Wham!’s Last Christmas is Christmas No 1 for second year running
After being kept from the top position by Band Aid four decades ago, Wham!’s "Last Christmas" has claimed the title of UK Christmas No. 1 for the second consecutive year.
Andrew Ridgeley, who was part of the duo Wham! with the late George Michael, expressed his joy by stating: “It took us thirty-seven years to reach the top spot, and thirty-nine years for a Christmas No. 1. And then, like London buses, they all show up together! I'm really happy for George; he would have been over the moon. His amazing Christmas song has truly become a classic, nearly as essential to the holiday season as mince pies, turkey, and pigs in blankets.”
The ultimate anthem of Christmas sadness has emerged as perhaps the most iconic modern holiday tune. It's so well-known that it has given rise to the game Whamageddon, where players attempt to go as long as they can without hearing it during the festive season each year.
It continues to be extremely popular, not only in the UK but across the globe, with an impressive 7.7 million streams daily on Spotify. Currently, it's ranked No. 4 on this week's US singles chart.
George Michael is featured at number 12 on the list as part of the 40th anniversary release of Band Aid’s charity hit "Do They Know It’s Christmas?" This updated version, created by combining the three earlier official recordings, stirred up some debate. Critics, including Ed Sheeran, argued that it reinforces negative stereotypes regarding African issues. However, co-writer Bob Geldof stood by the project, asserting that "hundreds of thousands, likely millions, are alive today because of a simple pop song."
The closest competitor to last Christmas's hit in the modern holiday music scene is Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," currently sitting at No. 3 on this week's chart. It was pushed down to No. 2 by Gracie Abrams' pop song "That's So True," which has gained significant popularity and held the No. 1 spot for four weeks recently, despite being unrelated to the festive season.
Coming in at number 4 is Tom Grennan with his latest track, "It Can't Be Christmas." This release is part of Amazon's strategy to take over the holiday music scene. In recent years, the retailer has been producing exclusive Christmas songs for its Amazon Music platform. With a lot of people requesting Christmas music through their Alexa devices, Amazon's own songs get special attention on their playlists, helping them climb the charts. Also making an appearance is smooth jazz artist Laufey, who holds the 19th spot with "Christmas Magic," another song linked to Amazon.
In this week’s Top 40 chart, a total of 29 songs are related to Christmas. Brenda Lee, Bobby Helms, and the Pogues have all made it into the Top 10 with their well-known holiday hits. Notably, UK artist Lola Young has achieved her first Top 10 entry with her song "Messy," which has climbed to No. 7 after gradually gaining popularity since its debut in May.
Although it hasn’t racked up streaming numbers comparable to popular holiday favorites, the top-selling track of the week is "Freezing This Christmas" by Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers, currently sitting at No. 37. This song, written by freelance writer Chris Middleton and performed by Rat Pack tribute artist Dean Ager, is a humorous reinterpretation of Mud’s "Lonely This Christmas." It takes aim at Keir Starmer for Labour's choice to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners who are not on lower incomes. All profits from the song will benefit Age UK.
After an incredible year during which she spent 21 weeks at the top of the charts with her songs Espresso, Please Please Please, and Taste, Sabrina Carpenter is still soaring. Her success is also boosted by her Netflix special, A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter, which the Guardian referred to as “a lively effort to bring the traditional Christmas special into today's world.”
Her track "A Nonsense Christmas" is currently ranked at No. 16, and her album "Short n’ Sweet" has climbed back to No. 1 for the first time since it came out in August, maintaining a spot in the Top 3 ever since its release. Michael Bublé's timeless holiday album "Christmas" holds the No. 2 position, while South Yorkshire rock band the Reytons celebrate the highest new entry with their live album "Clifton Park," landing at No. 5.
