Rockin' Christmas: 5 Rock-Oriented Albums for Vinyl Lovers

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It’s that time of year again, vinyl lovers – Christmas time! You know, the time of the year when we shelve all other music and exclusively play Christmas music in all its forms for around 30 days. Or is that just us?

Jokes aside, Christmas music is fun, and vinyl collecting is supposed to be fun, so why not combine the two? Indeed, if you’ve reached a certain level of hyper-obsession or are generally vinyl starved, you’ve probably begun to carve out a section amongst your Kallax shelves for Christmas slabs. And once you’ve cleared that precious space, the only thing left to do is fill it. Right.

So, where to start? If you’re a rock guy or gal, you could go classic and stick with Phil Spector, Nat King Cole, or the Beach Boys. Then again, for some of us, half the fun is digging deeper and expanding our horizons. But to do that, we’ve got to think outside the box and push upward and beyond the tried and true that we grew up listening to.

And so, in the spirit of injecting a little rock ‘n’ roll into your Christmas season this year, what follows are five rock-oriented albums for vinyl lovers. So, strap yourself into your sleigh, hold onto your Santana hat, and tighten that cap on your hot cocoa because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Swing Cats Presents a Rock-A-Billy Christmas (2019)

Released via Cleopatra Records, Swing Cats Presents A Rock-A-Billy Christmas is the perfect record for vinyl collectors looking to ring in the holiday season in new and inventive ways. Tired of Elvis, Bing Crosby, and Mariah Carey? Never fear, A Rock-A-Billy Christmas is here! You can bet all the gifts under your Christmas tree that this one is jam-packed with classic Christmas standards with oodles of swingin’ flair via fresh versions of old cuts.

Don’t believe us? Take a listen to cuts like The Honeydrippers’ rendition of “Jingle Bells” or Gary Twinn’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which are sure bets to color your life with new and improved Christmas cheer. For collectors, you could play it safe and go with the black vinyl version. But if you’re feeling especially spicey, the scintillating red version will set your 12 days of Christmas alight.

A Prog Rock Christmas (2019)

Prog rock and Christmas are not traditionally paired, but we say bah humbug to traditions because A Prog Rock Christmas is just about the most tubular Christmas album imaginable. If you’re the sort that thinks you’ve got a pretty good bead on tracks like “Silent Night,” “Happy Christmas (War Is Over,” and “Wonderful Christmas Time,” prepare to have all you once knew upended. With veteran prog rockers like Nik Turner, Simon House, John Wetton, Billy Sherwood, and Patrick Moraz crashing the parts, this Christmas season is sure to be the most eclectic yet. Take a gander at the stunning artwork for this one and catch the vibe. Once you’re feeling frosty, you’ll want to search for the frost-white slab on Purple Pyramid Records.

Punk Rock Christmas (2017)

In Punk Rock Christmas, we have another fine release from the good people at Cleopatra Records that will rattle your sidewalls and the star (or angel) from the top of your Christmas tree. To be sure, this record is fully loaded as evidenced by “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” performed by The Suicide Machines, “Merry Xmas Everybody” reimagined by The Vibrators, and a personal favorite, “Snoopy’s Christmas” undertaken by Smash Mouth. That last one seems a bit of a stretch for a “punk rock” record, but we’ll let it slide. It is Christmas time, after all. The original release from 2017 came in two variants: black and red, but we recommend the 2021 reissue as it sounds better and is on “tis the season” translucent green.

We Wish You A Metal Xmas And A Headbanging New Year (2008)

Are you the sort of person who has spent a lifetime longing for heavy metal versions of “Deck the Halls,” “Run Rudolph Run,” and “Silent Night?” If so, we’d like to direct your attention to 2009’s We Wish You A Metal Xmas And A Headbanging New Year. With contributions from Jeff Scott Soto, Bob and Bruce Kulick, Alice Cooper, Billy Sheehan, Ronnie James Dio, George Lynch, Scott Ian, Dave Grohl, Rudy Sarzo, and many more, with a collection like this, it’s hard to go wrong.

Essentially, these are all your favorite Christmas songs performed by all your favorite metal musicians. If that’s not a headbangers delight, we don’t know what is. This one has been reissued several times in various holiday-appropriate colors, but we recommend the black version on Eagle Rock Entertainment. Why? Because metal is as dark as coal in a naughty kid’s Christmas stocking. Need we say more?

A Twisted Christmas (2006)

With A Twisted Christmas, Twisted Sister set the standard for rock-oriented Christmas records in the modern age. What’s more, they made it cool again for rock bands to tap into the holiday spirit. Still, perhaps you’re wondering just how good A Twisted Christmas is. Let us put it this way: it’s not a stretch to say that A Twisted Christmas is one of the greatest Christmas albums of all time. Take one listen to “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” “White Christmas,” or “We Wish You A Twisted Christmas,” and you’ll see what we mean. The best part? Twisted Sister made it a point to release this one on vinyl in 2006 – back when vinyl wasn’t “in” – and what a bold move that was. For that reason, purists will want to track down an original black pressing on Razor & Tie.

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