15 Christmas songs that won't make you wish the holidays would end

Let's face it, Christmas music can be painful. If you're anything like me, you can only hear "White Christmas" and "Let It Snow" so many times before you wish the holiday would hurry up and end so you can escape these overplayed, often grating Yuletide standards.

It's not all so bad, though. There are Christmas songs that actually rock, and if you compile them into a playlist you are guaranteed to have the hippest Christmas party on the block.

Here are my topic picks for a genuinely good holiday playlist. What are yours?

- "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)" by Ramones - No rock-oriented Christmas playlist is complete without this festive pop punk classic. (Get it here).

- "Father Christmas" by The Kinks - Make your Christmas a bit more irreverent with The Kinks."Father Christmas, give us some money. Don't mess around with those silly toys." (Get it here).

- "2000 Miles" by The Pretenders - A single from the band's 1983 album "Learning to Crawl," this sparkling tune is one of the few Christmas tracks that's sentimental without being saccharine. (Get it here). Also worthy is Chrissie Hyde and co.'s take on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

- "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl - The Irish folk rockers teamed up with the late, great English singer-songwriter MacColl in 1987 to record this now classic holiday spat. It has often been voted the number one Christmas song of all time, especially in the U.K. (Get it here).

- "A Christmas Duel" by The Hives and Cyndi Lauper - If "Fairytale of New York" is the best dysfunctional Christmas song ever, this year's unlikely duet between the Swedish garage rockers and the quirky pop icon isn't far behind. Its 60s girl group melody is at odds with lyrics that are anything but full of Christmas cheer, making for arguably the best Christmas single of 2008. (Get it here).

- "This Christmas" by Shoes - The classic Chicago power pop band recorded this confection as part of the "Yuletunes" holiday compilation in 1991. It's one of the most addictive Christmas songs you've probably never heard. (Get it here).

- "Merry Christmas Will Do" by Material Issue - Also available on the 1991 "Yuletunes" compilation, this track by local pop greats Material Issue has a cool, crunchy guitar riff that makes a rocking, welcome addition to any holiday mix. (Get it here).

- "Thanks for Christmas" by XTC - British new wave band XTC released this infectious tune under the pseudonym "Three Wise Men" in 1983. (Get it here).

- "The Christmas Song" by The Raveonettes - The retro, wall of sound noise pop of this Danish duo is perfect for Christmas music, evidenced by this Phil Spector-styled 2004 original from the soundtrack to "Christmas With the Kranks." (Get it here). The band has also just released a 2008 Christmas EP of five songs titled "Wishing You a Rave Christmas."

- "Things Fall Apart" by Cristina - This icy 1981 gem by obscure new wave/"no wave" artist Cristina Monet is everything your grandma's Christmas music isn't: wry, bizarre, clever and somewhat depressing. And it's Siouxsie Sioux's favorite Christmas song. (Get it here).

- "Sad Christmas" by Braam - A 2008 holiday song by an excellent Chicago band made up of three brothers. (Get it here).

- "Christmas Is the Only Time (I Think of You)" by Wes Lachot and Chris Stamey - In 1986, Chris Stamey of jangle pop greats The dB's assembled a crew of musicians to record a holiday album titled "Christmas Time," and this is perhaps the finest track off the album. Its bittersweet lyrics, Beatles-esque melody and Beach Boys-styled vocals add up to a genuinely beautiful, essential holiday track. (Get it here).

- "Frosty the Snowman" by Cocteau Twins - The Cocteau Twins were probably the only band that could ever make me enjoy this song, which tends to get really old really fast in its traditional form. The lush arrangement and exquisite vocals of Elizabeth Fraser transform the Christmas mainstay into something much more special. (Get it here).

- "Calling on Mary" by Aimee Mann - There's nothing like a depressing holiday tune to rail against the mainstream. This down (but pretty) song was Mann's only original composition on her 2006 Christmas album, "One More Drifter in the Snow." (Get it here).

- "Season's Greetings" by Robbers on High Street - Seriously underrated New York indie rock band Robbers on High Street released this jangly carol in 2007. Instead of choosing an obvious standard, they went with an obscure selection originally found on an old American song-poem holiday album titled, "Daddy, Is Santa Really Six-Foot-Four?" The result makes the perfect closer to your non-traditional Christmas playlist. (Get it here).

For more unconventional holiday tunes, check out this article by fellow Examiner Jyn Radakovits.