Christmas No.1 Singles

The Christmas No.1 spot has been a coveted place for decades now. Music has varied from the first official Christmas No.1 in 1952 ?Here In My Heart? by Al Martino to the introduction of downloads to the chart when in 2020 LadBaby ?Don?t Stop Me Eatin?? topped the charts (the third year in a row they had this honour).

The Most Christmas No.1 Singles

The Beatles hold the record for the most No.1 Christmas singles although strangely none are actually Christmas songs. They first top the charts in 1963 with ?I Want To Hold Your Hand? with two further consecutive charts toppers - 1964 ?I Feel Fine?, 1965 ?Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out? before they again made it in 1967 with ?Hello, Goodbye? (Tom Jones splitting their dominance in 1966 with ?Green, Green Grass of Home?.

In more recent times Spice Girls also racked up three consecutive Christmas hits with ?2 Becomes 1? in 1996 followed by ?Too Much? and ?Goodbye?.

No Christmas chart would be complete without a Cliff Richard song - he too has had three UK No.1 Christmas singles his first being ?I Love You? with The Shadows in 1960, before having solo success in 1988 with the classic hit ?Mistletoe and Wine? and again in 1990 with ?Saviour?s Day?.

Best Selling Christmas Singles

The honour of the best selling UK Christmas single goes to the charity single Band Aid ?Do They Know It?s Christmas?? which was released in 1984 and sold over 3.82 million copies. The single written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure features a host of pop and rock stars from the time including Bono, George Michael, Sting and Phil Collins.

This is closely followed by a not so Christmassy chart topper. Queen?s ?Bohemian Rhapsody? first made the number one spot in Christmas 1975 but repeated this feat in 1991 following the premature death of flamboyant frontman Freddie Mercury earlier that year. More than just a Christmas single, it is the third best selling single of all-time with over 2.62 million copies being sold.

Classic Christmas Songs

Even today, some songs are just festive classics. Many didn?t make the No.1 spot but are still associated with the Christmas party. The Guinness Book of Records show Bing Crosby?s ?White Christmas? as the best selling single ever and still evokes Christmas memories of old, whilst Mariah Carey?s ?All I Want For Christmas Is You?, Wham?s ?Last Christmas?, ?Merry Xmas Everybody? by Slade and ?Fairytale of New York? from The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl are ever presents during the festive season.

Novelty Christmas Records

Christmas seems to be the time for novelty records to come to the fore - many have reached the top of the charts - 1993 saw Mr Blobby keep Take That from taking the number one spot, and 2018, 2019 and 2020 saw the best selling Christmas record come from Ladbaby with comedy covers of soft rock classics.

Christmas Albums

Not to be outdone by the Christmas single, Christmas albums are also big business and come with all the associated prestige.

Many charts have been compiled with best-selling and favourite Christmas vinyl records.

Often at the top of the chart is Phil Spector?s ?A Christmas Gift For You? which includes The Crystals singing ?Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer?, The Ronettes ?Frosty The Snowman?, and Darlene Love?s take on ?White Christmas?. Hailed as the greatest Christmas album of all-time by Rolling Stone magazine, the album originally released on the Phillies label has since been re-released on numerous occasions.

Other Christmas music to appear on people?s favourites list include ?The Beach Boys? Christmas Album?, ?Merry Christmas? from Bing Crosby as well as Elvis Presley?s ?Elvis? Christmas Album? (Billboard?s Best Selling Christmas Album).

More recently Michael Buble?s ?Christmas? is the UK?s biggest selling Christmas album this century. Others appearing in this chart might surprise a few people (they certainly did here) with Jive Bunny?s 2002 release ?Ultimate Christmas Party? making it to No.4 and Joe McElderry?s ?Classic Christmas? just sneaking in at No.20.

No matter what your taste in music, Christmas seems to see us all buy and appreciate a range of different sounds whether due to sentiment or nostalgia. Whatever your favourite, enjoy and relish that festive feeling.