Christmas songs that aren't shit...

stickyfiddle

axisus said:

I like loads of Christmas songs. One of the best for me is Fairytale of New York. For one thing I love the irreverent language which goes against the Xmas grain, but also it is just beautifully heartfelt and touching, which lets face it - most Xmas songs aren't!

That went down extremely well when my old lot did it. Vocal harmonies help though - 50/50 how well it'd work solo 

HAL9000

thecolourbox said:

The only Christmas song I've ever sang in public is A Spaceman Came Travelling. Great tune and a nice singalong chorus if required as well.

I know we’re all different but that to me is absolutely the worst - no, even worse than that - Christmas song ever.

tone1

Although Kate Bush & December will be magic again is my favourite, it’s not actually Christmas until I hear Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses…..

https://youtu.be/ARq6uYSsUq0?si=j00-b5lLe5nwLjhn

VimFuego

how's about this one? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNvZqpa-7Q

Fingers657

Two of my favourite Christmas songs.
https://youtu.be/cxqQtUQErhQ?feature=shared

https://youtu.be/na12OyJEgJ8?feature=shared

viz

There's a good one by Wham and also one by Mariah Carey that's quite nice.

EricTheWeary

Last Christmas is a four chord cycle thing, George Michael was a big 2 Tone fan (really, he was) so I think it's best played with a ska rhythm. It's what he would have wanted (and it's potentially a very dreary song just on an acoustic unless you liven it up in some way). 

abw1989

The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)
My Chemical Romance - All I Want For Christmas Is You

Job done.

Shrews

Just awaiting for @theatreanchor to come along and find all these undiscovered gems. He's lapping the forum up at the moment.

Fingers657

George Michael died Christmas Day 2016 aged 53.

Whitecat

This is my favourite ever Christmas song - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpK-w6_FpY8

Beyond that, Tom Smith of Editors and Andy Burrows (formerly of Razorlight) made a record together a while ago now called 'Funny Looking Angels' that has some excellent contemporary Christmas originals. These two are the best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=644U-jMpDUw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNbQcHBX5zc

theatreanchor

Shrews said:

Just awaiting for @theatreanchor to come along and find all these undiscovered gems. He's lapping the forum up at the moment.

stickyfiddle

Fingers657 said:

George Michael died Christmas Day 2016 aged 53.

Did he donate any particular organs...?

CaseOfAce

ESBlonde said:

Rockin around the Christmas tree - Brenda Lee, a nice slide up to the D7 and that GmMaj7 at the end of the second line is hypnotic.

I had to look that up.. and yes it's a nice little run down on the "Voices singing..." part  ... Gm -> GmMaj7 -> Gmin7 -> Gm6 ...

Xmas song wise - Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody works great... simple chords - and that Bm to Bb to D change never gets old for me - such an unexpected sequence.You just need a singer who can handle the original key for it to work.

Dr_Necessiter

Google Dropkick Murphys' "The Season's Upon Us". Here's a link to the video but it won't embed (but it did when I posted), doh:

Dr_Necessiter

...but no video. Chords and lyrics here though:

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/dropkick-murphys/the-seasons-upon-us-chords-1199598

barnstorm

greejn said:

There are 3. 

Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas

Winter Wonderland

White Christmas

Would add Let It Snow to that list of 'classical' ones that can work well as solo acoustic numbers. Perhaps I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, too.

Shrews

Just going back to the OP and thinking Christmas songs are shit, then I doubt too much time is wanted to perform anything complex. So something piss easy, jazzed up a bit, get the crowd singing along, something that you generally know already and won't take much learning lyrically or musically.

 - Jingle Bells sounds ok, jazzed up (Natalie Cole version), White Christmas another. The Ronaldos did a version of 'Only You' in their own style that got everyone singing. They also did a Christmas covers CD

https://ronnor59.wixsite.com/the-ronaldos4/music

thecolourbox

HAL9000 said:

thecolourbox said:

The only Christmas song I've ever sang in public is A Spaceman Came Travelling. Great tune and a nice singalong chorus if required as well.

I know we’re all different but that to me is absolutely the worst - no, even worse than that - Christmas song ever.

That's because you never heard my version. (Unless by some outrageous coincidence you attended the 2020 Birmingham Parkinsons Society online Christmas music event)

PolarityMan

If by "not shit" you mean featuring vikings and robot jesus then absolutely. I suggest you start with



but we have a stack of them:



For some reason we never updated the play list with this one: