When it comes to Christmas songs, not every song brings holiday cheer. Some tunes are so overplayed or poorly executed that they can make us flinch instead of feel festive. From cheesy pop attempts to bizarre novelty tracks, here are 10 of the worst Christmas songs that have made their mark over the years.

  1. NSYNC – ‘I Never Knew the Meaning of Christmas’
    A song that shifts the focus of Christmas away from tradition and onto finding a girlfriend.
  2. Neil Diamond – ‘Cherry Cherry Christmas’
    Neil Diamond’s attempt at a Christmas hit that feels more like a forced marketing gimmick.
  3. The Killers – ‘Don’t Shoot Me Santa’
    A darkly humorous and jarring song that might leave you wondering what they were thinking when they wrote it.
  4. The Pussycat Dolls – ‘Santa Baby’
    A lackluster, flat rendition of a classic holiday song that fails to hit the mark.
  5. Lou Monte – ‘Dominick the Donkey’
    An annoyingly repetitive song about an Italian Christmas donkey that’s more irritating than charming.
  6. New Kids on the Block – ‘Funky Funky Xmas’
    A dated attempt at a holiday hit that’s neither funky nor festive, just a cash grab from the boy band craze.
  7. Jessica and Ashlee Simpson – ‘The Little Drummer Boy’
    A melodramatic version of the classic, with breathy vocals and strange instrumentation that miss the mark.
  8. NewSong – ‘The Christmas Shoes’
    A well-meaning song that tries too hard to be sentimental, leaving many feeling manipulated instead of moved.
  9. Elmo and Patsy – ‘Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer’
    A novelty song that’s more cruel than funny, with an absurdly tragic premise.
  10. Alvin and the Chipmunks – ‘The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)’
    The ultimate holiday cringe, with high-pitched voices that make this Christmas classic hard to listen to.

While these songs might pop up every holiday season, it’s safe to say they’re not everyone’s idea of festive fun.