Fairytale of New York - The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl. Wonderfully 'mournful but joyful' folky tune and glorious lyrics that remind us Christmas doesn't always go smoothly.
Merry Christmas Baby - Ray Charles. A festive blues classic played by many different artists but Ray absolutely nailed it for me.
Stop the Cavalry - Jona Lewie. Beautiful marching song, sounds like a church carol and carries a strong political punch delivered in a wonderfully deadpan voice. Great because it's a successful oddball.
Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt. So sexy. Very memorably covered by Kylie too.
Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade. Down-to-earth lyrics about a family Xmas, the most ridiculously dressed band ever, and that great screaming voice. It's ubiquitous at this time of year, but for good reason.
