Christmas carols that go beyond Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé

Christmas music can be polarizing and, let’s face it, pretty annoying.

It’s unfair that an icon like Mariah Carey is now best known for her catchy but overplayed Christmas carol All I Want for Christmas Is You from 1994.

We’re as sick of that song as we are Wham’s Last Christmas. And there’s only so much Michael Bublé you can withstand without wondering if your family is trying to torture you.

Fortunately, we don’t have to settle for the same old holiday season standards, as countless artists have written incredible Christmas carols over the years. This is hardly surprising; whether you’re filled with joy or anger, this time of year comes with great emotion.

So we’ve put the egg aside a bit and collected a few of our favorite Christmas classics.

Disclaimer: You don’t need us to tell you why Fairytale Of New York or How To Make Gravy deserve a spot on your festive playlist, so they’re not featured here either.

Stella Donnelly — Season’s Greetings

Christmas Day can be uncomfortable. Even if there’s no humidity to make you stick to chairs, the tension between family members can bring the heat and cause a cold sweat.

Through sonorous indie pop, Perth artist Stella Donnelly sings about an estranged family member who rocks up to celebrations and brings up old resentments. If this all sounds painfully familiar, don’t worry: She turns it into a cathartic song that shouts out their dire mood with some election swearing. — Jared Richards

Old 97s — I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmas Time Is Here)

Bookending 2022’s surprisingly entertaining The Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special are two great tracks from alt-country rockers Old 97’s.

This tone-setting musical opener ends the Santa myth by having aliens unfamiliar with Christmas try to explain Christmas through song. It’s fun, young and sentimental at the same time. Just don’t blame us if your kids start singing about poking Santa’s eyes. — Christian Harimanow

Barry Gordon – Zoomah, Santa Claus from Mars

Barry Gordon’s single Nuttin’ For Christmas sold millions upon its release in 1955, but unfortunately it’s also annoying enough to make you want to set fire to your Christmas tree. However, this obscure B-side from the following year is an absolute banger.

The subject matter is so off-the-wall that it would be an exciting Christmas oddity, no matter how it sounded. But its real appeal lies in the performance of seven-year-old Gordon, who sings with enough class and cool to give Sinatra a run for his money. — Dan Condon

Sara Storer — Christmas in the country

Known for her vivid storytelling and deep connection to country life, Sara Storer captures the essence of a Christmas spent in the Australian countryside on Christmas In The Country (Jimmy’s Christmas), co-written and recorded with Australian musical titan Shane Howard .

It’s a heartfelt and resonant song that reflects on the unique traditions and imagery of an Australian Christmas, the summer heat, backyard cricket, gum trees and tight-knit communities celebrating and enjoying themselves together. — Kath Devaney

Joni Mitchell – River

Trust Joni Mitchell, one of the all-time acutely sensitive songwriters, to plant her flag in the carol canon with a nuanced tearjerker.

Combining heartbreak with a lonely piano rendition of Jingle Bells, River gives that feeling of having a terrible time when everyone else is Joy To The World. — Al Newstead

Adam Sandler – The Chanukah Song

‘Tis the season for some to cut off the Chrissy ham and visit a Chinese restaurant instead.

For anyone who didn’t make the naughty or nice list, fire up this Festivus favorite from Adam Sandler and remind good little Jewish girls and boys of all the celebrities whose menorahs will be lit too. Happy Chanukah, drink your gin and tonic-ah and smoke your marijuana-kah! — Sam Wicks

Sharon Jones — Ain’t No Chimneys in the Projects

How to pick a favorite track from Sharon Jones & The Dap-King’s extraordinary festive 2015 album, It’s a Holiday Soul Party?

Silent Night has never grooved so hard; Big Bulbs will shock Grandma on Christmas Day, but get everyone else on their feet; ballad World of Love seems written just for the global pain of 2024; and she somehow delivers an upbeat rock version of ‘White Christmas’ that rivals Otis Redding’s perfect version.

But year after year I return to the absolute bop of Ain’t No Chimneys in the Projects. With Sharon’s deep soul belt and bursts of lively horns, this is a blistering funk track as well as a slice of commentary on poverty and hard-working parents trying to keep the magic alive for their children. — Katherine Smyrk

Jimmy Eat World — Last Christmas

For my money, this version by American emo rockers Jimmy Eat World is even better than Wham!’s original.

They ramp up the angst, add layered synths and maintain the delicate, heartbroken fidelity while bringing something new to the table as all good covers should. — Al Newstead

Sufjan Stevens – Christmas Unicorn

Sufjan Stevens has made a lot of Christmas music, but no song quite stands out like this 12-minute electro epic.

Lyrics about being a “brave pill popper” or its interpolation of Love Will Tear Us Apart might not get you any closer to knowing what exactly a Christmas unicorn is, but understanding isn’t necessary (there’s academic essays on the topichowever).

Just let its strange, mythical and joyous world – with a hint of melancholy – overwhelm you. Isn’t it Christmas for a t-shirt? — Jared Richards

Polish Club — All I want for Christmas is you

We think Mariah would approve of this crunchy rock makeover with Novak’s muscular, soulful vocals.

The cameo-filled music video is also a ball. — Al Newstead