People Love to Hate These Polarizing Christmas Songs

For many people, there’s no better time of the year than Christmas. As soon as Halloween ends —and sometimes before — the tree goes up along with all the ornaments, twinkle lights, and decorations that have been stored for the year. The next step is the Christmas playlist.

But those Christmas songs don’t always bring visions of sugar plums dancing in your head. Hearing songs like Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on repeat everywhere you go can make some people feel like screaming. However, some are definitely more detested than others.

Santa Baby

There’s something about Santa Baby that makes many people cringe. In a 2020 YouGov poll, the song was ranked No. 2 of the most disliked Christmas songs. For some, it’s the whole premise that Christmas is all about presents. For others, it just has to do with who is singing it.

Eartha Kitt performed the original, quintessential version of the song in 1953. There have been so many versions since then, from Taylor Swift to Michael Bublé. However, it was Madonna‘s version, sung in a cutesy baby voice, that is often cited as the one that grates on people’s nerves.

On a Tony and Kris ShowInstagram post, they ranked “Santa Baby” No. 2.

“Santa Baby” ONLY BY MADONNA,” one person commented.

Her version even irritated Kitt. The AV Club claimed that, when she began singing it during a show, she told the audience, “I used to have a lot of fun with this song, and then Madonna sang it.” Whether it’s on your top ten for favorites or least favorites, Santa Baby is one of the most polarizing Christmas songs.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Another song about Santa, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” is one that people either love or hate. For some, the song is interpreted as sweet. A misunderstanding: a boy sees his mom kissing Santa, when it’s really just his dad in a Santa suit.

For others, it’s not clear that Santa is actually the dad, and the song about an innocent child traumatized thinking his mother is cheating on Christmas is a pretty messed-up Christmas song.

“So for my entire childhood and well into my 30s, I thought this song was about a wife screwing around behind her husband’s back with Santa Claus,” one fan wrote on the song’s YouTube page.

At the time of its release, the Roman Catholic Church even condemned it, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Dominick the Donkey

Rolling Stone lists our next song as No. 7 on its list of “Worst Christmas Songs of all Time.” Dominick the Donkey, the 1960 song by Italian American singer Lou Monte, is one of the most bizarre Christmas songs ever created. Get ready for the Italian Christmas donkey, who accompanies Santa to Italy, because apparently, reindeer can’t climb hills.

The chorus of “hee-haws” often grinds on nerves, along with the “la la la’s” that follow. If you have kids, this is probably one of their favorites, along with I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.

“This song is something of a different galaxy,” one person commented on the song’s YouTube page.

“This song has a jingle, and it never leaves your head,” wrote another. “After you hear it the 3rd time, you’ll wish that you were dead La la la La de de de da, la la la, oh da de da.”

In 2023, Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive linemen Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, and Jordan Mailata — The Philly Specials — covered the song. They changed the line “they’re made in Brook-a-leen” to “they’re made in South Philly.” The song’s popularity was revived, with fans loving their version. The album even reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart.

“Ahhhh my favorite Christmas song!!!,” wrote one fan on their Instagram post.

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