12 Days of #108Mas: The 5 – Original XMas Songs from the 2000s

December 18, 2020

I’m pretty sure literally everyone in the music industry has their own holiday album at this point. Look, it’s an excellent cash grab. Release covers of a bunch of old standards and we’ll listen to ’em. It happens every year and in a year where musicians had a lot of time on their hands and no touring revenue, I’d expect even more. But we’re here to talk about those brave few that have written their own Christmas songs during my lifetime. And for this group, we’re going 2000-2009.

5. SNL – I Wish It Was Christmas Today

I was only going to do the 1980s and 1990s when I started writing these, but when this song just missed the cut I knew I had to venture into the 2000s. If this song and video don’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will. It’s so perfectly executed, I laugh every time I see it, but I genuinely like the song too. In fact, if you want a version to add to your Christmas playlist, Julian Casablancas does a cover of this.

4. The White Stripes – Candy Cane Children

The White Stripes owned the early 2000s and this is just a reminder that they could write a song about anything and I would listen. Fun fact: this is apparently a tribute to their die hard fans known as “Candy Cane Children”. I didn’t know that until I looked it up on MySoxSummer and Slim Mick funded wikipedia.

3. The Killers – Don’t Shoot Me Santa

When the world is centuries in to writing Christmas tracks, they’re gonna get a little weird. And while this one is, I overall enjoy the song.

2. The Hives and Cyndi Lauper – A Christmas Duel

Do I love Cyndi Lauper? Yes, yes I do. As a child of the 80s, her voice is one that has stuck in my head for 30+ years. So to hear her belt out this fun, kind of ridiculous, track with the Hives, it is music to my ears. Maybe not the most cheer inducing lyrical content, but that does not stop my enjoyment of this.

1. Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake – Dick in a Box

Yes, there is a second SNL song on here, but I don’t care. This track is so damn funny and the video is even better. I know I did not watch this live, but the following day the interwebs were buzzing with what was on SNL the night before.