10 Hard Rock Christmas Songs That Are Actually Good

If there's one thing that Christmas music and hard rock have in common, it's the love for classical music. Compared to the more pop-oriented groups out there in the wild, the traditional Christmas songs from the classical world don't really feel too far off from the outlandish scale exercises that come from someone like Yngwie Malmsteen. So, why did it take so long for us to put these two styles together this perfectly?

Originally forming from the remnants of the band Savatage, Trans Siberian Orchestra has become a modern fixture of the Christmas season, with performances arriving every single year. Though there are plenty of songs to choose from in this realm, it simply doesn't get much better than Carol of the Bells. The original take on the tune was already a bit caustic for a Christmas song, and yet it becomes something otherworldly when the string section is replaced with a soaring lead guitar.

Instead of just being put together for a gimmick, this is one of those few Christmas-hard rock hybrids that works on a couple of different levels. Where some may see these songs as pandering to the rock crowd, this is the kind of song that is so good that it could possibly get people acquainted with the world of hard rock. Even with no words, this little slice of perfection made a profound statement on how we view Christmas music in the modern age.