Christmas Party

Whether you're heading to the beach on Christmas Day, or firing up a backyard barbie with friends and family, you're going to need a stack of great seasonal party tunes — and here's where Santa delivers, stuffing his bag with good-time classics. Elton John gets the festivities groovin' with his tinsel-festooned piano-rocker "Step Into Christmas," and if your sozzled boss asks you for a dance at the office Xmas party, confuse his feet with a blast of swing from the Brian Setzer Orchestra: one trip around "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" and he'll be face down in the figgy pudding in no time. More spicy than mulled wine . . . it's our Xmas party Next Steps.

Now is the time to make good use of the mistletoe, as Run-DMC lays a seasonal rap over some funky, soulful, sexy brass on "Christmas in Hollis," Girls Aloud peel off their stockings on "I Wanna Kiss You So (Christmas in a Nutshell)," and the Pussycat Dolls turn Rudolph's nose a brighter shade of red with "Santa Baby." Paul McCartney blends sleigh bells and synths to create a star-dusted classic with "Wonderful Christmastime," the Beach Boys harmonize like angels on "Little Saint Nick" and Elvis Presley insists there only one gift he desires on "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)." Jive, rock, roll and womble your way through Christmas, with Deep Cuts.

You're wearing a paper hat, blowing a plastic tooter with a feather on the end of it, and wearing tinsel like a scarf, so why not go all the way and bop your way through Sha Na Na's "I Want to Rock 'n' Roll for Christmas," munch your way through an enormous Xmas nosh-up with the "Festive Food Song," add spangles to the season with "The Rocking Disco Santa Claus" by the Sisterhood . . . or even pick up as much litter as you drop with the Wombles, and their "Wombling Merry Christmas" — remember, Christmas comes but once a year but a Womble is forever.

You can tell by the fairy lights, the tinsel, the beach-bound turkey, the surfin' Santas and that festive group of people clapping hands to Boney's M's "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" . . . it must be Christmas party time again. Throw your hands in the Yuletide air like you just don't care (unless you're still holding your drink) and shake some Xmas booty with Mariah ("All I Want for Christmas Is You") and Christina ("The Christmas Song"), before rockin' out with Wizzard and the Darkness, or grabbing a smooch beneath a cascade of party poppers as Wham!, the Spice Girls, and East 17 coax you ever nearer the dangling mistletoe. Christmas is not just for giving ¬— it's also for throwing . . . a fantastic party, with tracks like these.