If you’re strolling the mall or tuning into an AM radio playlist I’m just going to say it. No. You’re not hearing what I’m hearing. Of course, that’s why you’re here. To get the lowdown on the catchiest, poppiest, hookiest festive music fare available. Here are nearly two dozen holiday-infused melodic wonders to liven up your celebrations, whatever they may be.

Simon Love nails it. It seems like we’ve barely said ‘happy new year’ before the Santa ritual begins anew. “It’s Christmas All Over Again” gives us the bells and a ‘look on the bright side’ sentiment, all wrapped up in a Costello-ish taut melody. Next up it’s practically our holiday house band, Make Like Monkeys. As expected they’ve got yet another seasonal LP Make Like Christmas and just a sample of opening cut “Fa La La It’s Time for Christmas” will let you know it’s gonna be another special collection. Chris Lund strikes a more bittersweet chord on “Christmas Time” with its Lennonesque holiday atmosphere. It’s seasonally sombre with just a bit of uplift where it’s needed most. Then there’s Movie Movie’s distinctive, echoing lead guitar line strung like colourful Christmas lights throughout their call to enjoy the season on “Another Holiday.” Party like it’s 2099 indeed. For a bit of pop punk holiday spirit there’s Glenn Robinson’s “Jesus Christ (Can You Believe That It’s Christmas).” It’s rough and not quite ready for polite company but that’s what makes it so special. One of my new fave bands from 2025 give their Greenock, Scotland best to the season on “Favourite Time.” I know I’ve compared The Cords to The Primitives a lot but, come on, it’s pretty Coventry adjacent in the very best of ways.

And then there’s the people in our Christmas neighbourhood, the boys, the girls, and that dude having his birthday amidst it all. The Easy Button give us a story about a “Christmas Girl” who has got the holiday event down, with plenty of reverby guitar and a Difford/Tilbrook song style. By contrast the Spongetones give their “Christmas Boy” a touch of the old fashioned carol. Sort of folky with a twisty tune to suit. Of course, it can’t be Christmas without an appearance from a certain historical baby and we’ve got that covered with The Bret Tobias Set and their seasonal 45 “For Christ’s Sake.” The track’s got a swaying, singalong quality with some nice vocal help from Krista Umile.

On the presents front, we’ve got plenty of holiday-driven needs getting musical expression. I love the demented stoner consumerism of The Memories “Santa Bring Me Some Toys.” It’s just so hilariously dead serious and over the top. The Decibels hit more traditional ‘I want my baby on Xmas’ themes with their “Christmas Wish,” awash in plenty of jangly guitars. Parallax Project take up a related classic theme, the better man talking up the gal with the cheating boyfriend, on their equally jangling “All I Want for Christmas (is a Chance).” And to wrap up this presents focus, U.S. Highball take on the Fab Four novelty number “I Want a Beatle for Xmas” and manage to add sonic depth to what was a pretty throwaway exploitation number. Well done boys!

There’s also room here for some traditional holiday music fare, zhuzhed up poprock style naturally. Fur Trader gives “Silver Bells” a shoegazey glaze, with a children’s chorus to add some sparkle. theCatherines add some Cars-worthy guitar and a lovely duo vocal to “Let It Snow.” Then “Sleigh Ride” gets a full-on guitar workout from an aptly-named band that keeps the electric lead lines popping all over the tune. It’s just what one would expect from a group with a moniker like The Guitars. The Jeanines take Yoko Ono’s “Listen, The Snow is Falling” and turn out a masterful folky, poppy performance. Sounds pretty traditional to me.

A lot of holiday songs focus on matters of time. Dublin’s Music City give us a Spector-worthy mediation on that rush to get home in time on their “Only Home for Christmas” with plenty of cool vocal oohs and ahhs. The Successful Failures conjure that child-only panic that comes with trying to fall asleep on Christmas Eve so you can enjoy “Christmas Morning (Yellow Canary).” With plenty of crashing guitar chords to soothe you to sleep. Not done with this one and Mark Crozier is already on about “Next Christmas,” though it’s the snow he’s forecasting a year hence. Love the squealy keyboard solo mid-song.

If there’s something this ole world needs it’s a bit more love, joy and jollity. And maybe a bit more faith in the kind of society good people can create together if we really try. John Hopkins offers up lovely old fashioned sentiments on  “Jolly Old Nicholas” very much in a timeless but traditional form. Top pop songstress Lisa Mychols dials up the holiday good feeling on her irrepressibly hooky “Joy Is In the Giving.” Christchurch’s Imperial April ring out a big bell sound on their Christmas ode “I Love This Time of Year.” I could hear Blondie covering this. Wrapping up our holiday tour of duty through all the merry music I could scrape together this season we have Kirby Krackle and “I Believe in Christmas.” It’s poppy and moving and very much about the magic that can be this season.

Merry ho ho dear Poprock Record readers. I hope you get to enjoy peace, togetherness and some great music in whatever way you celebrate this time of year.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.