1. The Kinks Father Christmas
A hysterical, really new-wave, 1980s Kinks song with a message, telling you to remember “the kids without toys when you’re drinking your wine”.

2. Sufjan Stevens Coventry Carol
All Sufjan’s Christmas albums are gorgeous, but this song is especially beautiful.

3. Vashti Bunyan Coldest Night of the Year
Drifty, slow and wintry, but a little bit saucy as well.

4. Elvis Presley Blue Christmas
Because of the slinky ooooohs!

5. Denim I Will Cry at Christmas
Such a moving song and in one of the most moving scenes of the film Lawrence of Belgravia, about the musician Lawrence [frontman of Denim].

6. The Rolling Stones Winter
I love Mick singing: “Yeah, and I wanna wrap my coat around you.” I bet he said that to all the girls!

7. Sugababes New Year
[Unofficial fourth Saint Etienne member] Debsey and I sang this a few years ago and it’s a brilliant lost classic.

8. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Bruce makes the imagery in the song so urgent. I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t love Bruce.

9. Beach Boys Little Saint Nick
Always gives me a proper shiver.

10. Brenda Lee Marshmallow World
A Christmas without the Phil Spector Christmas album isn’t really Christmas at all.