As Christmas is only a day away I thought it would be a good time to do my first top 10’s post. This will feature my top 10 picks for the best Rock Christmas songs, so without further ado let’s get into it.
10. Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody
My number 10 pick is ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ from British Glam Rock band Slade, their final number one single released in the year 1973. This song just about beat Wizard’s ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday’ which managed to reach fourth place in the charts in that same year.
This personally isn’t one of my favorite Christmas tunes but it is such a staple Christmas Song I felt I had to let it sneak in at number 10. It is a catchy tune and everyone loves to sing along to this but it just feels a little one dimensional for me. But despite that you can still see me singing along to this most years around this time.
9. Eels – Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
Next up is a slightly less well known Christmas song that I only discovered a couple of years ago. It comes from Indie Rock band Eels and was released in 2002. This tune can be found on their compilation album ‘Useless Trinkets-B Sides, Soundtracks, Rarieties and Unreleased 1996-2006’
The song obviously includes the stereotypical Christmas Bells you hear to give it that Christmas atmosphere. Then it quickly dissolves into heavy distorted guitar, the song fits well into their style of starting gently and then upping the intensity. This is the sort of tune you could listen to at any time of year and it wouldn’t feel strange unlike the previous track. I also always really enjoy the vocals on Eels songs and therefore this just about creeps ahead into ninth place.
8. Paul McCartney – Wonderful Christmas Time
Here is one I’m sure most of you know ‘Wonderful Christmas Time’ from Paul McCartney. It was released in 1978 following McCartney’s second band Wings’ last album ‘Back To The Egg’.
I know I said this list was my favorite Christmas rock songs. This is probably the least rocky song on this list and is more in the genre of Synth Pop. It was considered one of McCartney’s weaker songs by critics with its highest peak of number 6 in the UK charts. It opens with just synths playing then the bells come in and the majority of the song is just synth and bells, though it does incorporate a little guitar. The Synth also complements McCartney’s voice rather well. Maybe it’s because I heard this song often when I was a child but I think it’s a good little track. It is nothing special compared to some of his other songs but it is deserving of 8th place.
7. The Killers – Don’t Shoot Me Santa
So next on the list is ‘Don’t Shoot Me Santa’ from Rock band the Killers. The song was released as a single in 2007 which was part of the Product Red campaign and so some of its earnings went towards AIDS charities.
Getting into the song we open with Brandon Flowers saying he’s been waiting for Santa. Then the voice of Santa from Ryan Pardey with a laid back drum beat and slowly picked guitar playing in the background. Afterwards the mood quickly intensifies with Brandon Flowers strong vocals bursting in and we get more up tempo in the Chorus and then go back down again for the verse.
It is a nonsensical song really where Flowers is threatened by Santa with a gun trying to shoot him. It doesn’t make much sense really but it is fun and silly which I don’t think is bad for a Christmas song this is a time for joy and making other’s happy. I like this song even though the narrative is a bit stupid and I think seventh place is about right.
6. Blink-182 – I Won’t Be Home For Christmas
This next song from Blink 182 is almost the polar opposite to many of the tracks on this list with the Killers song probably most similar. The track was originally released in 1997 but received an international reissue in 2001 and topped the Canadian charts for 5 weeks.
I did say this is something a bit different and it really is, if anything it is more of an anti Christmas song. This was intended to be a parody of the Christmas Hit ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ originally sung by Bing Crosby. We hear Mark Hoppus bassist and singer singing about Carolers not bringing him joy and chasing them away from his home. This is clearly all meant as a joke and isn’t really a serious representation of his true feelings. Anyone who listens to Blink knows they have a dark sense of humor and this really fits in line with their style.
This is a really entertaining song with lots of palm muted guitar with hammer on’s and pull offs thrown in accompanied by a simple but fun drum beat from their ex drummer Scott Raynor. I feel the number 6 spot is a good place for this song.
5. Chuck Berry – Run Rudolph Run
You’ll notice this is the first of two songs from Home Alone featured in this list probably because I frequently watched it at Christmas as a child and I still do to this day. This song is ‘Run Rudolph Run’ recorded in 1958 and written by Chuck Berry though there is some debate over that. It is a popular track that has been covered many times and most recently by the Foo Fighters.
The song is relatively short in length running just over 2 minutes long. As you might expect with Chuck Berry it is a 12 bar blues and almost identical melodically to one of his other songs ‘Little Queenie’ that was actually released later. We hear about Rudolph and his frantic journey to deliver the presents to everyone in time. The song just follows the same riff throughout most of the track with Berry’s vocals over the top. It is a very simple tune but I think that’s what makes it a great Christmas song it isn’t too complicated, it is short and sweet and I think it deserves 5th place.
4. The Darkness – Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)
Here is another one I’m sure most of you know from British Rock band The Darkness. This single was released in December 2003 and came second in the UK charts and the song was also included on their debut album ‘Permission to Land’.
The track starts with a guitar solo to lead us into verse and then the vocals from Justin Hawkins come in with his trademark falsetto. We also hear the usual bells included in a Christmas song and additionally there is a choir serving as the backing vocals. The song was made instantly more enjoyable when I discovered they intentionally inserted double meanings into the lyrics. Such as ‘Bells End’ and ‘Ring In Peace’. I’ll leave it up to you to decipher the double meaning, I don’t think you’ll need much help. This is a classic Christmas song with loud guitars and drums with an amazing vocalist I think it fully deserves fourth place and could have gone higher.
3. Darlene Love – All Alone on Christmas
Now at number 3 I have chosen my second song featured on Home Alone though this time in the second movie. The song is ‘All Alone on Christmas’ and it was written by Steven Van Zandt and recorded by Darlene Love including members from Springsteen’s E Street Band. I was not sure whether this counted as Rock but since it featured the E Street Band and Darlene Love has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I think it can be counted as Rock.
At the start of the song we instantly hear bells and the classic saxophone of Clarence Clemons soon bursts in. Then the brilliant vocals of Darlene Love come in signing about the cold winter winds and all the things that remind you of Christmas. As Darlene says ‘Nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas’ this is a perfect song for anyone feeling like they need a little joy particular given the events of this year. Every time I hear this I can’t help but smile and it takes me back to my childhood of watching Home Alone 2 and watching Kevin explore New York. I did think about putting this first but I felt the 2 songs below just beat it.
2. John Lennon – Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Well here is your runner up and it’s the one and only John Lennon with Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band with their song ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’. This track was released in 1971 in the US and 1972 in the UK and was Lennon’s seventh single outside of the Beatles and has been covered many times. It reached fourth in the UK charts and then second the year of Lennon’s death in 1980. Also what makes this song different to the others is it isn’t just a Christmas song but a protest against the Vietnam War and was the culmination of Lennon’s 2 years of peace activism.
Lennon based the success of his single ‘Imagine’ realising that the best way to get people to listen was to as he said in his own words “Put your political message across with a little honey.” First we start the track off with Yoko and John whispering “Happy Christmas, Kyoko Happy Christmas, Julian.”Then in come Mandolin like riffs with Lennon using ‘Try Some, Buy Some’ a single produced by Spector, the producer for this song and his former band mate George Harrison. There all the usual Christmas bells included again and the Harlem Community Choir as backing vocals who’s voices we hear fading out at the end of the song along with cheers of “Happy Christmas”.
I remember playing this at school once as it was the 30th anniversary of Lennon’s death I didn’t do much but play some basic chords on a keyboard but it is a happy memory for me. I also feel the message of this song is still relevant to this day and therefore in my opinion fully deserving of second place.
1. Bruce Springsteen – Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
So finally to announce the winner and here he is it’s Bruce Springsteen with ‘Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.’ This was originally written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie and has been recorded by over 200 hundred artists and I feel this is the best version. It was on December 12th, 1975 where Bruce Springsteen first performed the song during his show at the C.W. Post College in Greenvale, New York. Springsteen then released the recording in 1981 as well as putting it on the B side of his single ‘My Hometown’ in 1985.
I’m sure you all know the tune so I don’t really need to go over what the lyrics mean I think most of you know what it’s about. Springsteen starts of talking with the crowd asking them if they’ve been good this year. We can hear bells and a keyboard playing in the background then Springsteen’s gruff vocals comes in with the classic lyrics we all know “You better watch out, You better not cry, You better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town”. Then later in the track we get another classic Clarence Clemons Saxophone solo and then the keyboard really goes for it.
I read an article which complained about this and Springsteen not singing it properly, he did leave some of the words out in parts of the song but I think that’s what makes this better than the others for me. This was just done in the spur of the moment, they may have messed about with the song before but then thought hey lets just play it all the way through. It’s due to that spontaneity that I think this deserves first place it wasn’t rehearsed it wasn’t practiced it just happened.
This song encapsulates what music particularly live music is all about giving us something unique and all their own despite the song being heard thousands of times before. You can hear the joy in Springsteen’s voice as he is signing he is just having fun and bringing people together which is what Christmas is all about.
I think this song deserves first place mainly for that reason, it is really what Christmas and music is all about in one song. So there it is maybe you agreed with me maybe not if you want to let me know go ahead I would be glad to hear your view and perhaps you’ll give me a new Christmas song to love.
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