Happy Christmas Eve to those who celebrate! Have I wrapped any presents yet? (No.) Do we have everything we need for celebrations? (Also no.) Am I still in pajamas despite it being 1 p.m.? (Yes.) However, I am going to fire up Kate Bush’s holiday special and send out a quick newsletter before I lean into any holiday panic.
But first a quick note: My appearance on NPR’s 1A about Christmas music is available here. I’m really happy with how this turned out, and I hope others enjoy it too.
And second, a note of gratitude: This season, I've been very grateful to the people who have called, messaged or told me in person that my books are bringing joy either to them or (especially) someone else. That I can be a small part of someone having a better day or holiday means so much to me, especially since this time of year can be so incredibly difficult and challenging. Music invokes such powerful emotions - it's one major reason why I love writing about it so much - and I'm so happy that comes through in my work.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has reached out; your support buoys me when I look at my Goodreads reviews. (LOL)
As you’re doing your holiday things today and tomorrow, might I recommend a playlist featuring 99 of the 100 songs in my book, This Is Christmas, Song By Song? Instant festive!
However, I have so many favorite tunes I couldn’t fit into the book, whether because they were too obscure or because I didn’t have room for them. But before the season ends, I wanted to share some of my all-time favorite holiday tunes—the ones you’d hear me put on repeat during December (and sometimes even beyond).
Chris Stamey and Cathy Harrington, “You’re What I Want (For Christmas)”
I own multiple copies/iterations of the dB’s 1986 EP Christmas Time because each version has a different track list. (I think most recently it was reissued as The dB’s & Friends’ Christmas Time Again!) For power pop fans, this is a must, featuring the dB’s (and the individual members doing solo songs), Don Dixon, Marshall Crenshaw, and more. Chris Stamey and Cathy Harrington’s “You’re What I Want (For Christmas)” is my absolute favorite of the bunch, thanks to their longing vocals and the musical mix of ’80s jangle and synth-pop.
Squeeze, “Christmas Day”
That Squeeze’s “Christmas Day” didn’t even chart upon release in 1979 is criminal. That it still feels like a cult classic is also befuddling: A good bridge between the band’s quirky synth-punk and soulful power-pop eras, “Christmas Day” deserves a spot in your seasonal rotation. (This song was especially tough to leave out of my book.)
Cyndi Lauper, “Home on Christmas Day”
Cyndi Lauper’s ’90s output is somewhat overshadowed by her ’80s work, so you’d be forgiven if you didn’t know her 1998 album Merry Christmas... Have A Nice Life and the original tune “Home On Christmas Day.” A lovely hidden gem in her catalog, the the ’60s psych-pop song is a cowrite with Rob Hyman (her She’s So Unusual collaborator/“Time After Time” cowriter) and delves into the more melancholy (but comforting) tidings of the season.
Cristina, “Things Fall Apart”
Fun trivia: The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping” came about because the band was told to record a Christmas song for a holiday album for their label, ZE Records, A Christmas Record. I’ve been obsessed with the compilation for years (and finally tracked down a copy last year; it’s been reissued and repackaged a few times) not just because of “Christmas Wrapping” but because of Cristina’s “Things Fall Apart.” Few songs combine punk, disco and synth-pop so effortlessly—and Cristina’s delivery is grade-A blasé genius.
Kylie Minogue featuring Iggy Pop, “Christmas Wrapping”
It’s baffling to me that Kylie Minogue’s Christmas album isn’t more popular—I mean, she does a kicky cover of “Christmas Wrapping” with Iggy Pop! Kitsch city!
The Raveonettes, “The Christmas Song”
The Raveonettes are way overdue for a modern resurgence—but until that happens, turn up their lonely, sparkling-ice original, “The Christmas Song,” which appears on the 2004 alternative collection Maybe This Christmas Tree.
Jimmy Eat World, “Last Christmas”
I have always adored Jimmy Eat World’s brisk cover of Wham!’s “Last Christmas” almost as much as I dig Death Cab for Cutie’s aching “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” And while I wholeheartedly adore the Wham! original—Jimmy Eat World tap into the sadness of the original in all the best ways.
Harvey Danger, “Sometimes You Have To Work On Christmas (Sometimes)”
The vast majority of people know the erudite indie band Harvey Danger for the hit “Flagpole Sitta.” The rest of the group’s catalog is a treasure trove of emotional truthbombs. “Sometimes You Have To Work On Christmas (Sometimes)” isn’t just an unsparing look at what it’s like to have a lonely holiday—it’s also an acute chronicle of the loneliness and isolation of the modern world.
Soul Coughing, “Suzy Snowflake”
I first heard this cover during the 1990s and it’s stuck with me all these years later. Whimsical and earnest, the tune is a reminder of Soul Coughing’s greatness.
Wheatus, “Christmas Dirtbag”
I cannot resist Christmas-i-fied versions of classic songs and Wheatus does an amazing job with this 2023 re-do of “Teenage Dirtbag.”
11. Tommy Tutone, “867-5309 / Jenny (Christmas Version!)”
You know Tommy Tutone’s ’80s earworm “867-5309”—but do you know the charming Christmas version? (Ho, ho!) It’s from 2009’s An All-Star Salute to Christmas, an album that also features Air Supply covering Band Aid, Iggy Pop cutting “White Christmas,” The Motels doing a very credible Mariah Carey, and Leif Garrett tackling Slade. Other highlight: Mickey Thomas of Starship fame doing a banging version of “Step Into Christmas.”
Cheap Trick, “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day”
Cheap Trick covering Wizzard’s glam classic? Yes, please! Bonus: In 2018, the band covered the song WITH Wizzard mastermind Roy Wood during a UK gig.
The Three Wise Men (aka XTC), “Countdown to Christmas Party Time”
This isn’t streaming anywhere (though if you own the XTC compilation Rag & Bone Buffet, you can hear it) but the companion to the straightforward jangle-pop hit “Thanks for Christmas” is this funky B-52s/Devo/Tom Tom Club homage.
They Might Be Giants, “Santa’s Beard”
Consider this sassy tune in the vein of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” wherein the presence of Santa masks some funny business between couples.
Captain Sensible, “One Christmas Catalogue”
When Captain Sensible of the Damned fame wasn’t covering Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax,” he was having a modest UK hit with “One Christmas Catalogue,” a meditative new wave hit with prominent synthesizers and quirky vocals.
Bonus: Dan Wilson, “What a Year for a New Year”
Enough said.
Hi, Annie!
First, thank you for your awesome book. I had so much fun reading it, and I suspect I'll be revisiting it every year when I break out my Christmas playlist. It's great to have the fun facts handy to share with friends and family when conversation lags :-)
Second, we featured your book in our podcast The Library of Lost Time just before Christmas. You can listen here if you're curious: https://strongsenseofplace.com/lolts/lolt-2023-12-15/
Hope you're having an excellent holiday season. I am now composed mostly of butter and sugar :-)
Can’t wait to hear all the links! I found myself in the exact same spot as you at 1:00 PM 12/24, BTW.