Modern Christmas Songs - and their Music Videos

This is my 2008 selection of Xmas music videos from bands and artists that you never noticed (or would never believe) had released Christmas tracks.

But - don't think this makes them all sell-outs. Although there's some usual Christmas cheese in here, there are also some beautiful songs from accomplished artists such as Tom Waits and James Brown to (ahem) the Kick the Can Crew.

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Have I missed out any of your favourite obscure Christmas songs? Drop me an email!

Christmas Is - Run D.M.C.

A pioneering rap group of the 80s team up with an army of elves to spread the message that Christmas is a time to 'give up the dough, yo.'

(And presumably also to make videos that will come back to haunt your for decades to come.)

Step Into Christmas - Elton John

While he was still just about cool enough to pull it off, Elton John pulled out the feather boas and unforgivable chord changes necessary to throw together a track so kitch that Billboard magazine refused to allow it into the Hot 100.

Watch carefully for the moment (3'47") when the drummer tries to give Queen Elton a special little 'Christmas kiss'.

Soulful Christmas - James Brown

Mr Dynamite manages to hold off from his unintelligible scats for long enough to tell his fans that "James Brown loves you so", though this appears to be mainly because we've bought his records and seen his shows.

(Of course, we also sampled the crap out of his records, creating whole new genres of music without paying him a cent, but he was kind enough to gloss over that on this occasion.)

Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis - Tom Waits

An achingly sad Christmas track from the man who creates intense, vivid characters through his music. This track will leave a lump in the throat of even the most hardened bourbon drinker.

A Christmas Duel - The Hives & Cyndi Lauper

When an egomaniacal Sweedish punk band join forces with an American pop legend, you don't ask questions. You let them belt out an awesome rant of a Christmas song, and then let them give it away for free. Play this track loud and often this season, and find out who your real friends are.

Little Christmas Tree - Michael Jackson

Though it's taken from the only Christmus album that The Jackson 5 ever made, all you only really care about is the 12 year old Michael singing a stunning lead.

Just close your eyes and try to forget that this was the beginning of the inevitable slide into becoming a legend - first for all the right reasons and then for all the wrong ones.

Christmas Eve Rap - Kick the Can Crew

This is a real band, I shit you not. After the Japanese hiphop trio's early sucessess, it appears they gambled everything on the most archetypal Xmas song that j-pop has ever seen. Enjoy the bells, the heavy back beat, and more melanholy than a Haruki Murakami novel. Oh - and the lyrics are included, karaoke-style, so you can learn Japanese while you learn to rap.

That was your New Year resolution, right?