Tom Cardy.

River (1971): Joni Mitchell. OK, like Fairytale, this isn’t exactly an upbeat Christmas song that will get the kids smiling and clapping. Off Mitchell’s brilliant Blue album, it’s about as melancholic about the Yuletide season as you can get, with her wanting to escape a relationship by skating across a frozen river. But with the inclusion of a few bars of Jingle Bells, it’s a haunting song and a reminder that for some Christmas can be equal parts joy and loss. Driving Home for Christmas (1986): Chris Rea. This mid-tempo, jazzinfluenced tune, if done by anyone else would have been a predictable schmaltzy Christmas song. But Rea’s husky voice and the song’s sentiment, make it uplifting as well as being easy for many to relate to. Who hasn’t been stuck in top-to-toe tailbacks driving home for Christmas? It’s designed to be sung in exactly that situation. And Rea takes us all in as he sings: I take look at the driver next to me/he’s just the same. I Wish it Could Be Christmas Everyday (1973): Wizzard. Hardly anyone remembers Brit glam-rockers Wizzard, but this song will have a longer life than Methuselah. Wizzard’s Roy Wood approaches it with a Phil Spectorlike wall of sound, where he throws in more ingredients than even the richest Christmas cake. But instead of collapsing under its own weight, it sparkles like Christmas tree lights. From the children’s choir to the humorous refrain, it has lasted better than Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody, which beat it to the No 1 spot when released. Feliz Navidad (1970): Jose Feliciano. Other than La Bamba, this is the song that lets English speakers tackle Spanish with relative ease – usually after a few Christmas drinks. The great thing about Feliz Navidad is the simple hook. It’s so good, you’re singing along before you consciously realise it. Under any other circumstances I wouldn’t like this song. But like Christmas itself, occasionally it’s good to not overthink things.