Are you counting down the days until Christmas? Well, if your’e opening an advent calendar door each morning and popping out a fake chocolate that’s moulded into a solid effigy of the baby Jesus… Then you’ll be aware that it’s not long to go. Here is a countdown that doesn’t involve eating fake chocolate for breakfast.

This countdown is the second part of the best Alternative christmas songs.

20. Ella Fitzgerald, Santa got stuck in my chimney

No, it’s not a hideous Christmas double entendres – It’s a christmas song courtesy of one of the greatest singers of her time. Ella could punch energy into songs with a soulful voice and this is no exception.

19. Merry Christmas, Johnny Osbourne

It’s a Jah Christmas with Studio one legend Johnny osbourne who takes a classic tune and hangs some tinsel on it. The outcome is some truly christmas roots goodness.

18. Vince Guaraldi Trio, Christmas Time is Here

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ is an album released in 1965 as the soundtrack to the ‘CBS Charlie Brown Christmas. It is among the most popular Christmas albums of all time. It was voted into the Grammy hall of  fame in 2007.

17.  Otis Redding, White Christmas

Otis Redding’s voice is already a glass of port and a pipe by the fire. So when he sings about a white Christmas, you can’t help feeling warm and snug.

16. Chuck Berry, Run Rudolf run

The title of the song seems to suggest that Chuck is about to shoot Rudolf with his hunting rifle… But don’t worry kids because Rudolf The Reindeer doesn’t exist.

Recorded at the height of his powers. Chuck Berry rolls out his characteristic frenzied blues in reverence of everyone’s favourite reindeer.

Despite not even managing to break the top fifty when it was first released, it has become an enduring Christmas favourite and spawned plenty of covers.

15. Brent Dowe, Christmas in Jamaica

Not exactly a white Christmas, but Jamaica gets loose for the season with this beautiful oldie.

14. Eartha Kitt, Santa baby

even the coldest boxing day turkey sandwich will warm up when Eartha sweetly serenades Santa in this 1953 comic Christmas classic.

 13. James Brown, Soulful Christmas

James Brown, who died on December 25, 2006, recorded three Christmas-themed albums during his creative peak: 1966’s James Brown Sings Christmas Songs, 1968’s A Soulful Christmas and 1970’s Hey America It’s Christmas. No one can put funk into Christmas quite like James Brown.

12. The Staple Singers, Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas?

The Staple Singers were an American gospel and soul band hailing from Chicago. they don’t know who took the merry out of Christmas but they DO know who put the soul in. this is a lovely Christmas tune.

11. Donny Hathaway, This Christmas

Bad dancing at office parties and drinking booze isn’t what god had in mind for a Jesus birthday party, but this song has all the things that christmas should be about. Just a time for families to spend together and appreciate each other.  Being apart of something grand, the community; that’s pretty much what this song is about.

Read part I of the best alternative Christmas songs HERE

Stay tuned for the third and final part of the best alternative Christmas songs.