Ring in the Holidays With a Unique Playlist!

There are a few things that can make me turn on my heel and walk out of a shop: commercials on radio stations and corny holiday music. I’m talking about your generic version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" on repeat or screeching ads that are marketing your competition. With the proliferation of satellite radio and MP3 players, no store should be playing traditional radio or boring CDs.

Here’s a list of alternative holiday tunes you can legally download, add to your iPod or burn to a CD and play for your employees without them getting sick of it.

• "Do They Know It’s Christmas?" – Band Aid
• "Little St. Nick" – The Beach Boys
• "The Little Drum Machine Boy" – Beck
• "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" – Bon Jovi (also, by U2)
• "Peace on Earth–Little Drummer Boy" – David Bowie and Bing Crosby
• "Jingle Bell Rock" – The Brian Setzer Orchestra
• "White Christmas" – Bing Crosby
• "Feliz Navidad" – José Feliciano
• "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" – Ella Fitzgerald
• "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" – Jackson 5
• "Little Drummer Boy" – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• "Father Christmas" – The Kinks
• "Santa Baby" – Eartha Kitt
• "Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree" – Brenda Lee
• "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" – John Lennon
• "Baby, It’s Cold Outside" – Dean Martin
• "12 Days of Christmas" – Bob and Doug McKenzie
• "Monster’s Holiday" – Bobby "Boris" Pickett
• "Fairytale of New York" – The Pogues
• "Blue Christmas" – Elvis Presley
• "2000 Miles" – The Pretenders
• "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)" – The Ramones
• "The Christmas Song" – The Raveonettes
• "Merry Christmas, Baby" – Otis Redding
• "Christmas in Hollis" – Run-DMC
• "The Chanukah Song" – Adam Sandler
• "The Lonely Jew on Christmas" – from the "South Park" TV show
• "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" – Bruce Springsteen
• "Oi to the World" – The Vandals (also, No Doubt)
• "Sleigh Ride" – The Ventures
• "Christmas Time Is Here" – Vince Guaraldi Trio
• "Spotlight on Christmas" – Rufus Wainwright
• "Christmas Wrapping" – The Waitresses
• "Shouldn’t Have Given Him a Gun for Christmas" – Wall of Voodoo
• "Christmas at Ground Zero"– Weird Al
• "Last Christmas" – Wham!
• "I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus" – Amy Winehouse
• "You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" – Dweezil Zappa

This list was created with Jamie Freedman of the SF Music Examiner. Check out her complete list, "A holiday playlist that doesn't suck: Christmas and a couple Channukah songs!" for additional tunes as well as some downloads. And please let me know your other holiday suggestions! Bonus idea: Make a mix CD and hand it out to employees, customers and friends! Create your own CD insert for a creative, affordable and personalized gift. Recipients will be able to play it year after year, and they’ll be reminded of your business each time they see your CD cover. It’s a marketing idea in disguise! Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net