10 Christmas Rock Songs To Make Your Holidays Extra Special

10 Christmas Rock Songs To Make Your Holidays Extra Special | Society Of Rock Videos

It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

In chase you don’t have a Christmas playlist yet, let us help you out. If you don’t want the usual pop-ish and traditional songs, we’ve got you covered:

1. Keith Richards – “Run Rudolph Run”

This is something we’d crank up early in the morning! Keith Richards just became our ultimate guitar hero. Who would have thought Christmas songs could rock as hard as this? Think about it. If we’re to do any caroling this year, we’d need our electric guitars. People would be blown away for sure! There’s no such thing as ‘silent night’ when Keef’s in the house. He covered this classic in the most Keef way possible. To be fair, we love Chuck Berry’s version too but this one is something else. It definitely has a slight edge and it’s raspier too. This is one track we don’t mind playing even in July. It makes you want to wish that all Christmas tunes would be as awesome and catchy as this. Well, what are you waiting for? Make this a big part of your holidays. Your neighbors will thank you, we guarantee that.

2. Jon Bon Jovi – “Please Come Home For Christmas”

We’re pretty sure we’re not the only ones who find this version extremely and sinfully sexy. Then again, it’s Jon Bon Jovi. He can sing the alphabet and still sound somewhat naughty. Let’s not forget that this was in 1992 and he was still 30 years old and smoking hot. How can someone look almost ethereal in plain shirt? Seriously, that should be considered a crime! (Don’t forget to breathe while you watch this.) And if you think it can’t get any hotter, the promo music video for this features the one and only Cindy Crawford. At some point, we all wanted to be her. LOL! You see, if we had to choose between this and eggnog, well you can never say no to Jon Bon Jovi. It’s the type of song you listen to on Christmas Eve with a cup of hot chocolate in one hand. This is way too beautiful!

3. Queen – “Thank God It’s Christmas”

Do yourself a favor and include this as part of your holiday spirit. It’s actually part of the reason why we’re so excited for Christmas. We’d start putting this on repeat as early as July! You can never go wrong with Freddie Mercury. Your holidays should be like him – fabulous, glamorous and dramatic. It may not be as popular and widely successful as Queen’s other classic songs and they didn’t even make a music video for it! It’s a beautiful track, to say the least and while it isn’t as powerful as “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Don’t Stop Me Now,” it still edges out other Christmas tracks. It’s as if Freddie Mercury sprinkles some magic dust on every song he sings that captivates the listeners. His vocal performance is unbelievable. As soon as the holidays are over, you simply start to miss putting this one on repeat. This just isn’t being played enough.

4. The Beatles – “Christmas Time Is Here Again”

It’s not all the time you hear all members of The Fab Four singing in one song and well, we’re not complaining. This is an amazing treat. Whenever we play this, we immediately get that happy, feel-good vibe which is definitely perfect for the holidays. It’s a lot like getting to open your gifts before Christmas Eve. The greeting at the end never fails to make us smile. We feel as though we’re being transported back into that amazing era when The Beatles dominated the radio airwaves. Although we love everything in this track, Ringo’s part will always be out favorite and you can learn a thing or two about spelling from him too. Lol! Here’s a little fun fact. Remember Ringo’s line “O U T spells out?” Well, Paul McCartney uses the same line (“O-U-T spells out that’s out”) in his 2013 song “Queenie Eye.” And guess what, he performed that live during the 56th Annual Grammy Awards with Ringo on drums.

5. AC/DC – “Mistress for Christmas”

The first time we found out AC/DC made a Christmas song, we were all like “Are you sure it’s really AC/DC? And it’s really for Christmas?” Then we saw the title and thought, “Of course.” Are these bad boys going to pass up the chance to be on Santa’s naughty list? Surely not! This will get you in the holiday spirit even if it’s still March. But here’s a quick advice: don’t ask your wife or girlfriend for this record because if they hear “Mistress for Christmas,” you might end up getting booted out of your home or signing divorce papers before the year ends. Ha! It will make you say, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…. to rock!” If you add this to your playlist and then crank it up on Christmas, people may think it’s way too salacious for the holidays. Then again, it’s AC/DC. What more do you expect?!

6. The Beach Boys – “Little Saint Nick”

Even if it’s a Christmas track, we can’t help but wonder how many times The Beach Boys really played this song live because it’s undeniably one of their biggest hits. We just love the wonderful harmonies – it’s great how it sounds so Christmas-y but with a touch of a little ‘surfing’ to it. It’s refreshing to hear and a much-welcome break from all the traditional holiday songs. We’re actually guilty of listening to this in summer while dreaming of sun and sand. Let’s be honest, you can listen to most of the tracks listed here ANY time of the year. Besides, it’s one of our favorite Beach Boys tunes so it deserves a spot in almost all rock playlists. It’s just way too good! According to writer Brian Wilson, “I wrote the lyrics to it while I was out on a date and then I rushed home to finish the music.”

7. Rob Halford – “O Holy Night”

Let’s all be honest here. With Rob Halford’s voice, he can sing anything and it will rock. When we heard he was releasing “Halford III: Winter Songs” back in 2009, we weren’t exactly brimming with excitement. We opted not to give any judgment unless we’ve heard the songs. And dang it, we were absolutely right to do so. Rob Halford with his all-leather ensemble and overall badass-ery – he’s not really the first person you think of when you consider making a Christmas playlist. But it will be your loss if you skip this one. He took this traditional song to a whole new level. We’re so used to hearing the slow, mellow version but this will make you want to look forward to the holidays. His vocal performance is divine as always. We’re just so glad we found this – it’s a real musical gem. This will easily become your favorite version of this song.

8. The Ramones – “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)”

Sometimes, we just feel like traveling back in time so we can listen to Christmas rock ballads like this on the radio. While “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)” didn’t exactly make it to the top of the charts after its release, fans still love this festive song. Oh and this is also effective in making you feel better if you’re single during the holidays. Lol, just kidding. But this ‘anthem’ of some sort makes you want to go back to The Ramones era – you know, when they dominated the radio and you can count on DJs to play their classic hits. Joey Ramone is one of the most talented guys in rock ‘n roll. He always brought something new and different to the table. This wonderful song will make you feel nostalgic and it definitely deserves to be on your playlist. It’s a good way to deal with traffic and endure long drives on holidays.

9. Twisted Sister – “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”

This is hands-down our ultimate favorite Christmas song! Who says you can’t celebrate the holidays while headbanging? You know, the moment this comes on, we fell in love with the beat. On Christmas morning, this will be the first thing our neighbors will hear. We don’t mind cranking up the music and putting the speakers on maximum volume. Everyone needs to know Twisted Sister has come to greet them on this festive season. If we had to choose between eggnog, Starbucks Christmas cup and this – well, no one else can make you feel the holidays in pure rock style. Their version used the tune from their single “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and it’s all sorts of awesome. See? You can be into metal and still love the festive vibe of December. Well, you can put this on loop all-year long and no one will judge you. We do the same.

10. John Lennon – “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”

Ah yes, another brilliant masterpiece from one of the best rock ‘n roll artists of all time. It’s that kind of Christmas song that will hit you right in the feels. And dang, it’s going to make you nostalgic too! What we love about this John Lennon classic is the message. It was after the massive success of “Imagine” that the former Beatle realized how he could make people listen. He said, “Now I understand what you have to do: Put your political message across with a little honey.” And this is the result. It’s not the happiest portrait to paint during such festive season but it’s reality. And it’s like a punch in the face that while some are enjoying the holidays, there are those who may not even feel it. The message is crystal clear and with accompanying images used for the official music video, it’s going to move you to tears.

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