Christmas Music Extravaganza - Friday Night Videos Special Edition | Christmas Music That Rules!

It's that time of year again - the Friday Night Videos holiday special is back, jam-packed with some of the greatest rock Christmas songs ever! I spent hours upon hours sifting through all the Mariah Carey, Mannheim Steamroller, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra tunes to bring you this collection of certified classics from rock royalty like The Kinks, U2, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, and of course, Wham! No holiday playlist would be complete without "Last Christmas," am I right? Santa says you've been pretty good this year, so here's the gift of truly excellent music. Let's start with one of my personal favorite secular Christmas classics!

The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

"Christmas Wrapping" is a beloved Christmas song by the American new wave band the Waitresses. First released in 1981 on the ZE Records compilation album A Christmas Record, the track later appeared on the band's 1982 EP I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts, as well as numerous other holiday compilation albums. Written and produced by Chris Butler, with lead vocals by Patty Donahue, the song received widespread critical acclaim, with AllMusic describing it as "one of the best holiday pop tunes ever recorded."

The track has since been covered by artists like the Spice Girls and over a dozen others. "Christmas Wrapping" is told from the perspective of a busy single woman who is initially resistant to the exhausting demands of the Christmas season. However, on Christmas Eve, a chance encounter at a grocery store with an attractive man leads to a "very happy ending" for her holiday. In the final refrain, the narrator admits that she "couldn't miss this one this year," suggesting a newfound appreciation for the holiday spirit.

Overall, this upbeat, clever tune has become a beloved Christmas classic, treasured for its relatable narrative and catchy new wave sound.

The Kinks - Father Christmas

"Father Christmas" is a 1977 song by the English rock band The Kinks. The song tells the story of a department store Santa Claus who is attacked by a group of underprivileged children. The kids demand money instead of toys, arguing that toys are impractical, and ask that the gifts be given "to the little rich boys" instead.

The song is sung from the perspective of the mall Santa, who is mugged by working-class kids telling him to leave his presents for "the little rich boys" and to bring money and jobs for their parents instead. Guitarist Dave Davies commented that he loved the "humor, aggression and bitterness" of the song, reflecting the struggles his own parents faced at Christmas. In live performances, lead singer Ray Davies would dress up in full Father Christmas attire.

U2 - Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)

Phil Joanou directed this video for "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" while he was working on the film Rattle and Hum. The video was filmed in November 1987 at the Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, before the band's concert that night. The video was originally released in December 1987 alongside the charity compilation album A Very Special Christmas.

Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime

"Wonderful Christmastime" is a beloved Christmas song written and performed by English musician Paul McCartney. Recorded during the sessions for his 1980 solo album McCartney II, the song was released as a single in November 1979, shortly after the final album by his band Wings, Back to the Egg, earlier that year. This marked McCartney's first solo single in over eight years, since "Eat at Home" in 1971. The festive track has enjoyed chart success, reaching the top 10 in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, as well as the top 20 in Canada, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland. "Wonderful Christmastime" has become a cherished Christmas staple, covered by numerous artists over the years.

Wham! - Last Christmas

 

"Last Christmas" is a beloved holiday song by the British pop duo Wham!. Written and produced by George Michael, it was released on December 3, 1984 as a double A-side with "Everything She Wants" in several European countries. The song has since been covered by numerous artists, including Whigfield, Crazy Frog, Billie Piper, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande.

The music video, directed by British filmmaker Andrew Morahan, follows Wham! members Michael and Ridgeley as they accompany their girlfriends to a ski resort cottage. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice that Ridgeley's girlfriend, played by model Kathy Hill, was previously involved with Michael, and she can be spotted throughout the video wearing red while the others wear more muted colors. The cable car visible in two shots was filmed on location in Saas-Fee, Switzerland on November 21, 1984.

Band Aid - Do They Know its Christmas

 

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity single written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for the 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia. The song was recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure featuring popular British and Irish musical acts. It was recorded in a single day at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London.

The inspiration for "Do They Know It's Christmas?" came from a series of BBC news reports by journalist Michael Buerk in 1984, which drew attention to the devastating famine in Ethiopia. Buerk's report on October 23rd described the crisis as "a biblical famine in the 20th century" and "the closest thing to hell on Earth." The report also featured nurse Claire Bertschinger, who had the heartbreaking task of choosing which children would receive the limited food at the feeding stations.

The powerful BBC coverage shocked the UK, prompting an outpouring of donations to relief agencies like Save the Children. Geldof and his partner Paula Yates were deeply moved by Bertschinger's story, with Geldof saying "In her was vested the power of life and death. She had become godlike, and that is unbearable for anyone."

The charity single was a major success, raising millions to aid the famine victims in Ethiopia.

Stevie Nicks - Silent Night

In 1987, Stevie Nicks recorded a version of "Silent Night" for the Top of The Pops Christmas Special. This recording was also included on the album A Very Special Christmas, which featured Robbie Nevil providing background vocals.

Eurythmics - Winter Wonderland

"Winter Wonderland" is a classic Christmas song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. With its wintry theme, the song is widely considered a holiday standard, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himber, "Winter Wonderland" has been covered by over 200 different artists. The lyrics romanticize a couple's wintertime courtship. In 2007, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) named "Winter Wonderland" the most-played ASCAP-member-written holiday song of the previous five years, with the Eurythmics' 1987 version being the most commonly played rendition.

Blondie - We Three Kings

Siouxsie And The Banshees - I'l Est Né, Le Divin Enfant (He is born, the divine Child)

 

RUN DMC - Christmas In Hollis

"Christmas in Hollis" is a classic holiday single by the legendary rap group Run-DMC. The track was included on two popular 1987 Christmas compilation albums: A Very Special Christmas and Christmas Rap.

Initially, Run-DMC had refused when Bill Adler, the director of publicity for their label Rush Productions, asked them to contribute to A Very Special Christmas - the first in a series of various artists albums benefitting the Special Olympics. However, after Adler pitched them the idea for "Christmas in Hollis," the group changed their minds and agreed to be on the album. Other artists featured included Whitney Houston, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and Bob Seger.

The festive track was produced by Run-DMC and Rick Rubin, and originally released as a single in 1987. Though it only reached #78 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop chart at the time, the song has gone on to become a beloved holiday classic. The title refers to Hollis, Queens - the New York neighborhood where the Run-DMC members grew up. "Christmas in Hollis" samples Clarence Carter's "Back Door Santa" as well as holiday standards like "Frosty the Snowman," "Jingle Bells," and "Joy to the World," and features the iconic sound of an Acme siren.

Pet Shop Boys - It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas

 

English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys released their Christmas EP on December 14, 2009 through Parlophone. The EP features a new version of their 1997 fan club single "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" and a reworked take on "All Over the World" from their 2009 album Yes, both with additional production by Marius de Vries. It also includes a cover of Madness' "My Girl" along with a remix, as well as a medley blending Pet Shop Boys' "Domino Dancing" from 1988 and Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" from 2008.

"All Over the World" was issued to radio stations as a promotional single, premiering on Chris Evans' BBC Radio 2 show on November 9, 2009. This was followed three weeks later by "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas", which went on to chart at #40 on the UK Singles Chart on December 26, 2009 - the last Pet Shop Boys single to reach the top 40 in the UK to date.

Pretenders - 2000 Miles

"2000 Miles" is a song by the British-American rock band Pretenders. Written by lead vocalist Chrissie Hynde and produced by Chris Thomas, it was released on November 18, 1983 as the second single from their third studio album, Learning to Crawl (1984). The song was most popular in the UK, where it peaked at #15 on the Singles Chart in December 1983.

In the US, "2000 Miles" was released as the B-side to the band's hit single "Middle of the Road." The song was written about the Pretenders' late guitarist, James Honeyman-Scott, who passed away from a drug overdose in 1982. Though not originally intended as a Christmas song, "2000 Miles" has since been included on various holiday compilation albums, becoming a seasonal favorite.

She & Him - Holiday

Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, the indie folk-rock duo known as She & Him, released their first Christmas album, A Very She & Him Christmas, on October 24, 2011. The twelve-track album features the pair's renditions of classic holiday songs, and all proceeds from sales are being donated to 826 National, a nonprofit network of writing and tutoring centers.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Christmas All Over Again

 

Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)

 

Brain Drain, the eleventh studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, was released on May 23, 1989. This was the last Ramones album to feature bassist/songwriter/vocalist Dee Dee Ramone, as well as the first to include Marky Ramone since his initial firing from the band after 1983's Subterranean Jungle. Additionally, Brain Drain was the Ramones' final studio album released on Sire Records, and the last to be produced by Daniel Rey until 1995's ¡Adios Amigos!.

The album concludes with the band's unlikely seasonal song "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)". This track was originally released in November 1987 as the B-side to their single "I Wanna Live", before later being included in the 2004 film Christmas with the Kranks.

Cocteau Twins - Winter Wonderland

 

In 1993, the Scottish band Cocteau Twins released a short EP called Snow on Fontana Records. The EP contained cover versions of the Christmas classics "Frosty the Snowman" and "Winter Wonderland." Though the EP is now out of print, its tracks can be found on the compilation album Lullabies to Violaine.

Snow was produced in extremely limited quantities, with one expert estimating that fewer than 5,000 copies were made. Interestingly, the song "Frosty the Snowman" had actually been recorded over a year before the EP's release, for an album to accompany a year-end issue of a magazine called Volume. Cocteau Twins' guitarist Robin Guthrie was apparently reluctant to record Christmas songs, so the band opted to record more general "winter" themed songs instead.

Postmodern Jukebox - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

 

Postmodern Jukebox's cover of the classic 1979 novelty Christmas song "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" by Elmo & Patsy features the rich, soulful vocals of their visual director and "Old Soul" chanteuse, Sunny Holiday, accompanied by backup singers Tatum Langley and Demi Remick. This beloved holiday tune gets a fresh, retro-inspired treatment in Postmodern Jukebox's signature style.