Is it just me or does the holiday season start earlier and earlier each year? Before the leaves change color, even before pumpkin spice products infiltrate every corner of my grocery story, it seems like I'm haunted by "Jingle Bells" and "Let It Snow" at the dentist office and at shopping malls—and it doesn't let up until New Year's Eve. Don't get me wrong, I love a good classic Christmas tune as much as the next person. And though roasting chestnuts and dreaming of a winter wonderland is all fun at first, by the time Christmas actually rolls around, I'm so very ready to switch things up.

Compiling the perfect playlist for your holiday party is almost as challenging as hosting the event itself. Sure, on the day of the festivities you've got to cook the meal , decorate the table , and entertain your guests, but putting together the right mix of songs requires a similar level of expertise. For every playlist, you need a balanced assortment of old and new, cheery and chill. These modern Christmas songs run the gamut from cool rock covers to party pop anthems — and we know there's something on our list for everyone's musical taste. And to make sure your playlist has a bit of everything, you can also include the best classic Christmas songs of all time.

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Many of the traditions surrounding Christmas are for children, since Santa Claus delivers presents for kids on the night of every Dec. But that hasn't stopped adults from creating Christmas songs that make Santa sexy. While the Santa Claus tradition at Christmastime should be about the innocence of children, musical perverts have been making Kris Kringle downright dirty for decades.