15 Classic Scene Christmas Songs to Get You Through the Holidays
Written by Tyler Johnson
Following the recent releases of Blink-182’s “Not Another Christmas Song” and Mayday Parade’s “I’m With You”, we wanted to look back at some of the classic, scene-favorite holiday songs. While Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is sure to play a million times during your holiday shopping at the mall, these 15 songs will keep your love for scene music fresh throughout the season!
#15: My Chemical Romance - “All I Want for Christmas is You”
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Speaking of Mariah Carey, My Chemical Romance took it upon themselves to reimagine this iconic Christmas tune in an alt emo fashion. There should be a petition to have this version played at grocery stores and malls; it’s about time we, the scene community, had proper representation in Christmas music! While it might be a fleeting effort, at least we can still enjoy this song in the comfort of our own homes.
#14: August Burns Red - “Carol of the Bells”
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With multiple Christmas-themed releases, including August Burns Red Presents: Sleddin’ Hill, a Holiday Album and Winter Wilderness, August Burns Red have truly gripped Christmas by the throat. Despite not featuring vocals from front-man Jake Luhrs, the rest of the band puts on an unrelenting display of technical riffs and drum fills. August Burns Red’s version of this song has become so famous that even the drum line at Walt Disney World covered it!
#13: Issues - “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays”
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Issues take on “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” in a beautiful holiday rock song. Tyler Carter’s harmonies are among the best you will hear all season, so check out this underrated holiday rock anthem.
#12: Motionless in White - “Santa’s Pissed”
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Typically Motionless in White are drenched in horror influence, but they embrace the Christmas spirit (or maybe an anti-Christmas spirit) on “Santa’s Pissed.” This metalcore rager features Chris Motionless taking on the role of Santa, telling children they’re “getting razor blades” and a “stalking of hand grenades“ for Christmas. At one point Chris screams “PUT THAT COOKIE DOWN” over a blast-beat - and if that isn’t festive, then I don’t know what is.
#11: The Maine - “Santa Stole My Girlfriend”
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The Maine call out Santa for the thief he is in this hilarious Christmas jam that’s sure to get the crowd vibing at the next holiday gathering; just make sure you send an invite our way so we can enjoy it too.
#10: Blink-182 - “Happy Holidays, You Bastard”
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It’s Christmas Eve and Blink-182 only wrapped two presents, so let’s celebrate with this fast-paced punk rock anthem with ridiculous holiday-themed lyrical content. “Happy Holidays, You Bastard” is a staple gag at Blink-182 live shows, so of course, we had to include it on this list.
#9: Ice Nine Kills - “Merry Axe-Mas”
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Before you start sending angry tweets, yes, we understand this song is still based on a horror movie, but it’s a Christmas-themed horror movie, so get over it. Realistically, we could talk about this song for the entire article, but we’ll keep it short and sweet by saying that this song is absolutely mind-blowing; the Christmas bells, the guitar solo, and the full deathcore breakdown make “Merry Axe-Mas” one of the greatest Christmas-themed songs to ever grace this scene.
#8: Simple Plan - “Christmas Every Day”
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Who else but these Canadian pop-punk veterans are better suited for a Christmas song? Simple Plan make us wish it was Christmas every day so we can reasonably crank this playlist all year round!
#7: Becoming the Archetype - “O Holy Night”
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While this song starts as one of the more serious tracks on this list, the intensity slowly builds until the chaos ensues at the ~2:05 mark when Becoming the Archetype truly wreak havoc on this Christmas staple. What starts as a beautiful symphony, ends as an aggressive onslaught of heavy riffs and growls, perfect for any heavy metal fan this time of year.
#6: A Day to Remember - “Right Where You Want Me to Be”
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The heaviest pop-punk band ever smashed the scene with their infectious holiday favorite, “Right Where You Want Me to Be,” in 2009 and later included it on their EP Attack of the Killer B-Sides. A Day to Remember embrace their most accessible pop-punk side with this one, allowing the light-hearted nature of this holiday season to shine through.
#5: All Time Low - “Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass”
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To break it down, All Time Low take a typical pop-punk theme, in telling an ex to “kiss my ass”, and center the story around Christmas time. “Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass” is a familiar story to anyone within this scene, and we wouldn’t expect anyone but ATL to pull it off so flawlessly.
#4: For All Those Sleeping - “Maybe This Christmas”
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Maybe this Christmas you’ll get your wishlist, as long as that list includes For All Those Sleeping’s version of “Maybe This Christmas”. Although the band is no longer together, we can still appreciate the insanely catchy chorus they delivered on this one.
#3: Fall Out Boy - “Yule Shoot Your Eye Out”
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These pop-punk legends put forth an acoustic sing-along, perfect to have on while roasting chestnuts on an open fire. Bringing the intensity down, Fall Out Boy lend a perfect palate-cleanser for any holiday playlist.
#2: The Ongoing Concept - “Jingle Bell Rock”
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Anyone who was a fan of The Ongoing Concept’s debut studio album Saloon is sure to enjoy their chaotic take on this Christmas classic. Another release off Solid State Records Midnight Clear compilation Christmas album, this song is sure to garner more than a few confused glances your way.
#1: Sunrise Skater Kids - “12 Days of a Pop Punk Christmas”
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Rounding out our list of essential scene Christmas songs is “12 Days of a Pop Punk Christmas”. Jarrod Alonge (aka Sunrise Skater Kids) replaces the twelve gifts of Christmas with those must-haves for any pop-punk kid, including skinny khakis, 4 pairs of vans, five large pizzas (although they forgot the pepperoni), 8 tumbler notes, and an unnecessary breakdown, to name a few. This is a must for all scene holiday playlists!
With that, we hope you enjoyed our list of 15 classic scene songs to get you through this holidays! Please check out the Scene Daddy Spotify playlist, where we’ve exclusively added these Christmas songs and more!