A New Wave Punk Rock Christmas!

‘Tis the holiday season.

 

Radio stations and stores have played Christmas and Holiday music since before Thanksgiving.

The stores have had their merchandise out since the end of July and sales started earlier this year. This is a happy and joyous time of year. Most people seem a little happier and more willing to help others out. 

Excited children can’t wait for Santa to bring them lots of presents – and they are on winter break from school, much to the chagrin of some parents. 

For many, this is a very difficult time of year. It could be from depression, the loss of a loved one or a job, an illness, or simply just being alone with no one to share the holiday. 

Growing up, the holiday season was bittersweet for me. While I loved Christmas and all that came with it, Mom-ster made the holidays almost unbearable for our family.

 

Mom-ster had a love-hate relationship with the holiday season.

 

She loved shopping for the sales in the stores, the specials on TV and even the music. Christmas was also one of the busiest times of the year for her Avon sales, and making money has always been her favorite thing in the world –  but as far as being festive and celebrating, she was the biggest party-pooper ever. 

 

dysfunctional christmas

 

Dad would sneak and put up a tree on Christmas Eve when I was a kid, but it almost always came down the day after Christmas. Once I hit fourth grade, we no longer decorated because Mom-ster’s hoarding had overtaken most of the house. I think all the decorations got lost in the shuffle, either that or dad forgot where he put them.

Mom-ster could be caught saying one of the following quotes this time of year:

“If you’re not going to be nice to me the rest of the year, don’t bother on holidays!”

Don’t open that toy! It’ll be worth more later if you don’t open or play with it!”

and my favorite, “I wish there were a pill I could take to sleep through the holidays!”

I knew my depression hit an all-time low when I caught myself saying that last one the final Christmas I spent with my ex-husband. That was a wake-up call. Well, that and the fact that I didn’t even put a tree up that year. 

Even once I left my ex, I still struggled and fought against my depression during the holidays. It’s taken a lot of brain reprogramming to get me to where I am now. I still slip into depression, but the downward spirals don’t last as long as they used to. 

http://www.ellentv.com/2013/12/11/punky-holidays/
EllenTV.com

One thing always helped to lift me out of my depressive holiday funk – upbeat and festive holiday music.

While my go-to songs for the holidays are classic tunes by greats such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, and Bing Crosby, my second favorites are new wave and classic alternative holiday tunes.

 

There’s nothing better than hearing your favorite bands and musicians perform holiday favorites!

 

Nothing unites us as people more than music, especially during the holidays.

This holiday playlist includes some of the best classic alternative artists from the 1980’s and 90’s, a good mix of punk, new wave and post-punk artists.

I started this list out with a parody favorite: The Porn Orchard as Tom Waits and Peter Murphy for the elegantly dark and twisted, Christmas Sucks

I also added a special holiday treat at the end: Henry Rollins reading ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.

So stoke the fire in the fireplace, grab a big mug of egg nog, snuggle up under a blanket with your favorite person – or animal – and enjoy this rocking alternative New Wave Punk Rock Christmas playlist!

Merry Christmas! Blessed Yule! Happy Hanukkah! Seasons Greetings! Happy Holidays!

However you celebrate or don’t, this time of year, I wish you the best!

 

Cheers!

 


 

 

  1. Winter Wonderland – Eurythmics 
  2. This Holiday Season & Christmas Sucks – The Porn Orchard
  3. Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid
  4. Santa Claus is on The Dole – Spitting Image
  5. Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses
  6. Last Christmas – Wham!
  7. Frosty the Snowman – Cocteau Twins
  8. Merry Christmas – The Cure
  9. Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant – Siouxsie & The Banshees
  10. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues & Kirsty McCall
  11. 2000 Miles – The Pretenders
  12. Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight) – The Ramones
  13. Christmas, Baby Please Come Home – U2
  14. Happy Christmas (War is Over) – The Alarm
  15. Deck the Halls – R.E.M.
  16. Silent Night – Sinead O’Connor
  17. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Cyndi Lauper
  18. There Ain’t No Sanity Clause – The Damned
  19. Santa’s Beard – They Might Be Giants
  20. Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis – Tom Waits
  21. Jingle Bells – Sex Pistols
  22. Run Rudolph Run – Dave Edmunds
  23. What Christmas Means to Me – Paul Young
  24. White Christmas – Iggy Pop
  25. Lou Reed & Rufus Wainwright – Blue Christmas
  26. Baby It’s Christmas – Bananarama
  27. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus – Brian Setzer Orchestra
  28. Jingle Bell Rock – Billy Idol
  29. Stuff the Turkey – Alien Sex Fiend
  30. Santa Claus is Coming to Town – X
  31. We Three Kings – Book of Love
  32. First Noël – Bad Religion
  33. Insanity Over Christmas – Madness
  34. O Little Town of Bethlehem – Belle & Sebastian
  35. Thanks for Christmas – XTC
  36. White Christmas – Stiff Little Fingers
  37. Frosty the Snowman – Reverend Horton Heat
  38. Xmas Has Been X’ed – NOFX
  39. The Season is Upon Us – Dropkick Murphy’s
  40. Deck the Halls – Red Hot Chili Peppers
  41. ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas – Henry Rollins