10 Winter Songs that Aren't Holiday Related

Sometimes during the holiday season, we can get rather burned out by all the same old holiday related winter songs over and over again. The winter songs on this list, however, capture the other, chillier side of the winter season. So if all the warm holiday songs on the radio start to freeze your heart, keep things chilled out with the icier winter songs here:

'Winter Time' by Steve Miller Band - This has always been one of my favorite slow winter songs that really captures the essence of those melancholy winter days when you're enjoying the beauty of the winter landscape outside while longing for something to warm you up. When it comes to winter songs, this is definitely one of the best for chilling out to.

'Early Winter' by Gwen Stefani - When it comes to winter songs that are perfect for thinking about lost love, this sweet but sad tune is definitely perfect for getting all emo to. But while it's one of the many somewhat depressing winter songs on this list, it really does have a soothing effect, kind of like a warm cup of hot chocolate after being outside in the snow. Gwen Stefani definitely knows how to write songs about the painful side of love, and she's done it again here with one of my favorite winter songs.

'Wintertime Love' by The Doors - While Jim Morrison's dark persona seems perfectly suited for chilly winter songs, this one is actually a pretty warm tune about winter love. It's one of the most unique-sounding winter songs on this list, and it almost has a folksy feel to it. When it comes to winter songs, I wouldn't expect one of the more upbeat ones to come from Jim Morrison, but I really love this sweet song about how to stay warm in the wintertime.

'Snowblind' by Black Sabbath - And now for one of the darkest winter songs on this list, we turn to one of the bands with some of the coldest songs you'll ever hear. With lyrics about icicles in the brain, frozen hours, and waiting for an ice age to come, it's obvious that this is one of the many winter songs on this list that is using winter as a metaphor for something else. Still, for the days when all the holiday stress really has you feeling down, this is one of the best winter songs on this list for cleansing all those upbeat holiday songs from your system.

'Winter' by The Rolling Stones - The Stones slow things down for another of the winter songs on this list about dreaming of warmer, happier times. There's definitely a bit of nostalgia here, so it's one of the best winter songs for those dreaming of better days while waiting for their own cold, cold winter to end and spring to begin.

'Hazy Shade of Winter' by Simon & Garfunkel - This is one of the many winter songs here with beautiful, poetic lyrics. I love the guitar work here, as Simon & Garfunkel do a more unique take on the winter song by speeding things up a bit. This is definitely one of my favorite winter songs that isn't holiday related for being slightly more upbeat than your usual song about this cold and dreary time of year.

'In the Cold, Cold Night' by the White Stripes - When it comes to more modern winter songs, the White Stripes are one of the very few to make this list, because they're one of the few modern bands that I've actually been pleasantly surprised with. Meg takes over with vocals here, while Jack plays a very simple, soft riff in the background. It's one of the best winter songs for remembering a past winter romance with lyrics about a sneaky winter rendezvous (the best way to keep your body and heart warm in the winter time).

'Winter Rose/Love Awake' by Wings - This is one of the prettiest winter songs on this list. This song about waiting for love to bloom almost has a gothic feel to it, before blossoming into a sweeter, happier song. But Wings just had a way with starting their songs with one sound and flying into another, and they've had a perfect takeoff with one of my favorite winter songs that tells a very warm love story.

'Winter' by Tori Amos - And here's one of the winter songs on this list that definitely has a good chance of making you cry. It starts with a reference to a childhood winter where a very important life lesson about change is taught, but winter is definitely also used as a metaphor for life here. Whether you're really missing someone or feeling bad about yourself, this is one of the prettiest winter songs you can reflect upon your life to.

'California Dreamin' by The Mamas and The Papas - Of course you can't have a list of winter songs without one of the most famous references to winter in music history. It may be a bit overplayed, but I still enjoy this song from our country's teenage years, and I've often found myself dreamin' of what California used to be in the wintertime.

So if the holiday madness has you feeling a little down in the dumps, chill out for awhile with some of the best winter songs for capturing the beauty and the sadness of our coldest season.