Christmas songs are great and all, but don’t you ever get tired of the classics? Do you ever wish that “All I Want For Christmas Is You” had a bit more edge, or that “White Christmas” packed more oomph? No need to fear: We’ve got you covered this holiday season.
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From The Dickies’ loud take on “Silent Night” to Ramones’ original, “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight),” we’re here to show you that the holidays don’t have to be boring. You can turn up the season as loud as you want as you mosh around the Christmas tree.
Check out 12 of Billboard’s favorite punk rock Christmas songs below.
1. The Dickies, “Silent Night”
This ’70s punk version of “Silent Night” is anything but silent. The Dickies made sure of that by adding killer guitar lines, busting out some shaky vocals and topping off the tune with a “silent night!” chant.
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2. My Chemical Romance, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
The original “All I Want for Christmas is You” is iconic — but if you’re looking for something a little more angsty and desperate, this is it. MCR’s rendition of the Mariah Carey classic is chock-full of blaring guitars and rock ‘n’ roll feelings.
3. August Burns Red, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”
Don’t be fooled by the happy, care-free opening: this take on “Rudolph” is more like the answer to, “What would it sound like if ol’ red nose joined a metal band?” That crazy double-kick drum action puts this tune one giant leap ahead of the original song synonymous with the animated classic.
4. The Vandals, “Oi To The World”
This tune by the classic Orange County, California lifers isn’t just the intense version of “Joy to the World” — rather, it is an original tongue-in-cheek holiday punk anthem. No Doubt helped popularize the song with their cover, which, of course, happened way before Gwen Stefani was singing jazz-laced Christmas pop.
5. Bad Religion, “White Christmas”
If you’re looking for a full-rock Christmas album, you’re in luck, because BR made one, and this is one of its crowning tracks. This “White Christmas” rendition demands a spotlight. It’s more like the thing people scream to at a concert rather than play in the background at a holiday party.
6. Blink-182, “I Won’t Be Home For Christmas”
This is the Christmas song for people who don’t like Christmas songs (or holiday traditions in general, for that matter). If you want someone to feel pissed off about the season alongside you, Blink’s got your back.
7. Relient K, “12 Days of Christmas”
Relient K smashed the world with a version of “12 Days of Christmas” that begs the question we’ve all been asking: “What’s a partridge, and what’s a pear tree?” This honest, guitar-driven jam says it how it is. “I can bet those are terrible gifts to get,” frontman Matt Thiessen admits between the endless refrains.
8. American Hi-Fi, Mike Herrera “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)”
American Hi-Fi and the MxPx frontman teamed up to turn up this classic. The drumming is serious (and super fast) while the passionate “Baby, please come home” cry is dripping with anxious emotion.
9. Rise Against, “Making Christmas”
Technically, this one’s not a true Christmas song (it’s more like a holiday-hinting Halloween song), but with groups like Pentatonix recently adding it to their Christmas albums, we figured it could make the list. Rise Against channeled all their energy (and some screaming) into this cover from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
10. Thousand Foot Krutch, “Jingle Bell Rock”
You’ve heard “Jingle Bell Rock” before, but you’ve definitely never heard it like this. This version may boast the same lyrics as Bobby Helms‘ 1957 classic, but the melody (and blaring guitars) are nowhere close. Get ready for some casual headbanging.
11. Issues, “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays”
*NSYNC has got some competition. Issues’ version of “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” leans a little more on the screamo side and a little less on the boy band one. That being said, it’s still got those jingle bells to keep that Christmas cheer going.
12. Ramones, “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight)”
No punk rock Christmas list would be complete without Ramones. This get-over-it classic crashed the party in 1989 and has been pumping up every holiday season since; “‘Cause Christmas ain’t the time for breaking each other’s heart.”