The earliest radio station to flip to an all-holiday format this year happened in early October and was, perhaps predictably, located in Branson, Missouri, home to revues of faded country stars. That's a lot of opportunity for burnout on Yuletide classics. The 25 songs on this playlist probably won't be subject to heavy rotation anytime soon, but they do provide an alternate spin on a holiday that's been nearly wrung dry.

The funk-pop outfit from New York City keeps it light on this spry cover of Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne's World War II-era classic.

A sulky chronicle of a Christmastime breakup that might be one of the '90s best holiday offerings.

New York's chillest dub-rockers indulge their New Romantic side on this lush track with a typically pulsing bassline.

In which Gwen Stefani pays homage to her fellow SoCal punkers The Vandals.

This fanciful rumination on loneliness doubles as a throwback to the era when everything shut down on Christmas.

A powerpop gem rescued from the purgatory of Home Alone 2.

Rockford's finest retrofit their other huge hit in hopes of getting some Yuletide action.

Britpop's bards update the story of the Nativity to the 20th century with their typical wit.

One of the most unexpectedly prolific Christmas-song crafters is Mark E. Smith, the irascible frontman of the rotating British post-punk collective The Fall. This rumbling track finds Smith ruminating over a dissonant choir and squawking electronics.

A gorgeous, expansive cover of Yoko Ono's 1969 track that amps up the reverb while staying faithful to Ono's graceful vision.

Billy Corgan's contribution to the holiday-music canon is delicate and ruminating, with strings and bells adding an extra element of wondrousness.

An amble through the year's regrets made even more crystalline by Green Gartside's still-pristine voice.

The Everything But The Girl member's 2012 lovely holiday album Tinsel and Lights features covers of Joni Mitchell, The White Stripes, and—hey!—"Snow in Sun." Gartside returns the favor by adding his vocals to this Low cover.

Pop's reigning queen of emotion flips Wham!'s heartbroken holiday classic by putting its pleading bridge right up front and adding a heaping dose of saxophone.

The chiming brand of twee played by this Bay Area indiepop band is well suited to the holiday season's snowy bustle, but this keyboard-heavy instrumental makes the relationship plain.

It makes perfect sense that this grandeur-drenched Vegas act would take well to Christmas songs—a compilation of their holiday offerings, Don't Waste Your Wishes, came out earlier this month. This vampy track shows off Brandon Flowers' vibrato and the band's winking taste for the absurd.

Snaky synth-funk from a pair of Chicago-based crate-diggers.

This British Columbia act describes itself as "disgruntled, displaced Elves of the North Pole who are telling the world about Santa's abusive practices by playing classic punk rock songs." If you like this thrashy ode to getting Yuletide wasted, their comprehensive discography has more.

Britain's most fabulous turn-of-the-millennium girlband covers glam kings Wizzard's 1973 barnburner.

Transcontinental shoegazers offer their own interpretation of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Christmas cantata.

Velvet-voiced New York singer-songwriter details her wishlist, which focuses on a departed lover.

A gorgeously reverent version of the Christmas classic from Duluth's slowcore pioneers.

The indie-rock kings offer a bleary-eyed view of the holiday.

A grinding, snow-covered epic from one of the pioneers of metalgaze.

Girl Ray — "(I Wish I Were Giving You a Gift) This Christmas"

British twee-pop upstarts show off their sterling songcraft and ability to meld the wistful and the wondrous on this original track.

The Harry Styles-approved electropop act puts a dreamy spin on Paul McCartney's 1983 anti-war song.

This track from the bewigged singer-songwriter's collection of holiday originals Everyday Is Christmas combines girl-group glamour with a pro-animal-rescue message.

Shoegaze's dreamiest band puts an icy, yet jubilant spin on the corncob pipe-accessorized classic.

The nu-post-punkers pine for a simpler time amidst racing drums and soaring guitars.

This 45-minute exploration of the rum-pa-pum-pumming classic will send even the Scroogiest Scrooge to a sparkling holiday dreamland.

Listen to these songs on Spotify with our Best Alternative Christmas Songs playlist:

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