Non-sucky, non-overdone, holiday music

I like to have holiday music playing unobtrusively for parties, but we’ve all heard “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” a thousand times by mid-December. I’d prefer fairly neutral “winterish” music as opposed to strictly Christmas.

I’m wondering what ideas people have for non-sucky, non-overdone, holiday music? I know this could be a tall order, but I know the Homies probably have some rocking suggestions. -Meg

I’ve taken to the interwebs to find some of my favorite non-sucky holiday tunes. Some of them are just about winter and therefore not holiday-specific, some of them are Christmas-y as hell. Hey, I even found some Hanukkah songs! And a lot of them are so non-overdone that they’re songs you may not have ever heard before, from artists you’ve even never heard of. And some of them are songs you’ve heard a lot, but from artists that make them sound new again. Grab a cup of cider and have a listen…

Christmas-specific tunes

• Cold December Night, by Alan Chang
• Christmas, California, by The Sweet Hurt
• Fall In Love With Me On Christmas, by Josh Kelley
• 2600, by Jonathan Coulton and John Roderick (Zomg, a Christmas song about the Atari 2600!? You’re welcome. Actually… ANYTHING from the One Christmas At a Time album.)
• Christmas Treat, by Julian Casablancas
• Christmas Wrapping, by The Waitresses
• Señor Santa, by Y la Bamba — or anything on the Holiday’s Rule album.
• Christmastime, by Smashing Pumpkins
• Put The Lights On The Tree, by Sufjan Stevens
• All My Bells Are Ringing, by Lenka
• Please Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas), by The Decemberists
• Christmas In The Sand, by Colbie Caillat
• The Holly And The Ivy, by Kate Rusby
• Mele Kalikimaka, by Jimmy Buffet (or ANY version of Mele Kalikimaka — it’s my favorite Christmas song!)

Hanukkah-specific tunes

• How Do You Spell Channukkahh?, by The LeeVees
• Hanukkah Blessings, by Barenaked Ladies
• Happy Joyous Hanukkah, by the Indigo Girls
• [When Is] Hanukkah This Year?, by Mêlée
• The Hanukkah Waltz, by Bela Fleck & The Flecktones
• Chanukah in Santa Monica, by Tom Lehrer (though I like The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles’ version better)

Generic holiday tunes

• Skating, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio — hell the WHOLE Charlie Brown Christmas album
• My Favorite Things, by The Supremes

Winter-themed tunes

• Winter Journey, by Scott D. Davis
• Purple Snowflakes, by Marvin Gaye
• Winter Song, by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
• A Long December, by the Counting Crows
• Winter Song, by Fleeting Heart
• The Day It Snowed, by Amusement Parks On Fire
• Snowflake, by Jim Reeves
• Winter Without You, by The Breakups and The Sweet Hurt

Okay, music-loving Homies… what are you putting on YOUR holiday mix tape this year?

About the Author: Megan Finley Horowitz

@meggyfin @meggyfin

I'm a 40-year-old potty-mouthed writer with late-diagnosed ADHD and a shit-ton of anxiety. I live in my hometown of Los Angeles with a husband, a daughter I never planned on having, and a senior rescue dog. Anything else you need to know can be gleaned from my instagram and my TikTok.