Holiday Party Music That Doesn't Suck

So you're throwing a holiday party. Great! Whether it's in your office for your employees, at home for the family, or somewhere in between with friends, music is the universal ingredient for a good time.

Except for one small detail: since the first day of November you've been inundated with the same annual holiday songs, whether on the radio or in your favorite neighborhood store and you're already sick of them. You're over it. You're done. And it's not even Christmas.  

The good news is that you're not alone. There's nothing wrong with a little Michael Bublé or Mariah Carey at your shindig, but at the risk of sounding cliche, variety truly is the spice of life, and we're about to get spicy. 

"I Won't Be Home For Christmas" (Blink 182)

We all know Bing Crosby's "I'll Be Home For Christmas." In his own legendary words: "I'll be home for Christmas, you can plan on me. Please have snow and mistletoe, and presents on the tree."

Blink 182's "I Won't Be Home For Christmas" is quite the opposite.  

As Blink 182 so eloquently states in its holiday hit: "It's Christmas time again; It's time to be nice to the people you can't stand--all year. I'm growing tired of all this Christmas cheer; you people scare me. Please stay away from my home--if you don't wanna get beat down. Just leave the presents and then leave me alone."

Yikes. But you know what? The song itself isn't as much of a downer as it sounds on paper. In fact, it's upbeat enough that even those into the holiday spirit can bang their heads and enjoy right alongside those sick of the commercialization of it all. 

Like Christmas? Don't like Christmas? This song will bring people together. 

Isn't that what the holidays are all about?

"Feliz Navidad" (Gwen Stefani, Mon Lafarte)

Sometimes it doesn't take a whole new song, just a new voice to shake things up a bit. Case in point: Feliz Navidad by Ms. B-A-N-A-N-A-S herself. 

Gwen Stefani's 2017 album You Make It Feel Like Christmas is full of remade holiday classics, but this is the one that stays truest to form. That's a good thing, because as much as we're trying to mix it up with this list, a sense of nostalgia is always important. 

"Christmas Time" (Backstreet Boys) & "My Only Wish This Year" (Britney Spears)

Speaking of nostalgia... 

If your party has been infiltrated by millennials, these are two must-haves. Neither song ever reached the level of popularity you might expect from 90s and early-2000s heartthrobs Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys, but their unmistakable voices will re-energize your party in a way (with apologies to Bobby Helms) that "Jingle Bell Rock" just can't. 

"Christmas Time" would play especially well as the final song in a series of ballads, while "My Only Wish This Year" will get people moving, coming out of the slow-down section. 

Play these songs back-to-back and you'll have every 20-something to 30-something on board. 

"All I Need Is Love" (CeeLo Green, The Muppets)

CeeLo Green x The Muppets. 

Need we say more? 

"Christmas In Hollis" (Run-D.M.C)

Hip-hop music at your holiday party? You bet! And no "NSFW" disclaimer needed!

Christmas music has a tendency to get a little stale from one song to the next. Or more specifically, from one song...to the next...to the next...to the...you get the idea. You have to drop a beat every now and again to jolt some life back into the crowd. 

Enter Run-D.M.C. 

"Christmas In Hollis" is the ultimate feel-good hip-hop holiday jingle. In the words of the group itself: "The rhymes you hear are the rhymes of Darryl's, but each and every year we bust Christmas carols."

Don't let your party be a bust; bust Christmas carols.  

"Funky Christmas" (The Whisperers)

We're turning back the clock all the way to 1979 for this one. Because quite frankly, every party needs a little bit of funk, even during the holidays. 

Not only is this song going to get people bobbing their heads, but you're bound to have at least one person at your party who legitimately, seriously knows how to disco. And if you thought yawns were contagious during "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" three songs prior, just wait until a spontaneous dance party breaks out because that one guy knew that one move from the 70s. 

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" (Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Bow Wow)

So, you say you enjoyed Run-D.M.C.'s hip-hop take on the holiday but you still crave something traditional? Look no further than Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" featuring Jermaine Dupri and Bow Wow. 

This song has the familiar traits of a Christmas classic, but, you know, with a beat! And fresh lyrics!

This is a must-have on your playlist.  

"A Great Big Sled" (The Killers)

Five seconds into this song, you can tell it's a Christmas classic. Fifteen seconds in, you start thinking maybe it's a classic from The Killers. 

Thirty seconds in, you can officially confirm: It's both.  

The Killers have a number of Christmas songs to choose from, including "Don't Shoot Me Santa," so you can't go wrong picking more than one for your playlist. But "A Great Big Sled" offers a fun balance of holiday nostalgia and cautious optimism for the future, which are both things we could all use a bit of these days. 

Plus, it just straight up sounds like The Killers. With that alone, you really can't go wrong. 

"Merry Christmas Baby" (Hanson Brothers)

Did the Hanson Brothers write other songs besides MMMBop? We can neither confirm nor deny. But rumor has it that the Bro Band cooked up a serious banger for the holidays and you should give it a shot. 

This song comes with an added bonus: It sounds a little bit like Justin Bieber's "Mistletoe," which is good because that song is actually pretty catchy. Play this one at your party as a way of getting that always-needed adolescent male sound into your playlist without having to admit you actually listen to Justin Bieber. 

"Mistletoe" (Justin Bieber)

Okay, fine. We couldn't help ourselves. This song is catchy and if you don't tell anyone it's The Biebs, nobody will ever know. 

But if we're being honest, you should share the artist with pride. This is your playlist. You own it. 

So own it! 

Honorable Mention: "Cool Yule" (Louis Armstrong)

In all fairness, this song is already a classic. It's just that people don't seem to realize it. 

Nowadays, Steve Allen's rendition gets the most attention when "Cool Yule" gets brought up, but it's Louis Armstrong you need to be playing.

On top of all that, poll your party and see who actually knows the name of this song. The number will be criminally low. 

It's time to educate some people, while having a great party, of course.