How to Make Gravy – Paul Kelly

The unofficial Aussie Christmas song is, poignantly, sung from behind bars. With all the snow and reindeer tropes, it can feel like Australians are already one step removed from the traditional idea of Christmas, but being incarcerated with nothing but your own jealous imagination and violent inmates – well, it’s a lonely time and Paul tells it well.

White Wine in the Sun – Tim Minchin

“I really like Christmas,” opens this shamelessly sentimental ode to how – despite the commercial drive of the silly season, and how oddly a religious holiday is placed in our secular society – sometimes you need to just shut up and be excited by what Christmas actually means: how family reigns supreme, how everyone is happier and more forgiving, and how Christmas is just … nice. Sometimes nice is exactly what you need.

Season’s Greetings – Stella Donnelly

Or on the other hand: a different but equally accurate distillation of the push and pull and push again of the family Christmas lunch, with the differing opinions and political leanings all rubbing up against each other – with liquor to loosen the mood and add to the messy emotion of it all. Everyone is sweaty, everyone is stuffed, everyone is day-drunk and letting their anger out. Bit of a language warning on this one, which you’ll find at the end of the Spotify playlist as a result … Merry Christmas!

Spend Christmas Day with Me – Darren Hanlon

Is there a more romantic notion in the entire world than humbly, hopefully asking someone to spend Christmas day with you?

Island Christmas – Christine Anu

“The colours of an island Christmas are as colourful as me and you.” This charming Christmas carol by one of our country’s finest singers flatly rejects the usual snow and eggnog for a reality check. No breeze, no snow – just singing, dancing and dreaming. Plus, she sings the words “fair dinkum”, which I don’t believe anyone else has ever done successfully.

Home and Broken Hearted – Cold Chisel

Nothing can illuminate a broken heart quite like a holiday season when love, goodwill, companionship and good vibes are wrapped into the package. Don Walker’s lonely lyrics and Barnesy’s grizzled delivery nail this sentiment perfectly.

Santa Never Made It to Darwin – Bill and Boyd

More a bleak history lesson than the usual tidings of Christmas joy, this classic is nevertheless woven into Australian holiday lore due to its message of resilience in the face of devastation. Although it is specifically about the havoc Cyclone Tracy brought to Darwin in 1974, it doesn’t take a leap of logic to find the parallels with the current bushfire disasters that loom over this Christmas.

Christmas Day – The Tin Lids

Easily the cutest Christmas single to ever chart in Australia, this song has charmingly off-key vocals, stars four of Barnesy’s kids, breaks into a massive half-time emo-esque chorus and is from an album that sold 100,000 copies. A job well done.

Christmas Photo – John Williamson

Cricket, ham, goannas, cake and beer. This song nails both the delicate dance of conversing with extended family and the impossible task of taking a definitive Christmas photo that everyone will be happy with.

Boxing Day Blues – Courtney Barnett

A classic Christmas comedown, when you realise that if your lover isn’t into you any more, the whole season is useless. Like a Christmas tree on Boxing Day, you have a full year until you are relevant again. Another short and spiky one from Barnett.

• Got your own Australian Christmas classic? Let us know in the comments and we’ll add the best ones to the playlist.