Many lines of flowery prose have been written describing the vast cultural differences between the 1970s and 1980s. Whatever the differences, though, we’re sure people in wide-shouldered 1980s clothes inspired by “Dynasty” enjoyed the holidays as much as the polyester-clad residents of the 1970s who preceded them.
We know this to be accurate due to the many holiday songs that became popular during the 1980s, just as they had in the decade prior. Here’s our list of 15 holiday songs from the 1980s that we find totally way awesome.
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1. ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham! (1984)
Written and produced by George Michael, this Wham! single was released in December 1984, just in time for Yuletide. It’s been the subject of holiday re-releases for the past 17 years.
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2. ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ by Band Aid (1984)
“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was co-written by Bob Geldof and meant to raise money for famine relief efforts in Ethiopia. The all-star group that recorded it was called Band Aid and included celebrities such as Bono, Boy George, and Sting. There was a Band Aid II in 1989, Band Aid 20 in 2004, and Band Aid 30 in 2014. We’ll see what 2024 brings, if anything.
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3. ‘Christmas Wrapping’ by The Waitresses (1981)
The Waitresses hailed from Akron, OH and are best known for 1980’s “I Know What Boys Like.” Andy Hinds, writing on the site AllMusic, said “Christmas Wrapping” was “one of the best holiday pop tunes ever recorded,” so seek it out and see if you agree.
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4. ‘Winter Wonderland’ by Eurythmics (1987)
Annie Lennox doesn’t get nearly enough credit for her singing, and her work on “Winter Wonderland” is a prime reason why that needs to change. In 2007, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) said “Winter Wonderland” was the most-played holiday song of the previous five years ever written by a member of ASCAP, and cited the Eurythmics version as one of the most frequently played.
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5. ‘Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town’ by Bruce Springsteen (1985)
The list of beloved artists who have taken a crack at this song is massive – the Andrews Sisters, Neil Diamond, and Michael Bublé are just a few of the names. Springsteen’s version is one we seem to hear with greater regularity than the others, which speaks to his ongoing popularity.
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6. ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ by Hall & Oates (1983)
“Jingle Bell Rock” has been the subject of numerous interpretations, but the Hall & Oates version remains popular forty years later. Let’s hope they put their legal troubles behind them and enjoy a cup of egg nog, hopefully, to help them remember that since releasing “Maneater,” they’ve been a force for good in the world.
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7. ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ by Shakin’ Stevens (1985)
“Merry Christmas Everyone” is by Welsh musician Shakin’ Stevens and was his last number one UK single. Stevens is actually still with us at 75 years young, so maybe he can still get on the charts one more time to show all of us whippersnappers how it’s done.
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8. ‘Christmas in Hollis’ by Run-D.M.C. (1987)
“Christmas in Hollis” was on 1987’s “A Very Special Christmas,” a charity album that benefitted the Special Olympics. Other artists who appeared on its grooves alongside the Queens rappers included Whitney Houston, Sting, and Madonna.
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9. ‘Thank God It’s Christmas’ by Queen (1984)
This single by Queen was co-written by guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor and stayed on the UK singles charts for six weeks. It didn’t see release on an actual Queen album until 1999, when it appeared on the compilation “Queen’s Greatest Hits III.”
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10. ‘Fairytale of New York’ by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl (1987)
While “perfectionist” is not a term widely associated with the late Shane MacGowan, it’s hard to find another word that accounts for the fact that this song took two years to get recorded in the form in which it was released in 1987. It’s hard to argue with the results that appear on this duet with MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl.
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11. ‘Cold as Christmas (in the Middle of the Year)’ by Elton John (1985)
Sure, this is a Christmas song in the same way that “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie – Christmas is invoked, and apparently, that’s enough to make the 1988 Bruce Willis actioner qualify. That being the case, we’re going to say this song about a love turned sour is a holiday song. After all, the word “Christmas” is in the lyrics.
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12. ‘Silent Night’ by Stevie Nicks (1987)
Run-D.M.C. shared space with some artists on 1987’s “A Very Special Christmas” who were artistically dissimilar to them, like John Cougar Mellencamp, Bon Jovi, and Stevie Nicks. The Fleetwood Mac singer closed the charity album with “Silent Night,” rendered in her trademark vocal fry.
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13. ‘Little Drummer Boy’ by Bob Seger (1987)
Bob Seger also appeared on 1987’s “A Very Special Christmas,” so whatever you think of the album, you can’t argue that it was limited to one style of music. But was the guy who sang “Like a Rock” also the right guy to sing “Little Drummer Boy”? The jury is out.
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14. ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ by Amy Grant (1983)
Not happy to make a mere holiday song, in 1983, Amy Grant released “A Christmas Album,” which is precisely what it says it is. It contains 11 songs, including this one, whose text is said to have first appeared sometime in the 18th century.
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15. ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ – The Pointer Sisters (1987)
If you’re not fond of Bruce Springsteen’s 1985 rendition of this classic, there are tens of thousands of other versions beyond counting by other artists you may prefer. That includes the Pointer Sisters, who recorded the song two years after the Boss did.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
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