Jacob Uitti

The holidays are upon us. First it's Thanksgiving and then December with its plethora of celebratory times, including December 25. Indeed, Christmas is just around the corner. And while it can be a very fun time for many, it can also be a subject to put to punk rock. To wit, these three songs here below.

Over the years, there have been plenty of lounge singers who have put their honeyed voices to holiday songs. But while most of them performed in the early or middle part of the 20th century, there is a new name who has taken up the mantle. Standing tall in the lineage of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, and others is the Burnaby, British Columbia-born Michael Bublé.

When a band writes and releases a hit song, it's reasonable to expect their name to live on. That should be doubly so when the act achieves the feat a remarkable two times! But amazingly, that isn't always the case for every act. Sometimes like a ship in the night, the group comes and goes and they are not remembered past a few short months.

The 1950s were a long time ago. They are as far from us today as the mid-1800s were from the '50s. That's a wild thought. But because of the power of recorded music, we are able to enjoy some of the songs from that decade today as if they came out a few weeks ago.

Christmastime is a time for music. And while most of us think about the older songs—the Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra songs—there are a swath of more recent songs from artists that are worthy of time on your yule-time playlists.

It's hard to write a hit song. The task itself seems hard enough. But to write two songs that rocket up the charts? Well, that just seems like a minor miracle. Nevertheless, there are a number of bands out there that have achieved that feat and lived to tell the tale!

Christmastime is a wholesome time. It's a time for family, welcoming lights strung around a tree, warm fires in the fireplace, and nice dinners before bedtime.

In the 1970s, popular music was getting a little … well, weird. Rock and roll was arguably at its peak. Disco and rap music were coming into fashion, as was punk. Suddenly genres were splintering out and experimentation was key. And some of those methods began to enter holiday music, too. No longer was the stuff meant to sound like chestnuts on a roaring fire. Now they were electrified

Whenever December rolls around, the thought, musically speaking, is to put on Christmas music. Songs like “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” or “White Christmas.” But as we all know Christmas isn't the only important celebration when the calendar year ends. For many, Hanukkah is an important time of year. A time worth celebrating. A time where music can be essential.

Norah Jones is like a warm hug from a loved one. The 45-year-old, New York City-born songwriter and performer combines sublime art with a cooing coyness that has marked her as one of the most lovable and sought-after artists in modern music. And it makes sense—the nine-time Grammy Award-winner comes from a line of artists, as she's the daughter of famed sitarist Ravi Shankar.