Chestnuts are roasting, bells are jingling and a certain someone is on his way to town.
The most wonderful time of the year has arrived once again and speakers around the country are being pumped with Mariah Carey, Wham and Shakin’ Stevens.
It seems as though the same old faithfuls are dragged out every year, much like that slightly disheveled artificial tree in your attic. These songs have somehow stood the test of time and don’t look like they’re going anywhere any time soon, but it might be nice to take a break from the generic jingles and give some lesser known tunes a chance.
Here are five alternatives to get you in the Christmas spirit for a change, and as Tubs would say, there’s one for everyone in the audience!
Dan Fogelberg – ‘Same Old Lang Syne’ (1980)
This five minute Christmas ballad about a man who has a drink with his ex on Christmas Eve will have you reminiscing about the old flame you never had and wishing you kept at those piano lessons.
This is an “end of the night” kind of song and definitely a great one for New Years Eve too as the song finishes off with a smooth and jazzy rendition of the classic ‘Auld Lang Syne’.
The Pretenders – 2000 Miles
This is one that also seems to sneak under the radar during the festive season.
This one is another snowy, swaying ballad that is worth a listen, proving not all good Christmas songs have to be stuffed to the gills with the jingling of bells!
This one has a cool, yet somehow Christmassy guitar riff that will have you making hot chocolate and wolfing down mince pies like there’s no tomorrow!
Boney M – Mary’s Boy Child
For a fun twist on a classic carol, there’s Boney M’s rendition of ‘Mary’s Boy Child’.
This one will definitely have you dreaming of a tropical Christmas with the festive sounds of the steel drum. You won’t hear this rendition at Christmas Eve mass!
This is one of my personal favourites but one that rarely gets a look in between Buble and his incessant holly jollying…
I Wish It Was Christmas Today
Another festive easy sing-along is more of a sketch but nonetheless involves a Christmas song that will get stuck in your head if nothing else.
This one originally aired on NBC’s Saturday Night Live and is performed by Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan.
You can tell that they spent many painstaking hours coming up with the lyrics of this one… anyway; if you’re a fan of cheesy dance moves and deadpan delivery, this one is worth a watch!
Dustin – Christmas Tree
Warning, this last one is for the elite group known as the 90’s kids, so everyone else look away now!
You may remember a certain turkey by the name of Dustin who graced our screens each day with a certain sock monster.
We are going to pretend Eurovision 2008 never happened for a minute and take it back to 1996 when Dustin singing brought Christmas joy and not embarrassment to the country.
Yes, way back when, Dustin had a Christmas number one with the wonderful ‘Christmas Tree’. Of course it went to number one! It was a song about a turkey selling Christmas trees! Ah, the 90’s…
Avril Burke