A Non-Traditional Holiday Playlist For The Christmas Music-Averse!

The holidays are finally here, and with that comes the loved (or, in my case, dreaded) Christmas music. 

I’m not sure what it is about traditional Christmas music, but no matter who recreates it, I just can’t get into it. Yeah, you might find me bopping along to it in the supermarket or singing along when there is nothing else on the radio, but to me, most Christmas music is like that song that you can’t get out of your head that you would do literally anything to do so. It honestly reminds me of that scene from Easy A where Olive can’t stop playing the card’s music despite calling it “the worst song ever”.

So, if you’re like me and just can’t stand traditional Christmas music for whatever reason, but still want to get into the holiday spirit, here are some “festive” holiday-ish songs to get you going!

1. “Halloweenie III: Seven Days” by Ashnikko

Based off of the name alone, you’re probably wondering why I included this song -- clearly by the name, it’s a Halloween song. But I like to think of this as the song version of A Nightmare Before Christmas. Is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas movie? Why not both?

Even though this song is about our favorite spooky holiday, it is loosely based on the song “12 Days of Christmas”. Ashnikko counts down the days until Halloween. Not really a Christmas song, but if it was, it probably wouldn’t have made this list!

2. “I’m With You” by Mayday Parade

Mayday Parade is one of my all time favorite bands, so of course I had to include this song. Even though they play on the edge of traditional Christmas music in the beginning and during the chorus (it's those bells), Mayday Parade keeps this song pretty in line with the rest of their music. Honestly, I have this song in every playlist I’ve made with their music, and it never stands out as Christmas music until I focus on the lyrics. If you’re looking for a good song to get you in your Christmas feels, appreciating concerning your loved ones, this is the perfect song.

3. “Christmases When You Were Mine” by Taylor Swift

Here is another Christmas song that isn’t traditional Christmas music but runs pretty close. I’ve disliked Christmas music for as long as I can remember, but Taylor Swift was my favorite artist growing up; I had every deluxe album and her posters, and I couldn’t let my hatred for Christmas music deprive me of one of her albums, so I got her Christmas album. Even though the album is filled with covers of traditional Christmas songs, she also added in a few originals. Growing up, this is the only Christmas music I would listen to. I especially loved these original songs, and this one in particular always stuck out to me.

If you are a fan of softer, acoustic music, this is definitely the Christmas song for you. If you are dealing with a break-up or just losing someone you love during this tough time, this song will definitely hit home.

4. “Christmas Must Be Something More” by Taylor Swift

Because I included “Christmases When You Were Mine”, I had to include “Christmas Must Be Something More”, the second original Christmas song off T.Swift's holiday album. If you’re looking for something a little more upbeat, pop-y and happier than the previous song, this is definitely the one for you. This track is all about appreciating the real meaning behind Christmas and loving the ones around you. It’s not all about gifts and romance; it is a day to celebrate your friends, family. and everyone you love.

5. “Kissletoe” by 3OH!3

Like Mayday Parade, 3OH!3 lets you know this is a Christmas song with some bells in the beginning that occasionally resurface, but not so that they overpower the song. They keep the song pretty on track with the rest of their music. Like the song says, “Can't get behind this holiday s**t,” and neither can I (when it comes to the music at least!). 3OH!3 make their feelings about the holiday apparent, but if I'm being honest, who isn’t hoping to get a kiss beneath the mistletoe? As much as we may scoff at the idea, we’re all secretly hoping.

6. “F**k Christmas” by Peter Chao, Gentleman’s Vibe, IFHT

This song definitely cuts it close with our Christmas music tolerance. As soon as that first note hits, you think, “Here comes another Christmas song to get stuck in my head for the next few months,” but instead of the typical soft vocals that fill Christmas songs, this is a rap song. It starts off with all of the great parts of Christmas -- eggnog, holiday onesies, presents -- before quickly turning into “F**k Christmas” once the group realizes that Santa isn’t real.

This is definitely one of the more fun and relatable Christmas songs. It goes through all of the wonderful holiday vibes before suddenly switching to hating Christmas. It honestly sums up our love-hate relationship with the holiday pretty well.

7. “Santa Stole My Girlfriend” by The Maine

This song is like a spin off of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”. Instead of a kid catching his mom with Santa, this man’s girlfriend ran off with Santa. If you’re not a huge fan of Christmas, or maybe you were one of the kids who was scarred as a kid being forced to sit on Santa’s lap, or maybe you don’t like the lie of Santa, or whatever reason you may have for not liking Christmas and Santa, you’ll get a kick out of this song, especially listening to The Maine call Santa a b***h.

8. “I Won’t Be Home For Christmas” by blink-182

This is an older one that most of you have probably heard, but it’s definitely worth adding to your list. Even though it has the Christmas vibe to it, blink-182 make it very clear how much they dislike Christmas (especially those carolers - we really don’t want to hear Christmas music everywhere, is it that necessary to bring it to our doors?). They also bring a good point to the sudden shift in mood during this time of year. You’re expected to suddenly be nice to everyone, and everyone is expected to be nice to you. Where is this friendliness and love the rest of the year?

9. “Wishlist” by The Ready Set

I’ve hit a few other genres on this list, so it seems appropriate to add at least one electro-pop song. A lot of Christmas music tends to sound the same; even when other genres try to hit on it, they include the same overused elements. The Ready Set gives us something completely different with this EDM-infused Christmas song.

10. “Reason for Christmas” by SayWeCanFly

SayWeCanFly is another one of my favorite bands. Braden Barrie mixes various genres to make unique, catchy songs and he doesn’t fail with his A Merry Emo Christmas EP which this song is from. Though I love every song from this EP, this one stands out the most to me because it’s the farthest from traditional Christmas music, despite having Christmas in its name. He hits his typical soft vocals but also includes rap. It is such a sad yet beautiful song; it doesn’t make you sad but rather makes you ponder the meaning behind Christmas.

Just because it’s Christmas time doesn’t mean you have to settle for your traditional Christmas music. Enjoy these catchy, fun, and original Christmas songs to get you in the holiday spirit!