Christmas is just a few days away and while the weather is heating up in Australia that doesn't mean we can't enjoy some great Christmas songs.
Much like Christmas movies, Christmas songs are a genre all their own with many a playlist being created around the holiday season. Edge of the Crowd writers put their heads together to come up with ten of the best Christmas songs.
10. Six white boomers
Every child who went to school in Australia can no doubt remember this absolute classic of a song even if its creator is a criminal.
There aren't a lot of songs about Christmas in Australia but this one is an absolute banger of a tune for you and all your mates to enjoy in the car while reminiscing about school days which is of course part of what Christmas is.
9. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
No Christmas song list is complete without Mariah Carey and this one is maybe not the best of hers but that doesn't mean it's not a banger. It has all the key parts of a great Christmas song, whether that's catchy repetitive lyrics, Christmas bells in the background or just being fun to sing along to.
With this being the first real post-Covid Christmas there will no doubt be plenty who will finally get their baby to come home this Christmas.
8. All I Want For Christmas Is You
As I just said no list would be complete without Mariah Carey so why not just add her twice? This song has become a meme these days but the reason for that is because it's so god damn popular.
The first lyric draws you in and then you're smashed over the head with delightful fun as Mariah Carey explains what she really wants for Christmas. A classic of the genre and a must-add to every playlist.
7. I wish it could be Christmas every day
Outside of this song, there can't be a lot of people to know the band Wizzard. But this song has made sure they will be a band that's never forgotten and more importantly largely loved.
For those of us who absolutely love Christmas and find it the best day of the year then this is the song for you. The sound of children laughing, the songs and the time of year. It's all mentioned in this classic.
6. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
John Lennon and Yoko Ono put together one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time and yet some still deny their greatness as a pair. Serving as both a Christmas song and a war protest anthem Happy Xmas brings a sense of melancholy upon the listening audience which is of course also a part of Christmas.
While John Lennon wrote this song because he was sick of White Christmas there is no doubt he's gone one better with Happy Xmas which still gets plenty of radio play today.
5. Merry Christmas
The newest song on our list that Elton John and Ed Sheeran out together because basically there was no Christmas song called Merry Christmas. It is now just the newest but certainly the most modern of the songs with the typical upbeat Ed Sheeran rhythms and absolutely amazing contributions from Elton John who may be getting on in years but continues to put out great music.
With thoughts of both celebration and reflection, the song really does reflect what a modern Christmas is in the 21st century.
4. Do They Know It's Christmas?
A classic of the 80s this is a must-listen and must-add to all Christmas playlists in 2022. A charity single that sold massively and continues today to have a massive impact.
While there was another version made more recently it's just not quite the same. But the '84 version with artists like Bono, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and plenty of others is a classic. Looking towards the famine in Africa and essentially asking if people can afford to know it's Christmas when they are in such a desperate situation.
3. Last Christmas
Wham! smashed it out of the park with this one again with an award-winning song that has stood the test of time. The 2019 film Last Christmas is also extremely underrated and makes great use of the song lyrics while also telling a brand-new story.
Once again the song hits the theme of looking back at the year that was and hoping for something new, something everyone can relate to even if it's not a lost love. George Michael isn't just an icon but a great songwriter and he's proven that once again with this 1986 classic.
2. Fairytale of New York
A lyrical masterpiece by the Pogues telling a real story rather than just looking back at Christmas-related items and feelings as many other Christmas songs do. The lyrics are delivered in a gravely voice that many outside of Ireland will struggle to understand upon the first listen.
If anything that just adds to the magic that is this song. It's a song that's been re-recorded more than almost any song on this list with artists from Ronan Keating to Ed Sheeran wanting to get a piece of the action. Well worth a listen to break up the usual rhythm of Christmas tunes.
1. How to Make Gravy
It's not Christmas in Australia without this classic tune by Australia's greatest songwriter Paul Kelly. From the very first lyric, you're drawn into the epic tale of Joe being in prison and not being there to see his kids on Christmas day.
It's a song we all know by heart now and even has its own day to commemorate what a massive piece of the Australian culture this has become. This Christmas Day make sure you follow Paul Kelly's recipe for How to Make Gravy.
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