With the holiday season in full swing once again, we have taken the time to gather all the tunes that will get too much air time over the coming weeks. Love them or hate them, there is something here for everyone. Call us a bunch of Scrooges, but these songs have us going ‘Bah, Humbug!’

1. “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time” - Paul McCartney

This song is thought to be unbearable across the boards.

Check it out here:

2. “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” - Dr. Elmo

In our research we’ve come to find that Christmas songs sometimes take on an odd angle, and this one may take the cake. Grandma, dying, on Christmas?! Check out the video here:

3. “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” - Gayla Peevey

As if the sentiment of this odd song isn’t enough, the vocal tracking of the nasal Gayla Peevey is the star on top of the Christmas tree:

4. “So This Is Christmas (War is Over)” - John Lennon

An unsettling paradox of the joy of Christmas set against the horrors of the world. Depressing … thanks, John:

5. “Christmas Shoes” - Newsong

Picking perhaps the most depressing sentiment (a young boy wanting to take care of his dying mother) and pairing it with Christmas results in the most cringe-worthy song we’ve ever heard:

6. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” - Band Aid

Continuing with the depression streak, we have Band Aid’s original Christmas tune.

Sure, it’s for charity, which we can’t argue with, nor can we argue with a 1984 Bono, but this ‘80s synthesized song imposes too much of a guilt-trip for the holiday season:

7. “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day” - Wizzard

Christmas is fun and all, but every day?

No, thanks. Plus the costumes these guys are decked out in in the video are just plain creepy:

8. “Mistletoe” - Justin Bieber

We may be calling this one a bit early as it’s the Biebs first foray into Christmas tunes, but any Christmas ditty that employs the term “shawty” is flat out wrong in our book.

9. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” - Enya

While the sentiment is nice, the repetition is grating. Plus, what is figgy pudding and why would anyone want it brought to them? Here’s Enya’s slower take on the song, which makes it probably even more annoying:

10. “Christmas Time is Here” - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Whether it’s the prepubescent voices squeaking out this song, or the ho-hum interlude typical of Charlie Brown, this song just doesn’t get our spirits high:


Orginally published December 2, 2011