Mariah Carey famously smashed a Halloween pumpkin to declare the start of Christmas season 2021, but was it a subtle reference to the Smashing Pumpkins' own holiday track? Either way, the alt-rockers' festive offering from 1997 charity compilation 'A Very Special Christmas 3' is a post-grunge classic.

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No Doubt - 'Oi to the World' -

Gwen Stefani and her No Doubt bandmates added their ska-punk contribution to the Christmas music cannon with this 1997 cover of a 1996 track by California punk rockers The Vandals. Shot in sunny India and featuring a Christmas punch-up, the video is something of a cult classic.

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Snoop Dogg - 'Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto' -

Yes, Snoop is on board with the seasonal spirit. Sampling the Isaac Hayes track 'Do Your Thing,' his hip-hop holiday offering was the first and only single from the 1996 Death Row Records compilation, festively-titled 'Christmas on Death Row.'

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Pearl Jam - 'Let Me Sleep (It's Christmas Time)' -

You'd make any Pearl Jam fan's Christmas if you managed to track down a rare vinyl version of the band's 1991 single. Failing that, stick their unusually upbeat, jingly-jangly holiday track on your alternative holiday playlist.

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Cee Lo Green - 'What Christmas Means to Me' -

Smooth-voiced singer Cee Lo Green recorded a whole album of under-the-radar holiday classics with his 2012 album 'Cee Lo's Magic Moment.' Standouts include collabs with artists as diverse as Rod Stewart, Christina Aguilera, and, erm, The Muppets, but this single is the most enduring high note.

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David Bowie and Bing Crosby - 'The Little Drummer Boy' -

Two of the world's top musical talents came together to record this Christmas duet not long before Crosby's death in 1977. It was a slow burner; unavailable for years, it was released as a single in 1982, becoming an instant hit.

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TLC - 'Sleigh Ride' -

Featuring slick girl trio TLC cozied up in their PJs to hang tinsel on a tree, the video to 1993's 'Sleigh Ride' is a festive treat. And the song more than merits inclusion on your holiday playlist, too.

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Blink-182 - 'I Won't Be Home for Christmas' -

A skate-punk Christmas classic that flies under the mainstream holiday playlist radar, 'I Won't Be Home for Christmas' was originally recorded in 1997, but wasn't released as a single until 2001. It was a Canadian number one hit, but failed to chart elsewhere.

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Run-DMC - 'Christmas in Hollis' -

Yes, legendary rappers Run-DMC made a holiday song, and you need it on your Christmas playlist. 'Christmas in Hollis' refers to the New York neighborhood where the rappers grew up, and is so good it featured on not one but two 1987 charity records: 'A Very Special Christmas' and 'Christmas Rap.'

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The Killers - 'Please Don't Shoot Me Santa' -

The Killers have an impressive back catalog of holiday singles, releasing a Christmas track each year from 2006 to 2016 to raise funds for the AIDS awareness campaign Product Red. If you have to pick just one Killers track for your Christmas playlist, make it this jaunty number from the band's 2011 'RED Christmas' EP.

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Ludacris - 'Ludacrismas' -

Another stone cold classic in the hip-hop holiday music cannon, 'Ludacrismas' is taken from the 2007 family comedy 'Fred Claus.' If the song inspires you to watch the movie, look out for Ludacris' role as a tiny elf.

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Chris Cornell ft. Eleven - 'Ave Maria' -

Taken from 1997's 'A Very Special Christmas 3,' much-missed Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell left a haunting Christmas legacy with his stripped-down rendition of Schubert's 'Ave Maria.'

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Chuck Berry - 'Run Rudolph Run' -

An oldie but very much a goodie, Chuck Berry's 1958 seasonal stomper has been covered by Bryan Adams and the Grateful Dead, among others. But really, there's no beating the original.

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Def Leppard - 'We All Need Christmas' -

Even British hair rockers can slow it down to record a seasonal ballad. Step forward rock legends Def Leppard, whose 2018 offering is an acoustic number that ramps up the vocals towards the end.

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Jon Bon Jovi - 'Please Come Home for Christmas' -

Another classic holiday track to emerge from the 'A Very Special Christmas' series of charity albums, Jon Bon Jovi's 1992 offering from 'A Very Special Christmas 2' was so well received that it was released again as a Bon Jovi single in 1994.

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Lady Gaga - 'Christmas Tree' -

The innuendo-strewn lyrics make this an adults-only Christmas classic, but Gaga's saucy 2008 seasonal track deserves a spin once the kids are in bed.

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Beck - 'The Little Drum Machine Boy' -

Beck described his seasonal track as "holiday robot funk," and it's certainly unique in its approach to Christmas music. It's taken from the 1996 Geffen Records compilation 'Just Say Noël,' a rich source of alternative holiday tracks from the likes of Sonic Youth and The Roots.

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Bob Dylan - 'Must Be Santa' -

Bob Dylan released a full album of Christmas crackers with 2009's 'Christmas in the Heart.' The remarkably upbeat, accordion-led 'Must Be Santa' would make a perfect musical soundtrack to dancing around the tree after a few eggnogs.

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Amy Winehouse - 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus' -

Recorded in 2004 for a BBC Radio 2 Christmas special, Amy Winehouse's jazzy version of Jimmy Boyd's 1952 hit is a lasting holiday legacy for the late, great singer.

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Weezer- 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' -

Affable indie rockers Weezer recorded a punky version of this festive season staple in 2008. Taken from the 'Christmas with Weezer' EP, it's as faithful a rendition as you could hope for.

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The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl - 'Fairytale of New York' -

The Pogues's 1987 Christmas track gets plenty of airplay, but still deserves a slot on any alternative Christmas playlist. With its insult-riddled lyrics and sneering put-downs, it's one to stick on when your annoying uncle starts testing your festive spirit.

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The Ramones - 'Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)' -

Joey Ramone's sneering pun style might not seem obviously suited to festive cheer, but this 1987 track is something of an alternative classic. It was released as the B-side to a single that failed to chart, but has since gained a festive following among the band's many fans.

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Julian Casablancas - 'I Wish It Was Christmas Today' -

The Strokes singer Julian Casablanca has always worn his Ramones influences with pride, so it makes sense that he should record his own Christmas track. Originally recorded as a comedy number by the 'Saturday Night Live' team, Casablancas took the reins to make it a cool yule track in 2009.

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The Fall - 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' -

British post-punk legends The Fall have been surprisingly generous with their festive musical offerings. Singer Mark E. Smith has sneered his way through many a seasonal song, but 1995's 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' is perhaps the most accessible introduction to their unique Christmas back catalog.

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Yellowman - 'We Wish You a Reggae Christmas' -

The whole of Yellowman's 1998 album 'A Very, Very Yellow Christmas' deserves a listen, but if you have to pick just one tune, make it this one. The Jamaican reggae superstar adds an irresistibly bouncy beat to timeless English carol 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas.'

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The Futureheads - 'Christmas Was Better in the '80s' -

Feeling nostalgic for childhood Christmases? Let British post-punkers The Futureheads transport you back to a time when snow was deeper and everything was just a whole lot more exciting. Released in 2010, it's a seasonal favorite among indie fans everywhere.

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Fleet Foxes - 'White Winter Hymnal' -

Full of wintery whimsy, Seattle indie-folk band Fleet Foxes created a low-key classic with this 2008 track from their debut album. What it lacks in direct reference to holidays, it more than makes up for in aural depictions of snowy scenes.

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Saint Etienne - 'I Was Born on Christmas Day' -

Featuring guest vocals from Tim Burgess of British indie legends The Charlatans, Saint Etienne's twinkly 1993 single is like the alt-pop version of Mariah's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You.' It's not really the festive season until you've heard it.

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Eels - 'Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas' -

Your Christmas will get a whole lot cooler as soon as you stick this hidden indie gem on your playlist. Released as the flip side to 1998's 'Cancer for the Cure,' it's steadily grown a fan base over successive years.

Sources: (uDiscover Music) (Esquire)

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An alternative holiday playlist

There's only so many times you can hear the same seasonal songs on repeat!

14/12/21 | StarsInsider

MUSIC Holiday music

Christmas means Mariah, and it also means hearing the same festive songs over and over again, until your ears can take no more! Those enduringly-popular seasonal hits are classics for good reason, but sometimes you want your holiday playlist to shake things up a little. From reggae to indie rock and hip-hop, there are plenty of songs out there that can make for a seasonal soundtrack with an edge.

Ready to give your brain a break from the same old songs? Click through this gallery to discover the tracks you should be adding to your alternative holiday playlist.