Real pop stars do a Christmas song.

In fact, the same goes for any genre of music. Virtually every mainstream popular artist has recorded a Christmas song at some point. These include the obvious choices like Michael Bolton and Celine Dion, as well as acts you wouldn't expect to show much Christmas cheer, like the Smashing Pumpkins ("Christmastime") and David Bowie ("Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy," with none other than Bing Crosby).

But while many artists have tried their hand at a genre even the quintessential Irving Berlin had a tough time breaking into (that is, until a waking thought one midnight inspired him to write "White Christmas"), few have succeeded. It's hard to create a song that can reach the level of timeless classic required by perennial Noel listening.

It's also quite a task to cover a tune potential listeners have heard countless times, singing lyrics that have been firmly engrained in the collective consciousness by years of Yuletide repetition.

Unfortunately, there's no prize for being the millionth artist to do a version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," and a cover that's anything less than stellar means a slow slide into the holiday bargain bin. Success, however, means a glorious entrance into that exclusive club of classic Christmas tunes and the privileges that come with it, like a reserved spot next to Bing Crosby in the CD changer at annual Christmas parties across the land.

To stand out among the music played ad nauseam in shopping malls and on family-friendly radio stations until well into January, you need something distinct. Even easy-listening Christmas music king Kenny G has his own unique sound; I'll give him that.

The following are covers that meet the criteria for memorable "Christmas cover songs," culled from years of tree-side research.

"Little Drummer Boy"
This 1958 tune, composed by Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone, certainly fits the ad nauseam playing criteria outlined earlier. And believe it or not, the lyrics containing "rum-pum-pum-pummm" 21 times doesn't make it any less annoying. But deep down inside, everyone has a secret soft spot for this heartwarming melody. After all, it's damn catchy.

Folksy sister-act the Roches did a textbook example of "Little Drummer Boy" on their 1990 Christmas album We Three Kings. The three siblings brought their signature harmonies and machine-like precision to their arrangement of the classic, which is distinguished by an almost jazzy interpretation of the vocal parts. The sisters function like a set of musical robots, betraying little emotion as they rip off the kind of flawless harmonies exemplified by latter-day Jackson 5. Their perfect diction and pure tones make for a fascinating, if somewhat sterile, version of the tune.

Wyclef Jean's "Little Drummer Boy/Hot Hot Hot," on the other hand, is a crowd-pleasing live jam captured on the fifth edition of the blatantly commercial yet strangely pleasing A Very Special Christmas series (don't knock it 'til you try it). Wyclef recasts the eponymous little drummer boy as a "poor boy from the projects BA RRUMP BA BUMP BAAAAA" in an ebullient hip-hop version of the song. The song certainly verges on the cheesy — "Y'all ready for me to play on my drum?" Jean asks before the percussion breakdown that leads into "Hot Hot Hot" — but it's really more funny than annoying.

The wildly eclectic Portland outfit Pink Martini also does an incredible version of the song, reframing it in a polyrhythmic Latin groove as the sedate but powerful vocals of the seductive China Forbes duel with a lilting trumpet line. A piano riff àla Buena Vista Social Club caps off what has to be one of the most original Christmas covers out there.

"Feliz Navidad"
Just as every teen movie must have its token black guy, so must every Christmas album have its token ethnic song. Except for Christmas music, it's the same black guy every time — "Feliz Navidad." Ever since Puerto Rican singer José Feliciano recorded the Latin carol in 1970, it's been a perennial favorite of Christmas compilations everywhere. With one chorus (there's no real verse in the song) based off a traditional Spanish holiday greeting, and the other featuring a warm and fuzzy English equivalent, the song has something everyone can appreciate.

And it seems that nearly everyone has done a version of this frighteningly chipper Christmas classic. But the best version by far is the Three Tenors' live take; it just doesn't get any better than three opera heavyweights belting out lines like "I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas" in a beefy vibrato. Although with José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti's thick accents (Spanish and Italian), the line sounds more like "I want to WEESH you a MERRy ChrisMAS."

The Three Tenors have made a significant contribution to the field of multilingual Christmas music over the years, and their 2000 Christmas release (which features "Feliz Navidad" as a bonus track) is no exception. Each is a good mix of classically minded tunes like "Joy to the World" and more contemporary holiday hits like "White Christmas," as well as songs in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. Besides the song selection, the group usually features excellent orchestral arrangements to back up their superhuman vocal power.

But the best part of the Three Tenors might be their outrageous accents, which spice up even the blandest English-language carols with unusual pronunciation, such as on the WWII-era standard "Let It Snow:" "LET eetsnow, LET eetsnow, LET eetsnow!"

"Winter Wonderland"
This gently rollicking Yuletide tune has been around since 1934, inspiring an untold number of renditions over the years. '80s hit-makers Eurythmics, however, catapulted "Winter Wonderland" into the modern age with their synth-heavy, electro-pop cover.

Their cover is pure '80s, with artificial-sounding production, a funky bass line and an echoing intro reminiscent of a bad horror film. That's the beauty of it, though — where else can you hear the creators of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" express such sentiments as a desire to "frolic and play the Eskimo way?" The ending scat solo alone makes this revision a must-have.

These are just a few of many unique Christmas songs, a category that includes everything from Wynton Marsalis's Crescent City Christmas Card to O Santa, Where Art Thou?, the aptly titled bluegrass Christmas album. But the artists discussed here have truly surmounted one of the most difficult obstacles in popular music — recording a memorable Christmas cover.

Alec Luhn is a sophomore intending to major in journalism. Send any questions, comments or recommendations for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa listening to [email protected].