Ranked! The 21 Worst Christmas Songs in Holiday History

Photo: Island RBMG

We’ve never thought about it until right now, but there aren’t any other holidays (besides some patriotic Fourth of July tunes) where music is so important. While we bake cookies, decorate, the tree, and even do laundry, there’s a good chance we’ll be doing it while listening to the soothing Christmas songs of Bing Crosby or Burl Ives.

There are countless memorable holiday tunes that we eagerly await as the calendar turns from November to December. This includes gems like Chuck Berry’s “Run Run Rudolph,” Otis Redding’s “Merry Christmas, Baby,” and Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” But for all the iconic Christmas music, there is a bevy of horrible, annoying, utterly terrible songs. To help you avoid them, we decided to list the top 21 (in honor of the year 2021) worst Christmas tunes of all time. Keep scrolling to see them all.

Ranked! Worst Christmas Songs

21) Bruce Springsteen - 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town'

The classic ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ is a fun, bouncy, charming Christmas song. It’s one of the most remade songs and this over-the-top version is one of the worst.
20) Maroon 5 – ‘Happy Christmas (War Is Over)’

We’ll never understand the appeal of Maroon 5. It seems like every song this group drops is an instant hit. It’s version of John Lennon’s ‘Happy Christmas (Was Is Over) isn’t one of them.
19) Band Aid - 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'

We’re not going to lie, we find ourselves singing along to this sing when it pops up on the radio. The fact that it’s an earwig doesn’t diminish the fact that it’s not actually a good song.
18) 'NSync- 'I Never Knew the Meaning of Christmas'

‘NSync had a ton of hits. They also had a few songs that are memorable for the wrong reasons. One of these is cliché-filled rom-com of Christmas songs.
17) LeAnn Rimes - 'Carol of the Bells'

Repetitive, boring, and annoying. These are all words that describe this song. None should ever be used to describe a Christmas song.
16) The Jackson 5 - 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'

Take away the shear talent and amazing voice of young Michael Jackson and you can plainly see that this is a terrible song. It’s equal parts cringy and downright creepy.
15) Michael Bublé – ‘Santa Baby’

We get it, you might Frank Sinatra. This is the only logical explanation for the existence of Michael Bublé’s career. This song is over-the-top, self serving, holiday garbage.
14) Elmo and Patsy - 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer'

We understand the kitschy appeal of this song, but, overall it’s just plain bad. It’s silly, cheesy, and annoying.
13) Pussycat Dolls – ‘Santa Baby’

We all know the song ‘Santa Baby’. This iconic Eartha Kitt song was completely destroyed by this money grab of a holiday song.
12) John Denver – ‘Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk on Christmas)’

Yes, John Denver really did record a song about an abusive alcoholic father and the son who pleads with him not to ruin the holiday. No, we won’t be listening to it to spread Christmas cheer.
11) New Kids on the Block - 'Funky, Funky, Xmas'

With a name like ‘Funky, Funky, Xmas’ you can probably assume this song didn’t hold up. But, this terrible rap about Christmas was literally never good.
10) Sia – ‘Puppies Are Forever’

This is a song about getting someone a puppy for Christmas and then not sending it to the pound a week later. Sia shows us this by repeating the same line over and over again. We get it, don’t ever give someone a puppy as a Christmas gift.
9) Gayla Peevey – ‘I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas’

We understand that this is a kid’s song, but aren’t most Christmas songs created for kids? This song is grating, way too bouncy, and gives children the idea that they should ask for extravagant animals for Christmas
8) The Killers – ‘Don't Shoot Me Santa’

Let’s be clear that we like The Killers. It’s just that was can’t get behind a song about a boy asking Santa Claus to please not shoot him.
7) Spike Jones and His City Slickers – ‘All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth’

This song is annoying. It’s sung by a boy who is missing his “two front teeth” and there’s a grating, ever present whistle. All in all, a terrible song.
6) NewSong - 'The Christmas Shoes'

There are few songs that are so obviously created to make you cry. This story of a boy who simply wants to buy his dying mother a pair of shoes punches you in the face with sadness. Just what we need at Christmas.
5) Justin Bieber - 'Mistletoe'

While we understand the love for some of the Biebs catalogue, we don’t get understand the blind enthusiasm for some of his awful songs like ‘Mistletoe’.
4) Alvin and the Chipmunks - ‘The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)’

If you can handle almost unintelligible chipmunk voices than you probably love this classic Christmas song. Otherwise, you likely loath it. Especially if your children play it on repeat.
3) Lady Gaga – ‘Christmas Tree’

Lady Gaga has a lot of poppy, singable tunes. This isn’t one of them. It’s repetitive, overly sexual, and memorable for all the wrong reasons.
2) Paul McCartney and Wings – ‘Wonderful Christmas Time’

We listen to this song every year and likely don’t really listen to the soulless lyrics. It’s just a boring song where Paul McCartney repeats the same line over and over, hoping it won’t make you want to never listen to music again.
1) Lou Monte - 'Dominick the Donkey'

There are no Christmas songs more annoying and grating than ‘Dominick the Donkey’ and it “hee-hawing”. We don’t care if this is your family’s favorite song. It stinks.