23 Modern Songs for the Holiday Playlist

Being fed up with Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and everything of its ilk, I decided to compile a playlist of fresh reworkings of Christmas classics and interesting originals from rock and punk bands of recent decades.

Here's a collection of 23 songs, comprising one hour of fun, listenable holiday cheer for your festivities.

1. Christmas All Over Again, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

With doo wop-reminiscent chords and Petty's familiar vocal stylings, the emotive strains and traditional imagery of this happy little tune provide the perfect kickoff for the holiday season.

2. Wonderful Christmas Time, Paul McCartney

It's not often that a new song so quickly enters the pantheon of classics, but McCartney's synthy, bright single did just that when it was released in 1979. Although the track is occasionally accused of cream-puffery, no modern compilation would be complete without it.

3. Another Rock N Roll Christmas, Gary Glitter

Lyrics like "I'll be rocking/ In your stocking" pretty adequately sum up the timbre of this silly glam rock ditty, which delivers rock in the spirit of the early 1960s. Swap out any version of "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" in your holiday playlist for this track.

4. Santa's Got a Big Old Bag, The Bellrays

This one's for the dancers. Sweet soul vocals combine with traditional funk/rock in this fun, bluesy tune that's guaranteed to increase the danceability of your otherwise lame Christmas party. Any drug references will have to be inferred by the listener.

5. The Christmas Song, Weezer

Let's face it: Not every Christmas is spent in the arms of the one you love the most. This super-rare track from 2000 was a limited release for registered fans only. In the band's characteristically poppy, proto-emo fashion, they make the waltz-time refrain a contemporary lament of abandonment: "Here I sit waiting beside the tree all by myse-elf." Though slightly mopey, the tune is not without charm, and it beats the hell out of having to hear "Blue Christmas" yet again.

6. Christmas Wrapping, The Waitresses

Wait, isn't that the Bangles? Nope. It's the less-known but nonetheless delightful Waitresses. This winsome bit of New Wave from 1981 tells the tale of a too-busy girl and her ships-passing-in-the-night, yearlong romance, which finally ends happily on Christmas Eve. If it doesn't put a smile on your face, you're a raging misogynist who hates New Wave, Christmas, and smiling.

7. Last Christmas, Pas/Cal

This indie pop cover of the Wham! single from 1984 is infinitely more interesting and multidimensional than its slightly whiny predecessor. Pas/Cal lends modern vigor to a New Wave holiday staple which, though significant in its own right, was badly in need of reworking. This is one of those rare cases in which the cover becomes a masterpiece cut from diamond-in-the-rough raw material.

8. Mele Kalikimaka, Luke

Living in Hawai'i as a child, I learned this island Christmas song and loved it. Upon hearing this upbeat, impeccably produced track from Danish electronica band Luke, I was entirely surprised and delighted. Retro without being kitschy and cool without a hint of corny, this is a must-have item for your holiday party soundtrack.

9. Feliz Navidad, Jingle Punx

This California pop punk outfit releases annual atrocities in the form of holiday albums. This ska-flavored track marries Herp Alpert brass with NOFX-style vocals, adding a little "oi" to your "ole!"

10. Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You, Billy Squier

Another simple, holiday rock & roll classic, this track was Squier's only contribution to his collection of holiday songs, 1994's A Rock N' Roll Christmas. The traditional early-rock chord progressions and swingy melody recall the early 1960s Christmas hits, only not so gratingly familiar. Certainly it's a bit cheesy, but so is almost every other enjoyable thing about the holidays. Lighten up and enjoy this lovely tune.

11. Little Red Radio, Pas/Cal

Another fun ditty from the indie group, this track is a bouncy, loud tribute to all those who have begged for a simple Christmas present. Although this upbeat tune is concocted entirely of synths and lacks any guitar work, it rocks so well that few would cite the absence as a flaw.

12. A Great Big Sled, The Killers ft. Toni Halliday

The multi-platinum band is what it is, and their 2006 holiday single is typical of their oeuvre; still, this richly arranged, very modern track is a nice variation for your Christmas lineup. The lyrics have a world-weary sweetness and express a nostalgia for the simple joys of childhood. Toni Halliday of Curve lends some very nice vocals to the end of the song. If you can stand the Killers and would like to temper your holiday mood with a little melancholy, you just might enjoy it.

13. You Gotta Get Up (It's Christmas Morning), Five Iron Frenzy

Here's one from my family to yours. Once upon a time, my sister and I were young things jumping out of bed before dawn on Christmas morning to begin the orgiastic present-unwrapping frenzy. Then, we were teenagers, and nothing short of bribes (cash, cars, or free beer) would lure us from our sweet repose before noonish on a weekend or holiday. Our infinitely cool and wise father found the perfect way to revive the thrilling sentiments of anticipation fulfilled by blasting this song throughout the house every Christmas morning. "You Gotta Get Up" is a joyful but not frenetic ska track sure to inspire and excite.

14. Wassail, Jingle Punx

This Beantown Irish-flavored track smacks of Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphys. The well-known melody and traditional lyrics of the Gloucestershire Wassail get a folk-punk treatment that's perfect for injecting a bit of old-meets-new bonhomie into your holiday gatherings.

15. Father Christmas, The Kinks

Although this early punk gem sounds as cheery as the jingle bells that pepper the track, the lyrics tell a story of cynical and violent youth obsessed with money. Don't worry, though; the gritty political realism is inscrutable under the lighthearted Kinks music.

16. Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk On Christmas), Jingle Punx

The tragic and the comic are separated by such a fine line, as the Jingle Punx prove in this hilarious monument to bad taste. Actually a cover of a pathetic John Denver ballad from 1975's Rocky Mountain Christmas, it proves a little theory of mine: Any sad song sung at a furious tempo with aggressively smarmy vocals is instantly transformed into a comedic frolic sure to shock and delight.

17. My First Christmas (As a Woman), The Vandals

Surprisingly, this tune is neither terribly misogynist nor homophobic. Just when you think the musical community is running out of holiday topics, here comes another cheery, energetic pop punk track offering yet another perspective in the ever-widening body of holiday subject matter. The once-credible Vandals get originality points for this refreshingly insouciant look at Christmas through the eyes of a transgender woman.

18. Santa Baby, Jingle Punx ft. Ana Gadget of Goodbye Gadget

Breathy, syrupy versions of this Christmas classic be damned, we've finally got a treatment the rest of the world can tolerate. Alternating the traditional slow shuffle tempo with a more typically punk, oi-worthy pace, this track is perfectly grrrlie.

19. Oi to the World, No Doubt

Before the existence of the cultural icon that Gwen Stefani has become, there was No Doubt, and they were a ska/punk band. Back in those glorious days, the band released this rollicking Vandals cover about punks finding unity through narrow escapes and cheap bourbon. The moral of the story is best summed up by the lyrics "Oi to the punks/ Oi to the skins/ Oi to the world, and everybody wins."

20. Twelve Days of Christmas, Relient K

The myriad solemn choral arrangements of this song are as tired as they are abundant. Yet another classic ripe for a pop punk makeover, "Twelve Days" shines in this fun but not over-the-top rendition from the pseudo-Christian band. And they're right: Partridges and pear trees would make pretty stupid Christmas presents these days.

21. Don't Shoot Me Santa, The Killers

Morbidly funny lyrics meet characteristic Killers musical stylings in this track, a desperate plea from a boy who perhaps has not enjoyed the best of years, morally speaking, and must now justify "killing just for fun" to a St. Nick that sounds like an evil, tenor version of Sam Elliott. The music begins slowly and ominously enough until the 1950s bobby soxer strains of the chorus. All in all, it's a strange song, both unnerving and likable but definitely worth a listen.

22. Run Rudolph Run; Lemmy (of Motorhead), Billy F. Gibbons, and Dave Grohl

From Armoury Records' collection We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year comes this metalicious track from three rock legends. Rockabilly/metal guitars meet Lemmy's garbled growl and Grohl's solid drum work (and backing vocals) in this faithful and fun rendition of the rockin' holiday favorite. Heavy enough to tickle the fancy of the metal fancier in your crew, this track is still listenable enough for a general audience, and the guitar solo is nothing short of bitchin'.

23. Happy Xmas (War Is Over), John Lennon

I must conclude this list with the ever relevant, ever hopeful ballad from Lennon. Already well known to most inhabitants of our lovely planet, this song is a modern day classic that sums up the secular but sincere spirit of the holidays we enjoy the most.

Finally, here's a helpful hint for downloading many of these tunes free and legally: Sign up for eMusic.com's free 2-week, 50-song trial period. In addition to the above track list, check out Sufjan Stevens' 4-disc Songs for Christmas collection of traditional and original holiday music. Although these tunes fall on the softer side of indie rock, they're great for creating a long, laid-back playlist perfect for a family dinner or hours of fireside snuggling.