Nothing gets me in the festive spirit like a few classic Christmas songs, or indeed, a bit of seasonal strangeness – as in this playlist.  A bit of alcohol helps too, mind.

I’ve already covered my Top Ten Christmas songs, and this playlist isn’t just run down of all the usual Crimbo staples.  This list is more complicated, idiosyncratic, and pointless than that.

Within my music collection are several Christmas songs, of varying fame, often collected together on themed compilations.

This list pulls together the songs that aren’t on those compilations, as well as some of the standards that do, but for one reason or another have found themselves bundled in with this bunch of misfits.

For example, there are several tunes that are always part of any respectable Christmas collection, but can also be found bunged onto Greatest Hits albums.  Songs like the wonderful Slade song “Merry Xmas Everybody”: it’s on all the comps, but I selected my copy from the Slade Best Of to group together with similar songs.  Shaky, The Pogues and John Lennon are other examples of this type.

Then there are the album Crimbo album tracks that are hidden away on band’s regular studio albums, such as the Ramones track (see also: AC/DC, Joan Jett).  They’re not going to crop up on a Now Christmas comp, so I added them here.

Plus, there are various songs from singles (the Darkness track) and a few of dubious seasonal pedigree…

Here’s my Christmas Odds and Sods playlist.  Enjoy!

1. Slade – “Merry Xmas Everybody”
2. Shakin’ Stevens – “Merry Christmas Everyone”
3. The Pogues (with Kirsty MacColl – “Fairytale of New York”
4. John Lennon – “Happy Christmas (War is Over)”
5. Queen – “Thank God it’s Christmas”
6. Ramones – “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)”
7. AC/DC – “Mistress for Christmas”
8. The Beatles – “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)
9. The Darkness – “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)
10. Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews – “Baby It’s Cold Outside”
11. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – “Little Drummer Boy”
12. Boney M – “Mary’s Boy Child”
13. Christopher Lee – “Silent Night”
14. Bad News – “Cashing in on Christmas”
15. Roy Orbison – “Pretty Paper”
16. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – “There’s No Light on the Christmas Tree Mama They’re Burning Big Louie Tonight”
17. The Damned – “There Ain’t No Sanity Clause”
18. Emmy the Great & Tim Wheeler – “Home for the Holidays”
19. Monster Magnet – “Dead Christmas”
20. UK Subs – “Hey Santa”
21. Black Stone Cherry – “Santa Claus is Back in Town”
22. Christopher Lee – “Little Drummer Boy”
23. Queen – “A Winter’s Tale”

Merry Christmas all!