I'm a music nerd: I used to be a music writer, I've been to more concerts than I can count, and I will unironically declare that I love rock 'n' roll. And I just can't deal with cheesy Christmas music. I want to listen to Christmas music that sounds like the music I actually like. I don't seek out pop music or adult contemporary the rest of the year, so why would I want it during Christmas?

That said, I love listening to Christmas music during the holidays, as long as it's my kind of Christmas music. I love having albums that come out just once a year but when they do, it sounds like Christmastime. I've spent years cultivating a collection of songs that aren't "good for Christmas music," but just plain good. I have a few albums I always fall back on: A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector [1] and The Beach Boys' Christmas Album [2] are true masterpieces (as are the album covers).

This playlist combines some of my favorites from those albums, plus other holiday songs by artists I love, in my favorite genres: rock and roll, soul, motown, and country, with a little Run-D.M.C. thrown in. Read about why I keep going back to these songs, then listen to the playlist [3].

1. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," Darlene Love: The first 20 seconds of this song signal the holidays to me. It's the first thing I play when the Christmas music comes out.
2. "Little Saint Nick," The Beach Boys: Everything that's great about The Beach Boys (harmonies and sleigh bells!) in a Christmas song.
3. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," The Jackson 5: Little Michael singing his heart out is all of us as kids.
4. "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," Dean Martin: By "my love," I think Dean means "my cocktail."
5. "White Christmas," Darlene Love: Enduring proof that Darlene Love is a legend. (Also, if you haven't seen 20 Feet From Stardom, you should.)
6. "Blue Christmas," Elvis Presley: Many others have sung this song, but Elvis still does it best.
7. "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto," James Brown: Ladies and gentlemen, the Godfather of Soul does "funky Christmas."
8. "Merry Christmas From the Family," Robert Earl Keen: The ultimate redneck Christmas song will resonate with anyone who has mixed Bloody Marys when the eggnog's gone.
9. "Xmas Time Is Here Again," My Morning Jacket: Unlike the misnamed "Jingle Bell Rock," this song actually rocks.
10. "Merry Christmas, Baby," The Beach Boys: Probably my second greatest harbinger of Christmas, after track one.
11. "Christmas in Hollis," Run-D.M.C.: Possibly the only hip-hop song to feature sleigh bells, and also insanely catchy.
12. "The Christmas Blues," Bob Dylan: I'm a huge Dylan fan, but most of his Christmas album is skippable, except this track.
13. "The Christmas Waltz," She & Him: Clearly these two are disciples of Phil Spector and his classic album.
14. "Wonderful Christmastime," Paul McCartney: It's a tragedy that The Beatles never made a Christmas album, so I have to settle for this.
15. "Merry Christmas, Baby," James Brown: Starts out sounding saccharine, then gets sultry.
16. "Lumberjack Christmas / No One Can Save You From Christmases Past," Sufjan Stevens: No surprise that this songwriter from Michigan warmly embraces the wintertime.
17. "Baby It's Cold Outside," Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan: A classic cold-weather tune that's even better when sung by Ella.
18. "Father Christmas," The Kinks: The guitar riffs offer proof that a Christmas song can, indeed, shred.
19. "Blue Christmas," Bright Eyes: Quite a departure from Elvis's version, but I like the emo-ness of it.
20. "Santa Claus Is Back in Town," Elvis Presley: Speaking of Elvis, the dude sure can make Christmas sound sexy.
21. "Frosty the Snowman," The Ronettes: Phil Spector may have been a nutjob, but he sure could produce the hell out of a Christmas song.
22. "Xmas Curtain," My Morning Jacket: Not technically written as a Christmas song, but even MMJ has embraced it as one.