Unfortunately, I could not complete the Country Christmas Playlist this year due to technical issues. However, since the days become shorter and colder, I have been collecting songs and albums related to Christmas representing other genres. The result is this posting about different kind of holiday tracks. For 2023, I decided to split them into different sections / categoreis. Hope you have some good – and some funny – listens. I did not go too much for a ranking or similar. Per category, the songs are rather in a chronological order. I try to focus on one entry per single or album at most.

If you don’t feel like clicking through YouTube video, have a look at the bottom of the posting 🙂 Title picture used is the single cover by Tina Rogers, Christmas In The City.

 

Famous Artists’ Christmas

Cashing in some funds for the presents of all the beloved ones or just trying out anything else? Not only in country music, big names of the business go for a festive release. Some are good. As in the other categories, I rather go for a wider overview than just focusing on my favorites.

 

Cher – DJ Play a Christmas Song

Cher has been one of the first big names who kicked off the musical time. This typical-Cher-alike pop track has been released in early October 2024, followed by her album Christmas two weeks later.

 

OneRepublic – Dear Santa

The single cover is definitely a highlight of this festive release by the US-American pop-rock band. I really like that song – even though it is a bit of stereotypical.

 

Tokio Hotel – Your Christmas

Tokio Hotel are on tour in 2024. Maybe they needed some promotion for that and recorded this Christmas song. I am not too much fond of it.

 

 

 

Christmas Classics

From Silent Night to All I Want For Christmas Is You – quite a majority of x-mas releases are already well known to us. Nonetheless, they deserve some presence in here as well – I typically went for “special versions”, though.

 

The BBC Singers – Do They Know It’s Christmas

The BBC-hosted (and paid) chamber choir released the album Carols Revisited. There are just a few sections which really tell you which song they are currently dealing with. Interesting sound from the United Kingdom.

 

Alanis Morissette – Last Christmas

There are so many versions of this Wham! classic – it is really remarkable that the US-Canadian rock singer found a way to turn it into her very own track.

 

Sabrina Carpenter – White xmas

In the list of most frequently Christmas songs, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is definitely one of the top selections. Sabrina Carpenter (who is also known as actor) released her EP fruitcake with six songs on 17th November 2023. White xmas is her version of it, closing the set of songs. And if you are very brave, you might even listen to Jingle Bells as well.

 

Tarja – All I Want For Christmas Is You

Already on 10th November 2023, legendary Finnish singer Tarja Turunen released her album Darf Christmas. The songs are all well-known, but likely you haven’t thought about them in that way so far. If you are tired of Mariah, why not doing it the Scandinavian way?

 

voXXclub – Hallelujah

Is Leonard Cohen’s song already a Christmas classic? I would say so. The Munich-origin band voXXclub released this cover in mid November 2023. They typically do vocal-based traditional German folk music. However, this one is somehow impressing.

 

Ingo ohne Flamingo – Fröhliche Weihnacht überall

(Mallorca) party schlager is one of the rather obscure German pop genres. On 1st December 2023, five artists joined for the Vollgas Xmas Party EP with German Christmas classics made to have some sangria on the next Balearic party. I went for this song – the artist anme, by the way, translates to “Ingo Without Flamingo”. He used to be on stage wearing a duck mask.

 

 

Christmas Pop

There are typically always some really nice Christmas pop tracks each year. And some others. Let’s see what I have in stock for this year.

 

Tom Dee – Christmas Girl

Tom Dee is a German artist from Prien in Southern Bavaria. This track has been released in October 2023, as a collaboration with producer Markus Reiter. I like it.

 

Mimi Webb – Back Home For Christmas

I really liked the 2023 releases by British pop artist Mimi Webb. This Christmas track is explicitly included in that statement. Sounds like fun, Christmas – and like Mimi Webb. Nice.

 

Svea – Feels Like Christmas

On the same day, Swedish artist Svea released her holiday single Feels Like Christmas. Maybe a bit too many jingle bells, but overall a nice release.

 

Bon Jovi – Christmas Isn’t Christmas

No, I did not miss the right category. It feels like hard rockers like Bon Jovi become soft and sentimental during the holidays. At least that is what this gentle, but good listen is suggesting.

 

Clara Louise – Merry Christmas (A New Wind Blows)

In mid-November, German artist Clara Louise released this blend of Irish folk and pop vibes. There are still so many new and good ideas to do Christmas music – you don’t need to take the ones already available.

 

Jonny Götze – How Would It Be

When I ran into the release on 17th November 2023, I really loved both versions of this song by Berlin artist Jonny Götze. Both? Yeah, the single release does not only contain this version, but also the German one, Was wäre, wenn (which means the same). Beautiful listen.

 

They Called Me Phoebe – Alone Under My Christmas Tree

A German artist I really more and more loved during 2023 is They Called Me Phoebe. She also released a Christmas track in her very own style. A beauty!

 

Patricia Kelly – Christmas With You

In my 24th November 2023 edition of Songs of the Week, I had a rather special situation. Iggi Kelly lead the posting with new single releases, followed by his mother Patricia. The US-Irish artist and former member of the Kelly Family released this beautiful Christmas pop song hat day. Hope you like it as well.

 

Thorsteinn Einarsson – A Christmas Card

Another artist I really enjoyed following during 2023 is the Icelandic artist Thorsteinn Einarsson. In mid-November, he released this beautiful pop song.

 

Tina Rogers – Christmas In The City

Tina Rogers is praising the Christmas celebrations in her home town Erfurt in Germany with this song. The 1st December 2023 release including the beautiful cover artwork is definitely good marketing for the city in Thuringia.

 

Levin – Merry Christmas

A typical, a bit of kitschy and stereotypical Christmas release from Switzerland. But ain’t that the time of year where you want to listen to exactly this kind of song? I like it!

 

Deniece Pearson – Santa Claus is Coming

No, he his not coming to town. British Deniece Pearson, former member of the band Five Star, released this song in early December 2023. A powerful Christmas tune with nice vibes.

 

 

 

Christmas Obscura

Ain’t this category somehow our favorite? Metal tracks, completely “special” compositions and more? Hope I found a couple of these kind of songs for you. 

 

Pentatonix – Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

The Pentatonix album The Greatest Christmas Hits would definitely qualify for several categories in here. However, what the US-American vocal group made out of Tschaikowski’s classic is simply masterful – but also kind of strange. Just a perfect candidate for this category. The song has already been released nine years ago as a single – in 2023 it came back as part of the album.

 

Simon sagt – Wir sind die Wichtel

Even though the song by the German children rock music artist is one of my Christmas favorites this year, I just cannot deny that this song (“We are the dwarfs”) has a lot of Flyctory Obscura potential. Nonetheless, I really like the song. It even made it to my 3rd November Songs of the Week. 

 

Jens Dreesmann – Weihnachtsshopping

A bit of jazz, some pop vibes, a touch of swing – German artist Jens Dreesmann is focusing on “Christmas Shopping”, stating that he is already caring about it in May already. Fun one.

 

Jonny Blue – Sweet, Sweet Christmas

Marimbas, reggae vibes and some Latin touch – obscure Christmas music does not at all mean that it is a bad song. I even feel that this song by Austrian artist Jonny Blue comes with a really nice touch. The single release also includes a German version.

 

Kopfeck – Nexts Johr is a wieder Weihnachten

“I wanted to compose my Christmas song this year and produce professionally in the studio” is one of the verses of this track. The Munich band Kopfeck recorded this rock-pop track with a rather ironic view on the Christmas time – in music business as well as in private life. And as all these things are a bit too much, the song simply translates “Next year, it’s Christmas again”. No need to hurry… But you should enjoy this song this year already.

 

Rian – Entspannte Weihnachten

Who does not wish for Entspannte Weihnachten – relaxed Christmas? Okay, the way the Austrian singer Rian is doing it is a bit of special. “I have been to Amsterdam before”… and the cookies have some special ingredients. Love it! The whole Christmas EP Rian allein zu Haus is worth a listen.

 

 

Schlager and German Traditionals

Flyctory.com is a German website – so I have to give you a certain focus on one of the most disputed genres in my home country. Here are some Christmas in the traditional German pop style, schlager. In this category I also put Volksmusik songs – traditional German folk music

 

Wolfgang Petry – Immer wenn es schneit

Wolfgang Petry did one of the best Christmas schlager songs of the season to me, when he released this song in mid-October 2023. A nice groove, a good melody and nice lyrics. I really like it!

 

Tanja Lasch – Sterne der Weihnacht

Apart from some rather harsh German cover versions of English Christmas and Christmas pop songs, Tanja Lasch’s Christmas schlager album Fröhliche Weihnachtszeit also contains some really nice tracks. This one is one of them.

 

Roland Kaiser & Michelle Hunziger – Baby, It’s Cold Outside

I really like the music by Roland Kaiser – and it works surprisingly well when the schlager legend is singing in English. However, the collaboration with the Swiss-Italian artist, who is rather a TV host (popular in Germany as well) is not a highlight of his career to me.

 

Thomas Anders & Florian Silbereisen – Alles funkelt! Alles glitzert!

Everthing is glittering! Everything is sparkling! I don’t feel too much shining in this collaboration. The collaboration of Anders and Silbereisen felt to work out well. At the moment, I feel it is more and more slowing itself down.

Helly Kumpusch – Weihnachtsengel

I feel a bit of sorry for this one. The songwriting in this song about the “Christmas Angel” is really nice. However, there are some technical lacks. Nonetheless, I really enjoy listening to this track. By the way, the song is a charity release.

 

Det Haggard – Rudi’s rote Nase

A touch of schlager, a bit of country and the red-nosed reindeer. That’s the key ingredients to Det Haggard’s 8th December 2023 release Rudi’s rote Nase.

 

 

 

Christmas Rock

Unfortunately, there are typically just very few Christmas tracks which come with “proper” guitars. Here are my songs to this category.

 

Deine Cousine – Stille Nächte

The German rock singer Deine Cousine (“Your Cousin”, civil name is Ina) released this lovely mixture of Christmas, rock and shanty vibes. Just the right sound for the holiday season.

 

Fury In The Slaughterhouse – Far Cry From Home (Christmas Version)

The typical Fury rock sound with a folk music touch… and some jingle bells. The Hanover rock band sounds great also during the holidays. Nice release as of 17th November 2023.

 

Leo Moracchioli – Feliz Navidad

His Frog Leap Studios metal covers are legendary – and, of course, there is also a holiday track by the Norwegian. I wanna wish you a merry Christmas has rarely been that hard.

 

 

Other Genres

Finally… These ones did not fit in any box…

 

Gregory Porter – Christmas Wish

The US-American jazz musician recorded a Christmas song in his very own style – with a touch of soul and gospel. Cool and intense sound released on 13th October 2023. Later this year, he released a full Christmas album.

 

Nils Wülker – A Child Is Born

Brass instruments are a typical sound of the holiday season. German Nils Wülker interpreted some winter song in his mid-November EP Rays of Winter Sun. Nice instrumental listen.

 

Trickster – Silent Night vs Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Austrian artist Jürgen Pichler (artist name: Trickster) released this swing-big band mash up of two classics. Definitely a very special one.The song comes with almost 500k streams on YouTube.

 

Bony Macaroni – December 25th (The Morning After)

This track just made it into the list last minute – you can also find it in the Songs of the Week. The Dutch band have their very own way of thinking about the day after the big Christmas party has taken place.

 

 

Christmas Songs 2023 – The Playlist

To make listening to these tunes easier, I create a Spotify playlist with all songs in this post. The Tokio Hotel song is not available on the platform (Amazon exclusive…)

 

Flyctory.com about Christmas

Here are all Flyctory.com postings which deal with Christmas in any way:

 

Flyctory Obscura

Flyctory Obscura-tagged reviews represent weird, unique, entertaining places of all kind: