Best Nontraditional Holidays Songs

What are the best nontraditional songs to play on holidays?

For nearly 30 years, I’ve listened to Dead Man’s Party by Oingo Boingo every Halloween. Despite a past debate, I think it’s the ultimate Halloween track. While playing it repeatedly this year, I wondered whether my Halloween tradition could extend to other holidays. Instead of the normal holiday favorites, I wanted songs with a similar chaotic upbeat/off-kilter vibe.

Here’s my list of the best high-energy, nontraditional songs for other major holidays:

New Year’s

I’m starting with the most difficult one for me. My initial choice was the somewhat obvious New Year’s Day from U2; the song demands attention from the opening riff and literally sounds like a new dawn breaking.

However, I chose the Talking Heads’ Burning Down the House instead. The literal imagery of burning down the old house makes it a high-adrenaline track to blast as we leave behind the old year and welcome the new one.

Fourth of July

Yes, I know I could choose Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen or R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. by John (Cougar) Mellencamp. Both are excellent high-energy songs but they are literal and I’m looking for nontraditional.

My answer is Rock Lobster by The B-52’s. While the song isn’t strictly about the 4th of July, it’s an upbeat summer-themed track packed with absurd imagery and frantic energy. The song matches the theatrical, fun loving weirdness of Dead Man’s Party.

Thanksgiving

A shoutout to Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie. Because it came out in 1967, most of you probably haven’t heard it before. Give it a listen; it’s a sprawling, 18-minute storytelling blues song about Thanksgiving. Nontraditional for sure but not high energy enough for this list.

Maybe controversially, I chose She Don’t Use Jelly from The Flaming Lips; a catchy song about bizarre food habits (a girl who puts Vaseline on her toast, a guy who uses tangerines for hair gel, and another who likes maggot cheese). Play this song while everyone is talking about their favorite foods for the holidays.

Christmas

Not surprisingly, there are a ton of high-energy nontraditional songs about Christmas:

• I Won’t Be Home For Christmas by blink-182
  Blink’s signature pop-punk style; this song leans into the stress, irritation, and absolute chaos of family holidays.
• All I Want for Christmas by My Chemical Romance
  A raucous, distorted cover of Mariah Carey’s classic, trading slick pop production for raw emo-rock energy.
• Father Christmas by The Kinks
  Punk, before people knew about punk. It’s about a department store Santa getting mugged by kids demanding cash instead of toys.

All good options but my choice has to be Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses. It’s about a year of missed connections, ending in a chance encounter at a grocery store. The song captures the joyful spirit of the holiday season without being literal.

Let the debates begin in the comments. What do you think are the best nontraditional holiday songs?