If you want to find the best Australian Christmas songs for your playlist this year, look no further! This article details all the Australian Christmas carols, tracks by Australian artists and pop songs you could wish for. From Jingle Bells Australia to the Christmas in Australia tune released in 2021, here are all the festive hits you need to know about.
The choice of songs that are popular at Christmas is between a bunch of genres. There are of course Australian bush Christmas carols, big hits by local and international artists, rude Australian Christmas songs… the list goes on. If you want to discover the perfect Australian Christmas song to wow your family and friends with, then read on for the ultimate list of Aussie Christmas songs.
If you prefer traditional Christmas music, then Christmas carols might be right up your street. Maybe Mariah Carey is more your bag, or perhaps you’d prefer to stick with Paul Kelly. Whichever it is, these are the tracks you’ll want to play on Christmas Day – and in fact throughout December.
Whether you want to find an absolute classic that you hadn’t heard before or a collection of Australian Christmas music to impress your guests from overseas, here are all the best Australian Xmas songs!
5 of the best Australian Christmas songs
The best new Christmas songs don’t get a look-in here. This list includes ten of the most popular festive tracks in Australia. You know how it goes – they’re the ones that get played year after year, even though they’re decades old.
All I Want for Christmas is You
This is the first time this track is featured in this post. Look out for the unlikely Polish Club cover below, but meanwhile Mariah’s version of All I Want for Christmas is You has been a complete festive classic since 1994.
Click here to take a look at All I Want for Christmas is You
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Michael Bublé‘s It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas is another one you cannot miss. Unless you actually go to live on another planet come December. A red vinyl version is available, if you love collecting LPs.
Click here to see It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
Last Christmas
UK pop duo Wham’s festive offering Last Christmas has been such an enduring success that there’s now a movie named after the track. It’s also spurned Whamageddon, a game where players try to get through advent without hearing this 1986 tune. Impossible.
Click here to shop for Last Christmas
Fairytale of New York
Again, far from one of the latest Christmas songs, but Fairytale of New York is an enduring classic. It’s got more of an edge than other festive tunes, which perhaps explains its phenomenal success.
Click here to buy Fairytale of New York
Especially for You
Especially for You peaked at number two here in Australia, but was much more successful in the UK. Just like Neighbours, the home-grown soap that the Brits really took to their hearts.
Click here to see Especially for You
10 of the top Australian Christmas carols
Some of the best songs about Australia to play during December include these characteristically antipodean carols.
12 days of Aussie Christmas
This list of Australian Christmas music commences with a twist on a festive classic. The Australian 12 Days of Christmas song. In this case, the original 12 Days of Christmas has been adjusted slightly to accommodate Australian fauna. The likes of French hens, geese and turtle doves have been replaced by emus, galahs and kookaburras.
If you want to hear the 12 Days of Aussie Christmas, you get a bonus CD of the track when you buy the book of the same name. The book by Colin Buchanan and Glen Singleton is good fun for kids, as there are 150 things to find within the pages. All with an Australian theme, of course.
Click here to buy the 12 Days of Aussie Christmas book
Carol of the Birds
Carol of the Birds is a popular primary school song to sing along to during assembly. The theme is similar to the 12 Days of Aussie Christmas, with Australian birds like currawongs and lorikeets included in the lyrics. The ubiquitous Colin Buchanan is behind this one too.
Christmas Bush for his Adorning
It’s not the most likely title – and can of course raise a few sniggers. And it’s sometimes known by the alternative title of Gathering Christmas Bush Together. This pick of the Australian carols was released in 1995 by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and features classical Christmas lyrics by John Wheeler.
The Silver Stars are in the Sky
Like Christmas Bush for his Adorning, The Silver Stars are in the Sky was recorded in 1995 by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs with Antony Walker. It comes from the album An Australian Christmas.
Noel-Time
This Spotify Australian Christmas playlist favourite also features the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs with Antony Walker conducting.
The Little Town where Christ was Born
The Little Town where Christ was Born is a third track from the Australian Christmas carols CD recorded by conductor Antony Walker and the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. An ABC Adelaide Chorus version is also popular.
Sing Gloria
Another offering from the ABC Adelaide Chorus is Sing Gloria. This – along with several tracks listed above – are popular on Apple Music as part of their Australian Christmas Carols playlist. It’s classic religious stuff, including lyrics like “The Lord who planted the bushland” and so on.
Aussie Jingle Bells
Aussie Jingle Bells is again a Christmas classic with a distinctly Australian slant. And again Colin Buchanan has written a book based on it, this time in conjunction with illustrator Nick Bland.
Like other tracks, Australia Jingle Bells switches up the lyrics to create an Australian theme. Think a Holden ute rather than a sleigh and the bush instead of snow. The song also features references to Uncle Bruce and the festive season being both beaut and hot. But of course!
Click here to purchase the Aussie Jingle Bells book
The North Wind
John Wheeler – the man behind Christmas Bush for his Adorning – is also responsible for the lyrics of The North Wind. Rather than native fauna, this one names Australian geographical features such as the red dust and green gullies lined with tree ferns.
The Three Drovers
The Three Drovers is one of those classic Australian Xmas carols. The subject is clearly the three shepherds who moved their creatures over long distances, just as good old Aussie drovers do. This festive classic dates to around 1948.
10 of the best Christmas songs by Australian artists
Christmas Number One
Christmas Number One was a charity effort from Triple J that waas released in 2013. Fortunately, given the name, the track topped the iTunes chart that year. Led by radio presenter Lindsay McDougall, the song featured 36 musicians. All proceeds (after Apple’s cut) were donated to the Red Cross.
How to Make Gravy
How To Make Gravy by Paul Kelly is without doubt a track that belongs on all Australian Christmas albums. It’s all a bit Ned Kelly, what with the singer’s name and the fact that he’s calling from inside prison. To deliver his gravy recipe.
Again this is one of those funny Australian Christmas songs that loves to reference the festive season as it is over here. Rather than in snow-clad European or North American countries. Yep, it sure will be hot in Queensland this Christmas.
Click here to shop for Paul Kelly books and music
Mistress for Christmas
The Razor’s Edge by AC/DC, an album released in 1990, features a track called Mistress for Christmas. The protagonist here cannot wait to grope his festive love in the hay, and in fact also wants three in a bed. Not asking for much, is he?
Click here to buy The Razor’s Edge by AC/DC
I Hope You Get Laid for Christmas
I Hope You Get Laid For Christmas by Damien Cowell’s Disco Machine is another one in the same sort of vein as the AC/DC track. The references here are to gifts like a garden hose, Holden themed merchandise or a ceramic wombat.
White Wine in the Sun
British-born Australian comedian, actor and musician is the brains behind White Wine in the Sun. This song has some meaning behind it: Minchin’s point is that we can all enjoy the togetherness Christmas, even if we’re not into the religious side of things.
Blue Christmas
Jimmy Barnes gives it his all with his cover of Blue Christmas. And if, like a growing number of people, you’re into collecting vinyl, you can even buy this as a blue disc. Which would look pretty good on your wall at any time of the year.
Click here to shop for Jimmy Barnes Christmas music
All I Want for Christmas is You
Here we have a spin on Mariah Carey’s Christmas classic, All I Want For Christmas Is You. Polish Club is the name behind the cover. The 2017 release even features the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese!
Some of the lyrics have been given an update. here, think “I Hate You But You Gotta Stay (On Christmas Day)”. Less schmaltzy than Mariah’s version, that’s for sure.
Click here to browse All I Want For Christmas Is You
Little Drummer Boy (Up The Khyber)
Hoodoo Gurus is a rock band from Sydney formed in 1981. In 1991, they recorded their version of Little Drummer Boy (Up The Khyber). It’s definitely different from the original, that’s all we’re saying.
Click here to buy Hoodoo Gurus music
Spend Christmas Day with Me
Spend Christmas Day With Me by Darren Hanlon is all about exactly what the title suggests. Though he’s never experienced snowfall and everyone’s likely to get drunk by midday, it’s all about having the festive season with your loved ones. Without being overly sentimental.
Click here to check out Darren Hanlon music
Lonely Jew on Christmas
Yidcore from Melbourne is an Australian Jewish punk rock band who recorded the incongruously titled Lonely Jew on Christmas. Clearly this is among those Aussie Xmas songs that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s basically all about missing out on the festivities due to being Jewish rather than Christian. And is also rather tongue in cheek.
Which Australian Christmas songs make your playlist?
If you wanted to find a new Christmas song to listen to this year, then we hope this list has helped you out! From popular songs in Australia at Christmas by international artists to home-grown and lesser-known tracks, there’s plenty of choice when you want to ring the musical changes this December.
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