‘Tis the season for Christmas Music. But I’m not talking about all the classics, the standards, the carols we all know and love. I’m talking about Rock n Roll Christmas songs – some you probably know well and maybe a few (or at least maybe one) that you don’t know.
So without any further ado…
Merry Christmas Everybody – SLADE
I fell in love with this band in the early 2000s when I finally found out they were the band to originate Quiet Riot’s biggest hit as well as another song I really enjoyed from when I was a kid. Neither of these tunes are my favorite of Slade, an English band started in 1969 and still going today with their original singer and drummer, but they’re all really catchy fun rock songs – and so is Merry Christmas Everybody.
Oh and there’s one song you may know from this band, it’s definitely this one.
You may see a theme in the type of bands/music I choose, but that’s because it’s the type of music I love – fun rock that you can sing along to and this Christmas tune totally fits that bill.
Father Christmas – THE KINKS
There’s a better chance you know this song. It gets a lot of radio play this time of year – but it doesn’t change the fact that I really like it.
Nothing brings on that Christas feeling like a song that focuses on kids mugging Santa – not for toys, those can go to the rich kids. These punks want Santas money.
Which begs the question – Santa carries money?
Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You – BILLY SQUIER
When I was a kid I thought Billy Squier was so cool and totally rocked. So did a lot of other people – and then this happened.
Though MTV turned out not to be Billy’s best friend, he did take some time in 1981 to stop by and lip sync his way through one of my favorite Christmas tunes, accompanied by the original MTV VJ’s and a group of people I can only assume were office sales reps who happened to be there that day (see the 1 minute mark and you’ll agree).
This song could come on in my car, in July, and I wouldn’t turn it off because it’s just that good and that much fun.
Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) – THE DARKNESS
I honestly don’t think I could love this band any more than i already do. Sure, I enjoy the negative, depressing music of the 90s as much as the next guy, but when The Darkness hit the scene in 2003, it was like a fun, exciting breath of fresh air.
I was able to see them in concert in Boston while promoting their first album and was so impressed how they basically sounded just like their record.
I was crushed when I heard they broke up after their second album and was just as non-crushed to hear they got back together a couple years ago and put out what I think is an amazing rock n’ roll album.
And yes, I was able to see them AGAIN in concert earlier this year in upstate New York. The venue was small and intimate and you could get nice and close to the stage and the band.
And I mean nice and close.
But before their comeback, before Hot Cakes, and even before their second album, the Darkness put out a Christmas single (literally they released this single 10 years ago tomorrow).
The song – along with the video – is silly and fun, and it has a choir of kids singing (a major guilty pleasure of mine) – what more could you want in a Christmas rock song?
Christmas Time Again – EXTREME
My favorite band in the world is Iron Maiden. Right behind them is probably Faith No More. And of course, right there with FNM is the Boston-based band Extreme.
And I probably was a fan of Extreme before either of those two other bands I as remember rocking out to their first album while I was in seventh grade and I didn’t discover the other two bands until my eighth grade (1989 in case you’re wondering).
I love, love, love this band. From the song that started my love with them to my favorite tune of their last album (which I can’t believe was already five years ago).
This is one of those bands I loved as a kid, kinda lost connection with during my college years (when they weren’t a band anymore) and then rediscovered after I got married and found out how to buy CDs online.
Since then I’ve seen them in concert twice, the first time going to food festival in Boston – by myself – in order to see them for free at their first reunion show.
It was awesome.
This Christmas song was created for the second “A Very Special Christmas” collection back n 1992. Almost lost this tune if it wasn’t for – the Internet – the reason even the littlest song can still live on.
The singing in this song is great – it’s probably the least “rocking” of all the songs I’ve listed here – but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s my number one favorite Christmas song (both rock or otherise).
But before I go, I couldn’t NOT mention these two tunes. They don’t make my top 5 but I just had to mention them.
Type O Negative – RIP Peter Steele. To my this band was to metal what The Darkness is to glam rock. They’re both serious about their music, without taking any of all that serious. This song – probably the most depressing Christmas song ever – still makes me laugh with just how sad it is.
All Hail Manowar. This is the ONLY song on this post that is not an original. That’s right – it’s frigging Manowar singing Silent Night.
Need I say more?
Merry Christmas!
Mike originally posted this article about a year ago http://www.geekmentality.com – but hey these are his sites so he can poach himself. Follow mike on twitter at @mikey_c.
