The 10 Best Australian Christmas Songs Of 2022

Amy Shark - Christmas Lights

Amy Shark has collaborated with Amazon to bring an exclusive Christmas cover for this year's festive season. Covering Coldplay’s Christmas Lights, Shark stays true to her indie-pop roots and takes the song in a new direction, away from the original piano ballad that was released 12 years ago to an easy-going pop hit. Swooping synths, rhythmic guitars and a consistent thumping beat lay the bed for Shark’s silky vocals to shine.

The Adore singer took to Instagram to celebrate the release of the Christmas song, saying, “I know it’s only November… but I covered ‘Christmas lights’ by Coldplay for Amazon Music. It's a bit melancholy, but that’s me.”

Budjerah - Who Would Imagine A King

Budjerah also joins Amy Shark in creating a Christmas cover for Amazon Music, and it’s one of our favourites of the season. Budjerah has a voice like no other and particularly one that suits the Christmas classics, such as Whitney Houston's iconic song, Who Would Imagine A King. Budjerah keeps the cover pretty close to the original in terms of melody, but he added a choir and an old church organ to give it a newer and richer feeling.

“Christmas is my favourite holiday, and I’ve always wanted to record a Christmas song, so when Amazon Music asked me to do one of my favourite classics, I was super excited. I grew up in church, so I heard a lot of the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus. I loved hearing the story so much, and this song is just about that.”

Paul Kelly - Maybe This Christmas

Paul Kelly is the King of an Aussie Christmas, and luckily for us, he has re-released his 2021 Christmas album with an additional song. The Making Gravy Singer decided to bless us with a new recording of Ron Sexsmith’s Maybe This Christmas – recorded with Kelly’s live band at Soundpark Studios in Melbourne and featuring Alice Keath on harmony vocals. Simple but effective, Maybe This Christmas is the perfect Aussie Christmas song that reminds us why Paul Kelly will forever remain the King of Christmas.

On the new addition to his 2021 Christmas album, Kelly said: “Ron Sexsmith released this song in 2002 and it has long been a favourite of mine. I love the lines about forgiveness in the second verse. “I thought it would be good to do as a duet, so I asked Alice Keath to join me and the band in the studio last month. She always finds interesting harmonies.”

Jimmy Barnes - Blue Christmas

Jimmy Barnes is another Australian favourite that makes it on the list this year, with his cover of the holiday classic Blue Christmas. In fact, Barnsey has come out with an entire Christmas album under the same title that features a range of iconic festive songs like Jingle Bell Rock, Let It Snow! and White Christmas. Blue Christmas, however, is the star of the record, with Barnsey crooning along so well it would make Elvis proud.

Revealing the motivation behind the Christmas album, the Cold Chisel frontman said, “One of the greatest surprises I ever got from our children was when they all snuck away into the garage and secretly recorded themselves singing carols for me.”

“On Christmas morning, when I awoke, they proudly gave me the recording and sat eagerly waiting for me to listen to it. That year I received lots of great gifts from various family members, but that recording had me weeping like a baby. It was the most beautiful gift I ever got.

“This album is my gift back to the kids, the grandkids and everyone out there who just wants to sit and sing with their family on Christmas. These songs take me back and they remind me why I’m here right now. I hope they do the same for you.”

Grentperez - When Christmas Comes Again

Grentperez is an up-and-comer in the music sphere, but the 20-year-old Western Sydney-based crooner and rocker is quickly garnering a very dedicated fanbase through his varied social media platforms. Now he’s decided to tackle the Christmas market with his own original tune When Christmas Comes Again. A bright and cheerful Christmas banger, grentperez is paying homage to the holiday cheer. The song blends old Christmas classic tropes like whirling strings and smooth vocals with a bedroom-pop feel.

On the new release, he explains the inspiration: “A song to keep you warm in the winter and cold in the summer… (depending on where you live). I really wanted to capture the anticipation of Christmas Day and the romantic aspects that surround the celebration of it, in a very classy, timeless style of song. Christmas has always been a big part of my life, especially growing up as a Filipino, listening to songs like ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ having the whole family gather and I thought that I’d really like to make myself a part of that Christmas song roster.”

Freya Josephine Hollick - Spend Your Christmas With Rita

Freya Josephine Hollick is the IT girl in the alternative-country space at the moment, and for good reason, she continues to bring her a-game in whatever she releases. This year her third full-length studio album came out to rave reviews, and tucked away on the tracklist was the Christmas song of the century. Far from your traditional Christmas tune, Spend Your Christmas With Rita speaks of a girl who dreamed of being a star and has withered with old age. It’s a brilliant song that combines the unmatched storytelling of country music with the spirit of Christmas. Despite its unusual nature, it will be the perfect song to break up the boring carols on Christmas Day. Plus, it might get those conservative relatives in a bit of a huff, and isn't that what Christmas is all about?

When first writing the song in December of 2018, Hollick posted to Facebook saying: “Tonight I wrote my first Christmas song. It’s called Rita. It’s about a singer, in her 60s who as a young woman was signed to a major label that went bust, who doesn’t sing anymore, but she put a personal ad in the paper “spend your Christmas with Rita”. Work in progress.”

Tkay Maidza - Nights In December

Rapper and singer/songwriter Tkay Maidza has also jumped on the Christmas train this year with a cool new festive song that tells the tale of falling in love over the December cheer. Filled with big Flume-like synths and funky beats, it's also not your average Christmas carol, but it will be perfect for those Christmas lovers who want to play something a bit more sexy and modern on Christmas Day. Nights In December skips the general formula of a carol, playing into the stylish and groovy RnB feel that she is known for.

In a statement, Maidza said: “Thought it would be cool to make a song that captures the feeling of a new relationship but using wintertime in New York as the inspiration. I had a trip where I spent a winter in New York, and it was really beautiful so I almost wanted to recreate that feeling in a song.”

Lucie Tiger - Christmas In The South

Lucie Tiger is the new darling of Aus country music, and her original Christmas song reminds us why. Christmas In The South beckons us to a happy place where family and friends come together to share Season’s Greetings, good cheer, and a beer or two. A nice blend between blues and country, Tiger's vocals shine as she sings us through the reasons that a Christmas in the southern hemisphere is just plain better. Writing the song last Christmas when the pandemic kept family and friends apart, like so many people, she hankered for happier times when she could share a drink with friends and sing along to classic songs on the radio while she puts up the tinsel and hugs her mama.

Speaking to Countrytown about the release, she said, “I had such a good time writing and recording this song in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The lyrics speak to all the things we love about Christmas – getting the family together, having a cold one with friends and the possible appearance of Santa, plus I can't get enough of the jam we all have at the end. I love this song so much, I was dying to release it as soon as we cut it, but of course, you can't release a Christmas song in July!”

Sia - Naughty & Nice

International superstar Sia has added to her holiday collection yet again with this years single Naughty & Nice. The original song is an upbeat modern take on an old-school Christmas Carol, similar to the likes of Santa Baby, it has a cheeky charm that everyone will love. Sia’s distinct jazzy vocals are clear throughout and suit ebb and flow of the song.

Naughty & Nice is the perfect pop edition to your Christmas carol collection that will fit in perfectly with any song, old or new.

Imogen Clarke - I Got Dumped For Christmas

Western Sydney singer-songwriter Imogen Clarke brings a great Christmas banger to the table with her new song I Got Dumped For Christmas. A fun and upbeat rock track that takes a light-hearted swipe at the state of Clarke’s love life as 2022 draws to a close.

Akin to the feeling of Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, with a sadder context, Clarke keeps up the energy in I Got Dumped For Christmas, and it stands to be the perfect tune for anyone who was left standing under the mistletoe all alone.

Explaining the song, Clarke said, “I wanted to write a Christmas rock anthem for all the bitter single girls like me who got dumped this year. It’s a loud cathartic rock banger you can drink lots of eggnog and sing along to a bit too loud. Don’t forget your problems this Christmas, wallow in them – but in a fun way.”