Most Christmas songs are admittedly a little cheesy and by the end of December, you are most likely ready to cause a hissy fit, if you need to listen to ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ one more time. To avoid losing your mind this Christmas, try these Christmas songs with cool guitar riffs.

Jingle Bells – Bobby Helms

Bobby Helms rockabilly version of the Christmas classic is a heart-warming experience and you’ll definitely get your Christmas spirits up by playing this song with your guitar. The great old, jazzy riffs here and there make this song a definite classic.

Christmas songs are among the top songs artists copy and ‘Jingle Bells’ certainly hasn’t been an exception to the rule. You can find plenty of versions from a metal version to an acoustic rendition.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen has a magic touch to turn every song into a rock ‘n’ roll festival and his version of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ is going to get you to play air guitar faster than you think. It’s a lovely traditional Christmas tune, with plenty of opportunities for adding your own twist as well.

‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ is a Christmas carol that can only be improved by little experimenting. It is no wonder then how many artists have covered this song from the Rizzle Kicks to Paul Di’Anno.

Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses

‘Christmas Wrapping’ is a funky song from the 80s, but surprisingly it doesn’t get the attention it deserves. At its core, it is like any traditional Christmas carol, but it somehow doesn’t end up being stuck in your head for days like all the others. Perhaps because it comes with lyrics like, “Forget it, it’s cold, it’s getting late/trudge on home to celebrate/in a quiet way, unwind/doing Christmas right this time”.

The guitar riff alone is going to hook you and it’s a fun riff to learn to play. If you are in charge of entertaining your family with Christmas songs, then at least this song will be fun to practice beforehand. And if you are feeling adventurous, you can always check out the Spice Girls’ version of the song.

Walking in the Air – Nightwish

If you are looking for a Christmas song that even the toughest metal fan can’t resist, then you should listen to ‘Walking in the Air’ by Nightwish. The Finnish melodic metal band gave this classic Christmas tune a dramatic makeover a few years back and it sounds amazing!

If you are into dramatic guitar riffs, then this song truly allows you to play at your heart’s content during the long intermission. And if you prefer a softer version, this melody sounds terrific when played with a single acoustic guitar.

Driving Home for Christmas – Chris Rea

If you after a traditional and beautiful Christmas song, then ‘Driving Home for Christmas’ is a fantastic pick. The guitars in the song are, of course, great quality as the rock ‘n’ roll legend Chris Rea is the man behind the song. The man definitely knows how turn a boring subject (driving home) into something magical (the hope to see loved ones!).

The song wasn’t a big hit on its release in 1988, but it has since become a stable Christmas radio tune. It’s a neat song to play on the guitar and it highlights the wonder of Christmas in a lovely way.