24 Unique Christmas Songs You’ve Never Heard Before (PART I)

Tired of Bing Crosby and Mariah Carey? Try these little-known Yuletide gems.

Christmas is a wonderful time of year for hearing familiar songs that evoke nostalgia for Decembers past, childhood wonder and family memories.

But as you might have noticed, the radio station that plays Christmas music beginning the day after Halloween seems to think there are only about 100 Christmas songs in existence. And you can only hear Burl Ives telling you to have a “Holly Jolly Christmas” so many times before you’re feeling more like the Grinch than George Bailey.

So here is part one of a two-part, 24-song romp through a bevy of original tunes — no sign of Frosty or Rudolph on this playlist — that will help you recapture the musical magic of Christmas, provide a soundtrack for some new holiday memories or at least let you jingle all the way to work as you stream them on Spotify. (Here’s Part Two)

1. Christmas Is Starting Now by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Let’s kick off this list with the perfect song to kick off the Christmas season. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is one of those bands that deserves some love at Christmastime, if only because — as a swing band having the audacity to exist in the 2000s — they would never, ever get any respect at any other time of the year. They have several quality Christmas albums with swingin’ takes on Christmas classics and quite a few decent original songs, so if this is up your alley, be sure to check out this album, too.

2. Christmas Tonight by Dave Barnes

Dave Barnes’ album Very Merry Christmas is now one of my first stops when I give myself the all-clear to listen to Christmas music beginning on Thanksgiving Day. This song, in particular, should truly be a radio hit for its catchiness, and it’s a perfectly flirtatious and consensual alternative to “Baby It’s Cold Outside” for people who are…