Every winter, the lights go up and the Christmas tunes start playing. While I don't mind hearing holiday songs in every single store, I can't help but get a little sad that Hanukkah songs don't get as much attention. Sure, most people have heard of "The Dreidel Song" and Adam Sandler's ever popular "The Chanukah Song", but the list usually ends there. What a lot of gentiles don't know is that there are dozens of catchy, modern Hanukkah songs that you can sing along to all season.
1. "Miracle" by both Matisyahu and The Maccabeats
By far one of my favorite Hanukkah songs, "Miracle" was initially recorded by the reggae fusion artist Matisyahu in 2010, and a year later was covered by the a cappella group the Maccabeats of Yeshiva University. It's meaningful and honestly makes up for the thousands Christmas songs that are played everywhere. If you don't know who Matisyahu is, please Google him, because there's nothing better than a Hasidic Jewish guy rapping.
2. "Chanukah (Shake It Off)" by Six13
Unbelievably catchy, set to the tune of Taylor Swift's pop breakout hit "Shake It Off". Not only is it something you can dance around to when no one is watching, but it also teaches you the rules of dreidel spinning.
"Chanukah (Shake It Off)" by Six13
3. "All About That Neis" by The Maccabeats
Yes, this is based off of Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass", and yes, it is better in every way possible.
"All About That Neis" by The Maccabeats
4. "The Rocky Hora Chanukah Song" by the Shlomones
Combining my love of "Rocky Horror", The Ramones, and Hanukkah? Yes, I will be singing this every year until the day that I die or can no longer remember the lyrics, whichever happens first.
"The Rocky Hora Chanukah Song" by The Shlomones
5. "Candlelight" by The Maccabeats
The first song that got the Maccabeats widely noticed, you can't go wrong with a classic.
"Candlelight" by The Maccabeats
6. "Watch Me (Spin / Drey-Drey)" by Six13
Just like Robin Sparkles' one hit wonder "Let's Go to the Mall" in "How I Met Your Mother", the video is so ridiculous that you can't help but watch it for hours. A+ for creativity guys.
"Watch Me (Spin / Drey-Drey)" by Six13
7. "How Do You Spell Channukkah?" by The LeeVees
The transliteration of Hebrew to English (or any other language for that matter) can get complicated, resulting in the many, many different spellings of the Festival of Lights. This song doesn't make the situation any easier, but it will certainly make you chuckle.
"How Do You Spell Channukkah?" by The LeeVees
8. "Latke Recipe" by The Maccabeats
The latest Maccabeats production is the first to feature a recipe (as dictated by the title). Break out the oil, but keep the cookbooks on the shelf. You can finally multitask thanks to the following two minutes and twenty-five seconds.
"Latke Recipe" by The Maccabeats
Now go forth and kindle the Hanukkah lights.
