Are you tired of hearing the same old Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman on constant repeat everywhere you go over the holiday season? Well, it’s time to ditch the sleigh bells and crank up the volume! Over the years, rock and metal bands have embraced the holiday spirit as well. From headbanging cover renditions of classic Christmas songs to originals, these artists prove that the holidays can be loud and heavy and not just cheesy and overplayed. Who says you can’t have a little chaos with your Christmas cheer?
In this post, we’re sharing a curated list of the best rock and metal Christmas songs to add a little excitement to your holiday playlist. But that’s not all—check out our Spotify playlist and head over to our YouTube channel for videos that’ll make you want to headbang through your holiday decorations.
Why Rock and Metal Fans Love Holiday Music
Holiday music and heavy riffs—who would’ve thought it’s a match made in festive heaven? There’s something uniquely satisfying about blending the cheer of the season with the raw power of rock and metal. And sometimes those heavy bands even throw in something quite beautiful and traditional as well. Rock and metal are rooted in rebellion, always pushing against the grain. And what could be more rebellious than taking the most wholesome, traditional holiday tunes and giving them a thunderous, headbanging twist?
Holiday Rock and Metal Fun Facts
Before we get to the list, here are some fun tidbits to crank up your holiday spirit (and your speakers).
- Christopher Lee’s Metal Legacy: Did you know that the legendary actor Christopher Lee (yes, Saruman from The Lord of the Rings) had a late-life career as a metal artist? He even released holiday metal songs, like his rendition of The Little Drummer Boy.
- Gwar’s Christmas Chaos: Leave it to Gwar to deliver Stripper Christmas Summer Weekend—a holiday anthem that’s exactly as wild and absurd as you’d expect from Gwar. It’s not for the faint of heart, but hey, neither is Gwar.
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Unlikely Rise: Trans-Siberian Orchestra may now be a holiday institution, but their fusion of progressive rock and Christmas classics wasn’t an obvious hit at first. Their breakthrough? The viral music video for Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24, featuring synchronized holiday lights—a tradition that’s become a global phenomenon.
- Twisted Sister’s Festive Shenanigans: When Twisted Sister released A Twisted Christmas, they leaned into the campy holiday vibe, complete with Dee Snider donning a Santa hat. Their version of Oh Come All Ye Faithful is so close to We’re Not Gonna Take It.
- Lemmy’s Festive Side: The legendary Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead might not scream “holiday cheer,” but his rendition of Run Rudolph Run alongside Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl proved that even the most hardcore rockers can embrace the season.
Ready to Rock Your Holiday Party?
If you’re all about bringing the rock ‘n roll vibes to your holiday celebrations, you’re going to want to grab our Holiday Headbanger’s Toolkit! It’s packed with everything you need to turn your holiday bash into a headbanging good time—rock-inspired drink and snack recipes, a killer playlist to keep the mood just right, and party-planning checklists to make sure your event goes off without a hitch.
🎸 Get your hands on it now, and let’s make this holiday season unforgettable! 🎸
Ok. Now to the playlist!
Holiday Headbanger’s Playlist Breakdown
Not all holiday rock and metal tracks are created equal—some will have you moshing by the tree, while others are perfect for sipping spiked eggnog by the fire. To help you navigate this headbanging holiday wonderland, we’ve grouped tracks into categories that match every festive mood. Whether you’re here for the heartwarming classics or the face-melting riffs, with this list of rock and metal Christmas songs,we’ve got you covered!
New Releases
To keep things fresh, we’ve also added some new holiday rock releases to our playlist. Ricky Warwick’s ‘All I Want For Christmas…Is Christmas!’ is a standout addition. Featuring Billy Duffy and Joe Elliott, it’s a collaboration you won’t want to miss. Check out the music video and make sure to add it to your holiday rotation!
FireRock Music Group just dropped The 1st Metal Christmas, a thunderous rendition of ‘Carol of the Bells’ featuring an all-star lineup: Chris Poland (Megadeth), Metal Mike Chlasciak (Halford), and drummer Pat Gesualdo. This track kicks off a new annual tradition of heavy metal holiday covers featuring legends from the Metal Hall of Fame All-Star Band. Add this one to your playlist and check it out!
And recently August Burns Red released a new Christmas tune. They shared: “In keeping with our annual tradition, we are excited to reveal this year’s August Burns Red holiday song. We tackled the classical ballet ‘Waltz of the Flowers,’ taken from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. It was so much fun adding our spin to the timeless melodies written by this legendary composer. Hope you like it and Happy Holidays!”
Classic Rock Christmas Songs
- The Eagles – Please Come Home for Christmas
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – Christmas Time Again
- Queen – Thank God It’s Christmas
- The Beach Boys – Little Saint Nick
- Paul McCartney – Wonderful Christmastime
Hard Rock Christmas Songs
- Twisted Sister – Oh Come All Ye Faithful (from A Twisted Christmas)
- Billy Squier – Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You
- AC/DC – Mistress for Christmas
- Cheap Trick – I Want You for Christmas
- Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody
Metal Christmas Songs
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24
- King Diamond – No Presents for Christmas
- Halford – We Three Kings (from Winter Songs)
- Type O Negative – Red Water (Christmas Mourning)
- Within Temptation – Gothic Christmas
Punk-Inspired Christmas Songs
- The Ramones – Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)
- The Vandals – Oi to the World!
- Dropkick Murphys – The Season’s Upon Us
- Bad Religion – Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Blink-182 – I Won’t Be Home for Christmas
1. August Burns Red – All I Want for Christmas Is You
Dillon’s Top 5
2. I Declare War – Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer (not available for streaming)
3. Bad Religion – O Come All Ye Faithful
4. The Suicide Machines – You’re A Mean a Mean One, Mr Grinch
5. Goldfinger – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Modern Rock/Alternative Christmas Songs
- My Chemical Romance – All I Want for Christmas Is You (Cover)
- Panic! At The Disco – Feels Like Christmas
- Foo Fighters – Run Rudolph Run (Cover)
- The Killers – Don’t Shoot Me Santa
- Thirty Seconds to Mars – Santa Through the Back Door
Fun Rock & Metal Compilations
- We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year – A compilation featuring songs like:
- Run Rudolph Run by Lemmy, Billy Gibbons, and Dave Grohl
- Silent Night by Chuck Billy and Scott Ian
- A Very Metal Christmas – Various Artists
Symphonic and Gothic Metal Christmas Songs
- Nightwish – Walking in the Air (from The Snowman)
- Tarja – O Tannenbaum (from From Spirits and Ghosts – Score for a Dark Christmas)
- Epica – Sancta Terra (Christmas Version)
- Lacuna Coil – Naughty Christmas
- Leaves’ Eyes – Feast of the Year
Heavy Metal and Thrash Christmas
- Sabaton – Christmas Truce (A war-themed Christmas story from The War to End All Wars)
- Helix – Christmas Time Is Here Again
- Manowar – Silent Night
Pop Punk/Alternative Holiday Songs
- Green Day – Xmas Time of the Year
- Jimmy Eat World – Last Christmas (Cover)
- Fall Out Boy – Yule Shoot Your Eye Out
- All Time Low – Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass
- Relient K – 12 Days of Christmas
Deep Cuts and Hidden Gems
- The Darkness – Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)
- Spinal Tap – Christmas with the Devil
- Billy Idol – Jingle Bell Rock (Yes, this happened.)
- Gwar – Stripper Christmas Summer Weekend
- Christopher Lee – Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing (Yes, Saruman himself was a metal god!)
1. Little Drummer Boy – David Bowie and Bing Crosby
Hilary’s Top 5
2. Fairytale of New York by The Pogues
3. Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24
4. The Darkness – Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)
5. Oh Holy Night By Halford
Metal Christmas Instrumentals
- August Burns Red – Carol of the Bells
- Steve Vai – Christmas Time Is Here
- Joe Satriani – Silent Night (Guitar instrumental)
- Gary Hoey – The Twelve Days of Christmas
Christmas Comedy Rock
- Tenacious D – Things I Want
- Steel Panther – The Stocking Song
- Weird Al Yankovic – Christmas at Ground Zero
Rocking around the Christmas tree just got a whole new meaning, didn’t it? From the thunderous drums to the soaring vocals, these rock and metal Christmas songs bring a unique twist to the season. Whether you’re a lifelong headbanger or just dipping your toes into the rock world, we hope this playlist brings some extra cheer to your holidays.
And hey, if you’ve got a favorite track we didn’t mention, let us know—we’d love to add it to the mix.
Thanks for rocking through the holidays with us. Here’s to a season filled with joy, loud guitars, and maybe even a little moshing under the mistletoe!
Leave a Reply