Looking to rock around the Christmas tree this holiday season? Amid the bevy of bad compilation albums and sappy charity singles, there are some surprising hard rock holiday tunes to get you through the season. So pass the eggnog– and get ready for a not-so-silent night!
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” – Ronnie James Dio
There’s nothing like a Christmas compilation album to get the metal heads to come out of the woodwork. This little ditty featured heavy metal icons Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi on a metal-infused track for the hilariously titled “We Wish You a metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year.” Of course, listening to this may put you on Santa’s naughty list….
“Let Me Sleep” (“It’s Christmas Time”) – Pearl Jam
Who’d have thunk that in their grunge-y prime, this Seattle band would have dropped a Christmas single? But in 1991, Pearl Jam released a fan club-only Christmas single, which they sent out to members of their Ten Club. The Ten Club holiday single became an annual tradition, but with only 1500 copies of the original vinyl single manufactured, it remains one of the most collectible pieces from Pearl Jam’s early days.
“Little Drummer Boy”/”Silent Night”/”Auld Lang Syne”- Jimi Hendrix
We knew he could jam to “The Star Spangled Banner,” but we didn’t peg legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix as a little drummer boy. But during rehearsals for a 1969 concert at the Fillmore East, Hendrix recorded a medley of Christmas tunes. The result was a hard rock jam session that was anything but a silent night.
“We Three Kings” -Rob Halford
Once upon a time, he was the heavy metal king, but in 2009 he opted to sing about three kings. The Judas Priestfront man told Noisecreep that his “Winter Songs” album was inspired in part by the holiday flick, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” The result is a mix of holiday standards along with some glam-Christmas originals.
“O Holy Night”- Scott Weiland
The Stone Temple Pilots front man got into crooner mode as he belted out an entire album worth of Christmas classics on his 2011 holiday album, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Singing traditional holiday fare like “The Christmas Song” and “Silent Night,” it’s hard to believe this is the same guy who brought us “Sex Type Thing.” Listen to a preview here.
“Do They Know It’s Christmas” – Band Aid
It was the song that launched Live Aid, as Bob Geldof and his rock and roll cast of characters recorded and mixed this famine relief charity single in one 24-hour session back in 1984. But while the project was launched for a good cause, the Bono lyric “Tonight, thank God it’s them instead of you” didn’t exactly scream good will towards men.
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ ToTown” – Dokken
Forget Springsteen’s overplayed version. This 2007 rendition of ” Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” will transport you back to the late 1980s, big hair and all. The song was released on the “Monster Ballads Xmas” album, alongside Skid Row and Twisted Sister holiday songs. But who knew that Don Dokken could be Father Christmas?
“Rock and Roll Christmas” – George Thorogood & The Destroyers
From the man who brought us the rambling “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” how about some Christmas spirits? Thorogood’s 1983 single, “Rock and Roll Christmas” featured his rockin’ holiday wish list as he sang, “I want a Chuck Berry record, and a picture of Elvis too, A pair of ice skates for my baby Peggy Sue, and a phonograph player so I can rock and roll with you.”
“Candy Cane Children” + B sides – The White Stripes
Merry Christmas from…The White Stripes? The 2002 single “Candy Cane Children” was strange enough (sample lyric: Oh, when Christmas finally comes, And nobody’s got a gun, And you think it might be fun, To get a new toy”), but even more bizarre was the B-side, which featured Meg White singing an a capella “Silent Night” and Jack White reading the story of the Magi. You can hear Jack preaching the Gospel of Matthew here.
“White Christmas” – Zakk Wylde
What’s surprising about this tune isn’t that it’s Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde doing a Christmas song, but more that it’s totally un-wild. Instead of going rock and roll crazy on the all-instrumental track (Ted Nugent’s “Deck the Halls,” we’re looking at you!), Wylde opted for a classic, totally acoustic version of the most recorded Christmas song in history. Fitting for a man whose beard rivals Santa’s!
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