By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer
There are a couple different types of Christmas songs; older traditional tunes that have been around longer and modern holiday hits that have all the signs of rock and pop. You can find the latter by looking for songs with blue notes and syncopated backbeat rhythms, or you can make older songs more rocking by adding such elements. Here are 10 of the best rockin’ Christmas songs for this holiday season.
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Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
Brenda Lee was barely a teenager when she recorded this rock golden oldie at the end of the 1950’s. It is now a staple of radio and movie soundtracks and she still performs it, even recently on a plane! The chord progression is a variation on the jazz standard ii-V-I and with some added minor and flat 7ths, along with a rocking groove it creates a memorable song.
Jingle Bell Rock
Bobby Helms had help on this track from Hank Garland so you may notice a similar rockabilly vibe as Brenda Lee’s hit. This song has lots of great jazz guitar chord turnarounds and blues licks of Rock and Roll, plus the verse uses a ii-V-I again. The chorus lifts to a major chord but also adding in flat 7ths to keep with that bluesy feel, rock music needs a mix of major and minor movement to make it sound right.
Blue Christmas
This Elvis hit is a great example of where the rock genre comes from, the rhythm and blues! It was first recorded in 1948 and saw a few different genres take a crack at it, the chord progression is a classic blues change of I-IV-V. There is also an added ii scale degree as that is common in both jazz and rock, that is why it works so well in different styles as it is made up of a variety.
Sleigh Ride
The Ronettes made an album of Christmas songs with producer Phil Spector which were all classics and older pop tunes that they made more rocking with his Wall of Sound technique. The chords here are the known progression of the Axis of Awesome which is common in all genres, especially modern rock hits. This song is great to work on for anyone taking beginner guitar lessons.
Run Run Rudolph
Chuck Berry took his signature guitar licks and added them to Christmas music for a winning formula that is still heard in movies and soundtracks today. This is one of the more rocking songs on the list as it came out at the height of the 50’s movement. The chord progression is a simple blues rock I-IV-V but with added blues and boogie notes like the 7th and 9th.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
This is a traditional kids tune when played originally but add in Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band and we get a much cooler song! Like the Chuck Berry one it simply uses a I-IV-V but with the occasional added vi and a V7 with the 7th chord. Here it is mostly the rhythm and backbeat drive that provides the rocking groove, otherwise the song chords are like the traditional version.
White Christmas
The Bing Crosby version of this song is a perfect jazz standard, while The Platters take became a doo wop standard. Now since this song has jazz roots the chord changes will be more complicated, so far it is one of the hardest on the list. They make it rocking by adding in minor 7ths, bass movement, and of course the vocal doo wop rhythm that gives that style its vibe.
Christmas All Over Again
Tom Petty went and wrote an original Christmas song, but he left many familiar elements in so it would still sound right. The main progression here is the jazz standard I-vi-ii-V and it also uses blue notes and the Blues scale to give it a laid back but rocking groove. It’s not as peppy and fun as some of the other songs, but sometimes that change of pace for the holidays is necessary! Petty has a nice balance of bored optimism!
Santa Baby
This song by Eartha Kitt predates the advent of Rock and Roll, it came out in 1953 when people still labeled it as rhythm and blues. Instead of being about family or happy feelings it is about the materialistic side of the holiday. It uses simple jazz and blues chords like I-VI7-IV-V7 which help provide some of the tension in the song, of course Eartha’s vocal approach also adds to it! It was a lightly rocking Christmas hit before rock was even named!
Father Christmas
The Kinks were very influential rockers that helped popularize power chords and distortion that would later lead to hard rock and metal. Like their other music this song isn’t that happy, they deal more with the grit and reality of Christmas for poor kids. The progression is mostly I-iii-vi-V for the verse and I-IV-V in the chorus. But along the way there are plenty of slash chords, 7ths, and 5th power chords for that extra heavy rocking vibe.
There are many other Christmas songs by older rockers and modern pop artists that will fit the bill for upbeat and groovy pieces. When you hear a song that has that feeling take a closer look at the chords and rhythms and you will see it is like the list above. It also helps to compare different versions of Christmas covers to find how the artist created the style they are singing.
This list of 10 rocking Christmas songs could have many more added to it! Or if you want you can go find a traditional tune and make it bluesy and jazzy by adding the right notes and beats. If you are really feeling creative try writing your own original Christmas carol or pop song. Just look at these songs and others from the past and copy the chord progressions and beats but with a unique melody. You may just write the next holiday composition that will be played over and over for the next few decades!