The 18 weirdest (and funniest) holiday songs

Recorded by husband-and-wife duo Elmo & Patsy, "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" has been a staple of holiday playlists since its release in 1979. The song has since been covered (and parodied) by many artists, but the original endures as one of the holiday's most ridiculous tunes. 

Comedian Adam Sandler debuted this tongue-in-cheek to the Festival of Lights on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1994. Since then, it's sold more than a half a million copies, earning it a Gold certification, and even earned a spot on multiple Billboard charts. 

Oklahoma-born singer Gayla Peevey was just 10 years old when she recorded "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" in 1953. Not long after its release, her hometown of Oklahoma City used the song as part of a fundraising campaign to bring an actual hippopotamus to the city's zoo. 

Both the Jackson 5 and the Ronettes scored hits across multiple decades with "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," a cheeky holiday tune told from a child's perspective. 

Originally performed by bass vocalist Thurl Ravenscroft, "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" was written by Dr. Seuss himself, Theodore Geisel. Since then, it's been recorded by a wide array of artists, including violinist Lindsey Stirling and a capella group Pentatonix. 

Weird Al's take on a Soul Asylum song, "The Night Santa Went Crazy" imagines a scenario in which Santa's drunk, unhinged, and on a North Pole rampage that requires FBI intervention. It's decidedly dark, yet totally Weird Al. 

In country comedian Ray Stevens's "Santa Claus Is Watching You," the man in the red suit is a little bit more like an all-seeing spy who's no fan of heartbreakers than the holiday icon we know and love. 

This cheeky little love song from pop powerhouse Ariana Grande asks Santa for just one wish: to find a guy who will actually stick around. "Don't make me fall in love again if he won't be here next year," Grande sings. "Santa tell me if he really cares, 'cause I can't give it all away if he won't be here next year." 

Tenacious D, the hard-rocking side project of actor Jack Black, teamed up with pop-punkers Sum 41 for "Things I Want," a wild 21st century update of "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" in which the bands ask for a gold Harley-Davidson with machine guns on the front, a time machine, and even a robot pelican. (Warning: this one's definitely not for kids.) 

This cute little tune about a childhood rite of passage — losing one's front baby teeth — was written by New York City music teacher Donald Yetter Gardner in 1944. The original recording was performed by bandleader Spike Jones, and the song has since been covered by a ton of artists, including the iconic Alvin and the Chipmunks recording. 

Decidedly not a massive hit like "Rockin Around The Christmas Tree," Brenda Lee's "I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus" bring a real "Robin Hood" vibe to the holiday season. In the song, Lee sings about lassoing Santa up to bring toys to all the less fortunate children she knows who don't get a pile of toys under the tree every year. 

This high-pitched tune from David Seville, the mind behind Alvin and the Chipmunks, is still one of the top-selling holiday songs decades after its 1958 release. 

The subject matter may seem a little kooky, but this song from comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates gets at a truly universal holiday experience: trying to pretend you love a gift that you actually hate. 

This expletive-laden holiday song appears on actor Joe Pesci's 1998 comedy album "Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just For You," inspired by his character in "My Cousin Vinny." 

"South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are the kings of gross-out comedy, so it's no real surprise that they managed to create the only holiday song that involves a singing, Santa-hat-wearing piece of poop. 

Christmas music and punk rock collide on this 1989 track from the Ramones. "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)" is a song with a simple message: "Christmas ain't the time for breaking each other's hearts." 

Released in 2007 to raise funds for AIDS charities, "Don't Shoot Me Santa" goes beyond the typical surveillance in a song about Santa. In this song, the Christmas icon is a gun-toting assassin who's out for blood. 

At the height of the pandemic in 2020, Snoop Dogg offered a satirical, surly take on the season with "Funky Christmas." "I don't want no Christmas so don't bring me no damn trees," the rapper sings. "I don't want no Christmas so you won't be getting no gifts."