Clockwise from top: Kelly Clarkson; a stop-motion Sia; Big Freedia; Documentary Now!’s Alex Brightman Graphic: Rebecca Fassola
It’s been 26 years since Mariah Carey proved you could still create a Christmas staple—kicking off decades of copycats and wannabes trying to recreate her holiday hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” But while no one has toppled that track in terms of chart performance, these 18 original songs from the past decade are still worth adding to any December playlist.
43 Comments
How can you leave out The Killers – Don’t Shoot Me Santa? That’s a Christmas song I’m willing and ready to listen to year round.https://youtu.be/cglLJJ0Czo8
I agree that song is great but this list is songs of the last decade and that was released in 2007.
Time is a blur. Ugh.
Yeah, the Killers absence is criminal. At least a few good stuff in the past decade (though “Don’t Shoot Me Santa” and a few other of their good ones are indeed from the aughts, not the teens.)My nomination: “Christmas In LA”, which is awesome.
Self-promotional note: starting about a decade ago I spent a few years as an amateur stand-up comedian, and here’s a bit I did where I imagined Christmas songs as written by Green Day and Rush(starts about 1:23 and goes for a little over 2 minutes):https://punchlinepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/punchpod_episode0086.mp3
No “The Christmas Song” by The Raveonettes? Seriously?
Great song, but from 2003, not the last decade.
No love for Carly Rae? How un-AVC-like.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdXWvzEfh1A
I’d say the sentiment is more suitable for Thanksgiving, but maybe Canadian Thanksgiving plays differently.
Kylie and Dannii Minogue’s “100 Degrees (Still Christmas To Me)” is pretty fun.
Dannii and Solange should do a duet: a cover of “Sisters are doing it for themselves ” …
Can’t believe none of The Killer’s Christmas tracks made this list, esp in favor of Sufjan Stevens & Andrew Bird (Great pick with The Co-Op track though!)How can you beat pretty girls, Christmas lights, mistletoe, holy nights and a spoken word interlude from Richard Dreyfus?
LCD SoundSystem – Christmas Will Break Your HeartDragonette – Merry Xmas (Says Your Text Message)Phoenix – Alone on Christmas DayChristmas in Harlem – Kanye WestDasher – Gerard WayLike a Gift From God Or Whatever – Chris Farren
Not a fan of Christmas pop songs, however Everything But the Girl’s “Come on Home” is an exception: love it for Tracey’s voice, the strings, the horns, the bells, and the most anti-Christmas line in a Christmas song ever: Every day’s like Christmas Day without youIt’s cold and there’s nothing to do(As an aside, I’ve just seen the video for Sabrina Claudio’s “Warm December” – definitely the steamiest Christmas song I’ve ever heard …)
Perhaps you’re aware, but Tracey Thorn has an entire Christmas album and it’s fucking fantastic. All but two of the songs are covers — fantastic covers, mind you — but who cares when you have that VOICE. I listen to it pretty much everyday during the holidays.
from the past decadeMy brain: Ah, so everything since 2000.Also, stop with the slideshows.
While I like “Christmas Makes Me Cry”, Kacey Musgraves’ “Glittery” is by far my favorite Christmas song of hers.
I really always liked Christmas in Harlem
I’m not clicking through a slideshow. Just fers tha record.
Fuck the 20 page slideshows! Just put it on one page for fuck sakes.
Fuck yes Los Campesinos! The most disgracefully underrated band of the 21st century. Doe to a Deer is a perfect banger for the depressive Christmas playlist.
Love Make It Jingle, but lets not forget Big Freedia’s amazing Christmas EP featuring such hits as “Rudy the Big Booty Reindeer” and “Santa is a Gay Man”
Pretty sure the absolute saddest Xmas song I have ever heard is this one from I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME. Weaponized pathos.
This song is good for Christmas, I am going to listen this on eve’s day. Can you suggest me songs list for playing https://pingpongbuzz.com/ that would help to enjoy my game?
A borderline criminal omission.
I’ll have to disagree with that Kelley Clarkson song. It so clearly wants to be Mariah’s “All I want for Christmas is You” that it is pretty pathetic.
I can’t listen to “Santa Tell Me” without hearing Amy Grant’s “Baby Baby.” It haunts me.
Utter dreck. I would sooner be with the Scott expedition than be subjected to these schlocktacular offerings.
Absolutely criminal that not a single song from J.D. McPherson’s phenomenal “Socks” was included. Retro-50’s R&B / Rockabilly holiday songs, but with very clever lyrics. The whole album is great, but my favorites are:
Holiday Party (I Did a Little Cocaine Tonight) is a gem 10/10Also Santa Tell Me will most likely be a Christmas staple for decades. It’s fantastic.
Co-op is such a masterpiece. I wish it got more attention than an episode of an IFC show can get. It deserves the Schitt’s Creek hidden gem treatment.
This seems relevant.https://xkcd.com/988/
theres too much bad on this list to not includeand of course
I love that Frightened Rabbit song. Best Christmas song of this Century (came out in 2007 so it can’t be on this particular list.)
I liked your post for two reasons.First, that Frightened Rabbit song is fantastic. Their other Christmas song, “Cheap Gold”, is pretty good too. Second, I’m currently listening to a live Joy Division album, and “Shadowplay” started just after I read your post. So that’s fun.
I like your post for two reasons.First you’re a fellow Frightened Rabbit and Joy Division fan. “Boxing Night” is another great after Christmas song from Frightened Rabbit. I don’t think I’ve heard “Cheap Gold” it doesn’t seem to be on Spotify. To Bandcamp I go!Second, I once wrote a school report on Martin Van Buren, back when I was a teenager. Back then I would’ve loved the Fartin Van Buren pun. (I lie, even now I still love the Fartin Van Buren pun)
i thought it was 2010
I would definitely recommend Grateful for Christmas from Hayes Carll’s 2011 album KMAG YOYO. It hits that nostalgia spot earlier and then make you ball your eyes out at the end.
Christmas Makes Me Cry is in B Major, not a minor key. But it has a plaintive sound that you associate with a minor key. Thanks for the fun list.
Tim Minchin’s “White Wine in the Sun” is very moving and on my holiday playlist.
Hey AV Club, my Christmas wish is that you let your writers actually format these fun little lists as actual lists instead of these stupid, annoying slideshows.
*sigh*
No offense to any artist trying to make a buck (or spread some holiday cheer) with a ‘new Christmas song’. But I really, really wish that we could get some genuinely FUNNY Christmas songs.
Where is this generation’s Allan Sherman “12 Gifts Of Christmas”?
(“A statue of a naked woman with a clock… where her stomach ought to be”)
So “Christmas Unicorn” eventually repeats those lyrics you pointed out (“Love will tear us apart”), but follows up with “It’s all right, I love you”. Beautiful, and simply emphasizes the two dueling themes of the song.