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Christmas songs are like sprouts: you probably loathe them, but once a year you pile them on your plate as if Boxing Day was the Apocalypse. The 25 best Christmas songs of all time represent those croons, glam-rock party staples and snow-topped sing-alongs we all know and love (or hate). But what about the alternative mixtape? The indie bands, rappers and disco queens whose festive gems and genre-destroying cover versions are lost under a deluge of Frank Sinatra and Boney M?

Along with the best Christmas songs, we asked you to choose your favourite alternatives, and this is a gallery of the results. From headbanging carols to epic soundscapes, here are 15 kick-ass alternative Xmas anthems, as chosen by you. Here’s to a very ‘different’ Christmas. First up: Prince...

Rocking around the Christmas tree is all well and good, but not a patch on listening to a funky little chap from Minneapolis moaning about his girlfriend leaving him. That said, at one point he does mention that he’s got a bit of thing for her sister, so you can’t really blame the poor girl for walking out.

Listen: Prince - Another Lonely Christmas (live in 1984)

Buy: Prince - The Hits/The B-Sides

Next: Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi

As even the hardiest of metal heads would testify, heavy metal Christmas music is awful. So awful, however, it (almost) becomes essential listening. So, for compilations called Monster Ballads Xmas, We Wish You A Hairy Christmas and the similar (albeit longer-titled) We Wish You A Metal Xmas… And A Headbanging New Year, MusicRadar salutes you!

Here’s the first of two entries from We Wish You A Metal Xmas…, hard rock legends Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi take on that oldest of ye olde carols, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

Listen:Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Buy: We Wish You A Metal Xmas… And A Headbanging New Year

Next: Clarence Carter

Clarence Carter’s track about “making all the little girls happy, while the boys are out to play”, “chasing the children home” and “giving them a few pennies so we could be alone” is still as refreshingly anti-Christmas as it was in 1968. Covered by the likes of Jet, The Black Crowes and Bon Jovi, if nothing else, it’s a soulful reminder to keep your doors locked throughout December.

Listen: Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa

Buy: Clarence Carter - The Platinum Collection

Next: Run-DMC

'Novelty' hip-hop is a near-impossible gig to pull off, but in 1987 Run-DMC could still rock the beats and the funnies. Christmas In Hollis is built around a sample of Clarence Carter's aforementioned Back Door Santa, and although it's (macaroni) cheesy as hell, it's all y'all need to make any old-skool yule rule. Word!

Listen: Run-DMC - Christmas In Hollis

Buy: A Very Special Christmas

Your votes

“[All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey is] A masterpiece. I'd pick Run DMC's Christmas In Hollis a fairly close second though.” (Thanks, Gojirosan)

Next: Oceansize

As if the original, expansive soundtrack to flying through the winter sky holding the hand of an animated snow-sculpture wasn’t on a grand enough scale, Oceansize’s post-rock interpretation will blow your mind and melt your face. Equally bleak and oh so epic.

Listen: Oceansize - Walking In The Air

Your votes

“It's got to be Oceansize's version of Walking In The Air! It's really heavy." (Thanks, tentacle)

Next: Cocteau Twins

Between Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole’s crooned staples and The Ronettes, The Beach Boys and The Jackson 5’s soul-tinged efforts, there was only ever going to be one logical artistic direction for Frosty The Snowman: lush and atmospheric with iceberg-sized instrumentals. Released with Winter Wonderland on the Cocteau Twins’ 1990 Snow EP, which will now set you back a fair few quid on eBay.

Listen: Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman

Buy: Cocteau Twins - Lullabies to Violaine, Vol. 2

Your votes

“The answer to both is the Cocteau’s rendition of Frosty The Snowman. So there!” (Thanks, lasermonkey)

“I'll second Lasermonkey's nomination of the Cocteau Twins’ Frosty The Snowman (and the Snow EP as a whole!). Liz Fraser and the boys lend their special Cocteau sparkle to a classic.” (Thanks, Estheroid)

Next: Big Dee Irwin

Swinging On A Star was originally another croon favourite of Bing and his ilk, but it’s the little-known one hit wonder Big Dee Irwin and partner Little Eva’s ice cool 1963 rendition that we’re celebrating here. With lyrics including “If you don’t go to school, you might grow up to be a mule,” it’s the equivalent of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town for the kids in the know.

Buy: Now That’s What I Call Xmas

Next: Aimee Mann

Given that she wrote and performed Wise Up, the song that soundtracks the bit in the middle of Magnolia where everybody essentially falls apart, you wouldn’t have expected Aimee Mann to release a knockabout Christmas record. She didn’t, and her version of White Christmas from 2006’s One More Drifter In The Snow is splendidly melancholic.

Listen: Aimee Mann - One More Drifter In The Snow (album sampler)

Buy: Aimee Mann - One More Drifter in the Snow

Next: Lemmy, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl

The second cut from We Wish You A Metal Xmas… And A Headbanging New Year brings together a supergroup we’d actually like to see more from: Lemmy, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl. Now, we know Lemmy’s vocal is ‘throaty’ but this sounds like it was delivered during open neck surgery. Either that or Rudolph stole his lips.

Listen: Lemmy, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl - Run Rudolph Run

Buy: We Wish You A Metal Xmas… And A Headbanging New Year

Next: Low

Any fans of American indie (or just indie, for that matter) with a penchant for slowcore and sleigh bells will be familiar with Low’s 2003 Christmas EP. On the whole, it somehow manages to avoid any novelty clichés while staying in line with the Duluth trio's trademark sound. Just Like Christmas in particular is a revelation of rollicking Spector-style production.

Listen: Low - Just Like Christmas

Buy: Low - Christmas EP

Your votes

"Best alternative tunes: Just Like Christmas - Low, Christmas Eve - Teenage Fanclub." (Thanks, yossarianlives)

Next: James Brown

Ah ha, The Godfather Of Soul. Or The Godfather Of Yule, as a quick glance though his prolific contribution to Christmas LPs might demand: James Brown Sings Christmas Songs; A Soulful Christmas; The Merry Christmas Album… we could go on. This funky request for Santa to skip the lucky in favour of the brothers in The Ghetto is a fitting tribute.

Listen: James Brown - Santa Claus (Go Straight To The Ghetto)

Buy: James Brown – Funky Christmas

Your votes

"James Brown - Santa Claus (Go Straight To The Ghetto) for an ice cool Yule: cool:" (Thanks, Estheroid)

Next: Joey Ramone

The Ramones’ original 1987 version of Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight) is suitably aggressive with a suitably galling accompanying video. However, late frontman Joey Ramone reworked the track for a solo release in 2001, slowing down the tempo and softening the edges to create the mini festive (anti) fighting anthem that we’re raising a glass to here. Cheers, here’s to peace, man.

Listen: Joey Ramone - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)

Buy: Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)

Next: Donna Summer

Winter Melody represents the festive period of Donna Summer’s 1976 five-track concept album Four Seasons Of Love (if you’re wondering what the fifth track/season is, it’s Spring Reprise). The song goes against the disco grain of the era, but the soulful melody does nothing to dampen the nostalgia and sentimentality of Christmas time.

Listen: Donna Summer - Winter Melody

Buy: Donna Summer - Four Seasons of Love

Next: Reuben

Reuben are (were) awesome, this song is awesome, the video is awesome and, yes, Christmas Is Awesome. Lyrical highlight (delivered with screaming hardcore panache): "And if I eat a sprout, you gotta eat a sprout, you gotta suffer too." Awesome.

Listen: Reuben - Christmas is Awesome

Buy: Reuben - We Should Have Gone To University

Your votes

"Best Alternative Christmas Anthem - Reuben - Christmas is Awesome." (Thanks, dogboy55)

“Christmas is awesome by Reuben. Watch the vid for fantastic guitar acrobatics during solo section. Great band - much missed.” (Thanks, rocklazer)

Liked this? Now read:The 25 best Christmas songs of all time

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