compiled in this list!