We’re thrilled to revisit our mega-2022 Holiday song extravaganza!
Also check out Jeremy’s new holiday single “Colorado Christmas” in this Pencil Storm article!
It’s Christmas Eve Eve and nobody on the Pencil Storm staff wanted to work (plus publisher Colin wouldn’t give us time-and-a-half holiday pay) so we decided to open up our Top Five Rock & Roll Christmas Tunes picks to our contributors, compadres & fellow rockers. The Top Five was determined by a simple mathematical process (5 points for number one / 4 points for number two / 3 points for number three, etc.) because rockers rarely learn to count much above “one, two, three, FOUR!”
Merry Christmas to all our Pencil Storm readers, we hope you get a lot of good Christmas Rockin’ listening out of our list.
- The Pencil Storm Editorial Board
The top 5
NUMBER ONE: FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK by The Pogues (30 Points)
NUMBER TWO: FATHER CHRISTMAS by The Kinks (28 Points)
NUMBER THREE: RUN RUDOLPH RUN by Chuck Berry (18 Points)
NUMBER FOUR: CHRISTMAS IS THE TIME TO SAY I LOVE YOU by Billy Squier (13 Points)
NUMBER FIVE (tie): STILL LOVE CHRISTMAS by Colin Gawel (10 points)
NUMBER FIVE (tie): MERRY CHRISTMAS (I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT TONIGHT) by Ramones (10 Points)
THE LISTS!
Ricki C. (Pencil Storm Co-Editor in Chief)
1. The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York
2. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
3. The Kinks - Father Christmas
4. Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run
5. Colin Gawel - Still Love Xmas
JCE (Pencil Storm contributor)
1. Colin Gawel - Still Love Christmas
2. Mother May I - (Breaking Up at) Xmas
3. The Kinks - Father Christmas
4. The Pretenders - 2000 Miles
5. Fountains of Wayne - Man in the Santa Suit
Wal Ozello (Pencil Storm contributor)
1. Cheech and Chong - Santa Claus and His Old Lady
2. Eagles - Please Come Home for Christmas
3. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
4. Vincent Guraldi Trio - Linus & Lucy
5. U2 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Scott Carr (Pencil Storm contributor)
1. Billy Squier - Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You
2. Enuff Z Nuff - Happy Holidays
3. Fountains of Wayne - I Want An Alien For Christmas
4. Material Issue - Merry Christmas Will Do
5. Hanoi Rocks - Dead By Xmas
Nick Taggart (Pencil Storm Contributor)
1. Morphine - Sexy Christmas Baby Mine
2. Eleanor Friedberger - Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me
3. Nick Lowe - Christmas at the Airport
4. Old 97’s - Love The Holidays
5. The A.K.A.’s - Christmas in Hollis
Jim Johnson (drummer, Willie Phoenix, League Bowlers, Kim Crawford’s 10AHEAD)
1. Willie Phoenix - Baby it’s Christmas
2. Keith Richards - Run Rudolph Run
3. Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
4. John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
5. Colin Gawel - Still Love Christmas
Richard Sanford (Pencil Storm contributor)
1. The Sonics - Santa Claus
2. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
3. Anthony Hamilton - Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto
4. Dwight Yoakam - Santa Can’t Stay
5. Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa
Nick Jezierney (Pencil Storm contributor)
1. Billy Squier - Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You
2. Adam Sandler - The Chanukah Song
3. The Kinks - Father Christmas
4. Lemmy Kilminster / Billy Gibbons / Dave Grohl - Run Rudolph Run
5. Colin Gawel - Still Love Christmas
Jeremy Porter (Jeremy Porter and The Tucos, Pencil Storm Co-Editor in Chief)
1. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
2. The Kinks - Father Christmas
3. Tom Waits - Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis
4. Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmas Time
5. Keith Richards - Run Rudolph Run
Colin Gawel (Pencil Storm Founder, Watershed, Colin’s Coffee)
1. The Kinks - Father Christmas
2. Elvis Presley - Santa Claus is Back in Town
3. Marah - New York is a Christmas Kind of Town
4. JD McPherson - All The Gifts I Need
5. Dead Schembechlers - The Ann Arbor Chainsaw Massacre Christmas
Brent Baver (Pencil Storm Contributor)
1. John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War is Over)
2. Bob Seger - The Little Drummer Boy
3. The Pretenders - 2,000 Miles
4. Colin Gawel - Still Love Christmas
5. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Carol of the Bells
Lenny Grassa (Popular Creeps, The Leonards, Detroit)
1. The Kinks – Father Christmas
2. Chuck Berry – Run Rudolph Run
3. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
4. John Lennon – Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
5. Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody
John Burke (Musician, Los Angeles CA)
1. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
2. Three Wise Men (XTC) - Thanks for Christmas
3. The Procession - All I Want is Nothing for Christmas
4. The Minus 5 - Your Christmas Whiskey
5. Cheap Trick - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day (Wizzard Cover)
Joe Reineke (Orbit Audio, Society of the Silver Cross, Alien Crime Syndicate, Meices, Seattle, WA)
1. Rob Halford - Oh Holy Night
2. The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
3. Billy Squier - Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You
4. Joan Jett and The Blackhearts - Little Drummer Boy
5. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
Nate Presley (NP Presley & The CEB, Infected, Lexington, KY)
1. Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
2. John Prine - Christmas in Prison
3. Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run
4. Vandals - It’s Christmas Time For My Penis
5. Tie: Pansy Division - Homo Xmas / Fear - Fuck Christmas
TrooperGirl22 (Detroiter)
1. Jeremy Porter and the Tucos - Scarf
2. Diamond Rugs - Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant
3. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
4. The Ventures - Sleigh Ride
5. Ronnie James Dio / Tony Iommi / Rudy Sarzo / Simon Wright - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Patrick Donders (Sweet Sweet Music Blog, Ucrecht, Netherlands)
1. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
2. Fountains of Wayne - I Want an Alien for Christmas
3. Fay Lovsky - Christmas was a Friend of mine
4. Kate Bush - Home for Christmas
5. Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today
EZ Myers (Warhorses, Ladyship Warship, Detroit, MI)
1. Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa
2. Frank Sinatra - Christmas Song
3. Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas
4. The Who - Christmas
5. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - There’s No Lights On The Christmas Tree Mother, They’re Burning Big Louie Tonight
Chris Hosner (Vibrolas, Somerset KY)
1. Jimi Hendrix - Little Drummer Boy
2. Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run
3. Brenda Lee - Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
4. Stray Cats - Rocking Christmas
5. Tie: Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) / The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
Gabriel Doman (Producer/Engineer - Pharmhouse Studio, Jeremy Porter and The Tucos, Dearborn, MI)
1. Run DMC - Christmas in Hollis
2. The Vandals - I Don’t Believe in Santa Claus
3. Andrew Bird - So Much Wine, Merry Christmas
4. Butterbeans and Susie - Papa Ain’t No Santa Clause (And Mama Ain’t No Christmas Tree)
5. The Dismemberment Plan - This Christmas
Jeff Evans (Chickens and Pigs - Atlanta, GA)
1. Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run
2. Johnny Cash - Silent Night
3. Tom Petty - Christmas All Over Again
4. Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa
5. Chickens and Pigs - Rudolph the Red Dick Reindeer
Doug McKean (Boys From The County Hell, GC5 - Cleveland, OH)
1. The Impressions - Amen
2. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
3. Big Star - Jesus Christ
4. John Prine - Christmas in Prison
5. Staple Singers - Last Month of the Year
Dave O’Halloran (Radio What Wave, 94.9 CHRW, London, Ontario)
1. The Fleshtones - Canadian Christmas
2. Royal Guardsmen - Snoopy’s Christmas
3. Turtles - Santa & The Sidewalk Surfer
4. Deadbeat Poets - Christmas Time In Painsville
5. Marshmallow Overcoat - Santa Fuzz
Jennifer Toms (A Rueful Noise, Scary Women, Lansing, MI)
1. Joni Mitchell - River
2. John Denver & The Muppets - The 12 Days of Christmas
3. The Plurals - January Thaw
4. The Hat Madder - Xmas on the Skids
5. Crooked Sound - Santa Quit
Anne Erickson (WRIF DJ, Upon Wings, Detroit, MI)
1. Halford - O Come All Ye Faithful
2. August Burns Red - Carol Of The Bells
3. Amon Amarth - Viking Christmas
4. Lemmy Kilmister / Billy Gibbons / Dave Grohl - Run Rudolph Run
5. Upon Wings - O Come O Come, Emmanuel / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Jim Rinn (I-94 Records, Detroit, MI)
1. Material Issue - Merry Christmas Will Do
2. Cyndi Lauper w/The Hives - A Christmas Duel
3. Sloppy Seconds - Lonely Christmas
4. Angry Johnny & The Killbillys - Bang Bang Baby Bang Bang Merry Christmas
5. Saddletramps - For Christsakes It’s Christmas
Tommy McCord (GTG Records, The Wild Honey Collective, The Plurals, Lansing, MI)
1. The Kinks - Father Christmas
2. Darlene Love - Merry Christmas Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
3. Beach Boys - Man With All the Toys
4. The Hat Madder - Xmas on the Skids
5. Flaming Lips - Christmas at the Zoo
THANK YOU to all who participated! No losers here, just a bunch of great rock and roll holiday songs. Check out Colin’s playlist at the top to listen to selections from the lists!
27 polls
135 total songs, 98 unique
17 appeared more than once
1. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York (30 points)
2. The Kinks - Father Christmas (28 points)
3. Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run (18 points)
4. Billy Squier - Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You (13 points)
5. (tie) Colin Gawel - Still Love Christmas (10 points)
5. (tie) Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) (10 points)
(By points, then alphabetical):
5 points - Cheech and Chong - Santa Claus and His Old Lady
5 points - Halford - O Come All Ye Faithful
5 points - Jeremy Porter and the Tucos - Scarf
5 points - Jimi Hendrix - Little Drummer Boy
5 points - Joni Mitchell - River
5 points - Keith Richards - Run Rudolph Run
5 points - Morphine - Sexy Christmas Baby Mine
5 points - Rob Halford - Oh Holy Night
5 points - Run DMC - Christmas in Hollis
5 points - The Fleshtones - Canadian Christmas
5 points - The Impressions - Amen
5 points - The Pretenders - 2,000 Miles
5 points - The Sonics - Santa Claus
5 points - The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
5 points - Willie Phoenix - Baby it’s Christmas
4 points - Adam Sandler - The Chanukah Song
4 points - August Burns Red - Carol Of The Bells
4 points - Bob Seger - The Little Drummer Boy
4 points - Cyndi Lauper w/The Hives - A Christmas Duel
4 points - Diamond Rugs - Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant
4 points - Eagles - Please Come Home for Christmas
4 points - Eleanor Friedberger - Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me
4 points - Elvis Presley - Santa Claus is Back in Town
4 points - Enuff Z Nuff - Happy Holidays
4 points - Frank Sinatra - Christmas Song
4 points - John Denver & The Muppets - The 12 Days of Christmas
4 points - Johnny Cash - Silent Night
4 points - Lemmy / Billy Gibbons / Dave Grohl - Run Rudolph Run
4 points - Mother May I - (Breaking Up at) Xmas
4 points - Royal Guardsmen - Snoopy’s Christmas
4 points - The Hat Madder - Xmas on the Skids
4 points - The Vandals - I Don’t Believe in Santa Claus
4 points - Three Wise Men (XTC) - Thanks for Christmas
3 points - Amon Amarth - Viking Christmas
3 points - Andrew Bird - So Much Wine, Merry Christmas
3 points - Anthony Hamilton - Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto
3 points - Beach Boys - Man With All the Toys
3 points - Big Star - Jesus Christ
3 points - Brenda Lee - Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
3 points - Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas
3 points - Fay Lovsky - Christmas was a Friend of mine
3 points - Marah - New York is a Christmas Kind of Town
3 points - Nick Lowe - Christmas at the Airport
3 points - Sloppy Seconds - Lonely Christmas
3 points - The Plurals - January Thaw
3 points - The Procession - All I Want is Nothing for Christmas
3 points - Tom Petty - Christmas All Over Again
3 points - Tom Waits - Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis
3 points - Turtles - Santa & The Sidewalk Surfer
2 points - Angry Johnny & The Killbillys - Bang Bang Baby Bang Bang Merry Christmas
2 points - Butterbeans and Susie - Papa Ain’t No Santa Clause (And Mama Ain’t No Christmas Tree)
2 points - Deadbeat Poets - Christmas Time In Painsville
2 points - Dwight Yoakam - Santa Can’t Stay
2 points - JD McPherson - All The Gifts I Need
2 points - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts - Little Drummer Boy-
2 points - Kate Bush - Home for Christmas
2 points - Old 97’s - Love The Holidays
2 points - Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmas Time
2 points - Sleigh Ride - The Ventures
2 points - Stray Cats - Rocking Christmas
2 points - The Minus 5 - Your Christmas Whiskey
2 points - The Who - Christmas
2 points - Vandals - It’s Christmas Time For My Penis
2 points - Vincent Guraldi Trio - Linus & Lucy
1 point - Cheap Trick - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day
1 point - Chickens and Pigs - Rudolph the Red Dick Reindeer
1 point - Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa
1 point - Crooked Sound - Santa Quit
1 point - Dead Schembechlers - The Ann Arbor Chainsaw Massacre Christmas
1 point - Flaming Lips - Christmas at the Zoo
1 point - Fountains of Wayne - Man in the Santa Suit
1 point - Hanoi Rocks - Dead By Xmas
1 point - Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today
1 point - Marshmallow Overcoat - Santa Fuzz
1 point - Pansy Division - Homo Xmas
1 point - Ronnie James Dio / Tony Iommi / Rudy Sarzo / Simon Wright - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
1 point - Saddletramps - For Christsakes It’s Christmas
1 point - Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody
1 point - Staple Singers - Last Month of the Year
1 point - The A.K.A.’s - Christmas in Hollis
1 point - The Dismemberment Plan - This Christmas
1 point - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - There’s No Lights On The Christmas Tree Mother, They’re Burning Big Louie Tonight
1 point - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Carol of the Bells
1 point - U2 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
1 point - Upon Wings - O Come O Come, Emmanuel / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
