The 10 Least Annoying Christmas Songs

Let's face it, during the Holiday season (if not much, much sooner) Christmas music is everywhere. Though there are thousands of Christmas songs out there, it seems like every department store, every radio station, and every mall plays the same dozen songs on a loop. Not only that, but those dozen Christmas songs are usually the most annoying ones in existence. Ranging from sickeningly sweet (Christmas Shoes) and painfully unfunny (Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer) to sort of creepy (Baby, It's Cold Outside) and downright stupid (Do They Know It's Christmas?), annoying Christmas songs are almost impossible to avoid. Even the best songs, when played ad nauseam, can have you fleeing the mall just to avoid hearing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for the nineteenth time.

Here are ten non-annoying Christmas songs for your next Holiday party or playlist:

10. Low - Just Like Christmas

Low's Just Like Christmas is a wonderful song that captures the feeling of Christmas without being explicitly about Christmas. Bells jangle in the background as the lyrics argue that snow doesn't make it Christmas, but rather feelings of togetherness and warmth. This is expressed not in a hokey way, but simply through the use of imagery and minimal lyrics (the title is repeated over and over in the last couple of verses). Just Like Christmas is a lovely Christmas song that doesn't feel forced or overly sentimental. There is nothing annoying about this one.

9. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

Christmas Wrapping tells the story of a woman resigned to spending the Christmas holiday alone, only to run into the guy she's been pursuing at the store. Fate brings to two together just in time to spend Christmas with one another. Though it sounds like the sort of premise perfect for a sappy Christmas ballad, Christmas Wrapping is actually light, poppy and fun, a combination that is missing from most Christmas music. The lyrics are clever and catchy and the tune is up-beat and filled with Christmas-y details.

8. Elvis - Blue Christmas

This is one song that is played a lot during the Christmas season, but Blue Christmas is saved by its brevity and simplicity. The subject matter is both lonely and hopeful, and it just begs the listener to sing along even if he or she isn't an Elvis fan. This is a holiday staple, and rightly so.

7. The Kinks - Father Christmas

The delicate jangly Christmas bells which open Father Christmas are quickly replaced by electric guitar, setting the mood for the rest of the song. Father Christmas is a clever, dark look at the fate of a department store Santa who is mugged by poor children who need money much more than toys and gadgets.

6. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

Okay, so White Winter Hymnal isn't technically about Christmas, but it is a gorgeous song about Winter nonetheless. Even for those who admittedly don't like the cold season (myself included), White Winter Hymnal makes Winter seem like a magical time. The composition is delicate and lovely, and the lyrics strongly evoke the sensation of tromping through freshly fallen snow on the quietest of Winter days.

5. John Lennon - Happy X-Mas (War is Over)

Here's another Christmas song that gets played a lot during the Holidays, but still manages to avoid becoming annoying. Sure, it's idealistic and overtly naïve, but what better time to indulge in a little blind idealism than Christmas?

4. The Pretenders - 2000 Miles

2000 Miles is a great Christmas song that deals with missing loved ones over the Holidays, without becoming too saccharine or depressing. The lyrics are stark and lovely, conjuring up images of cold snowy nights and carolers singing. This is one song that works equally well as a love ballad and a Christmas song.

3. Sufjan Stevens - That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!

Not every family gathering this Holiday season will be filled with warmth and good cheer. For some families, getting together for Christmas means fighting and dysfunction. In this song, Sufjan Stevens tells the story of a particularly traumatic family get-together in a way that still brings out the sentimentality inherent in Christmas. That Was the Worst Christmas Ever! Is delightfully tongue-in-cheek, and is the perfect antidote to the overwhelming sweetness of most Christmas tunes.

2. Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time is Here

Christmas Time is Here never fails to bring a smile to my face. This instrumental piece from A Charlie Brown Christmas is simple and sweet, and represents the best of the Holiday season. Try to listen to this song and not feel warm and fuzzy inside.

1. Bing Crosby - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas could easily fall into the trap of becoming an annoying Christmas song, but manages to avoid it based solely on its quality. The most traditional song on this list is also the one that can be played over and over again without losing its emotional impact. Every time I hear this one, be it in the mall or on the radio, it makes me feel like crying. There is just enough sorrow and longing in this song to overcome any Christmas cliches that may be present. This is one that I could listen to on a loop and still feel the same way about it.