Bad Santa (2003) soundtrack: A definitive guide to every song in the movie

Bad Santa, over the years, has achieved a cult status so prominent that it pops up in the minds of fans every year during the festive season. The 2003 movie, though over two decades old now, remains one of the most important Christmas films. This is primarily due to its offbeat premise that sets it apart from most of the others that are made to appease fans of the genre.

Most fans would remember a lot of things about Bad Santa, including Billy Bob Thornton in the title role. However, it seems that one of the more under-appreciated elements of this movie remains its soundtrack. The soundtrack featured an equal mix of contemporary and classic festive songs, which have since remained in prominence.

The music department of Bad Santa was led by David Kitay, known for his works in movies like Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Home Alone: The Holiday Heist, Date Movie, and The Stickup.

The appeal of the movie is harder to grasp without this beautiful selection of songs playing behind it. Without further ado, let us check out the entire song list of Bad Santa.

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Every song used in Bad Santa

The list of all the songs that play in the Terry Zwigoff movie is as follows.

• Deck the Halls – Boots Randolph feat. Tommy Newsom's Jazztet
• Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Sherman
• Winter Wonderland – The Symphonette Society
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Bing Crosby
• Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Swag Music Group
• Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore – Eugene Ormandy, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
• Silent Night, Holy Night – Franz Gruber
• Jazz Suite No. 2: 4. Waltz I – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly
• It Came Upon A Midnight Clear – The Symphonette Society
• Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! – Dean Martin
• Jingle Bells – Ricky Nelson
• A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives
• Papa Loves Mambo – Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra
• Up on the House Top – Eddy Arnold
• Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Minor, Op. 9 No.2 – Frederic Chopin
• Please Come Home for Christmas – Sawyer Brown

All of them add up to deliver the comprehensive movie experience that the cult classic is known for.

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What is Bad Santa about?

Bad Santa is a 2003 dark comedy Christmas movie helmed by Terry Zwigoff. With Glenn Ficarra and John Requa serving as the writers, the movie also credits the legendary Coen Brothers as executive producers.

It follows a swindler dressed up as Santa, who tries to rob a mall with his assistant, only to find himself in a fix when he befriends a young boy. The synopsis for the movie reads:

"Rather than spreading good cheer, Willie, a swindler dressed up as Santa, and his elf partner Marcus try to rob a mall. Their motive fails when the thief befriends an eight-year-old boy."

The iconic movie also stars Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly, Lauren Tom, and Bernie Mac, along with John Ritter in his final on-screen appearance.

The movie also had a sequel in 2016 but it failed to match the critical or commercial acclaim of the original.

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Where to watch Bad Santa?

All versions of the 2003 movie are available for both purchase and rent on all major platforms like Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft Store. The other versions of the movie, a director's cut, and an unrated version, are also available for purchase.

It is also available to stream on Paramount+ but this may not be applicable for all regions. Additionally, one can also purchase a DVD of the movie.