The UK’s Top 7 Christmas Songs Of All Time
The Christmas holiday is a magical time filled with festive cheer and, of course, music. In the UK, nothing captures the Christmas spirit quite like a good singalong. But which songs truly define the holiday season? Here’s a list of the top Christmas songs that have stood the test of time and are still on repeat every year.
7. Merry Xmas Everybody – Slade
โMerry Xmas Everybody’ is a song released by Slade, a British rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, this song has become a classic top Christmas song, capturing the essence of festive fun.
Before their Christmas hit, the band had risen to fame during the early 1970s and reached No.1 in the UK Singles Chart multiple times. However, โMerry Xmas Everybody’ became Slade’s sixth and most successful number-one single in the UK.
The song was a non-album single released on November 7th 1973, produced by Chas Chandler and written by their vocalist and bassist at the time, Noddy Holder and Jim Lea. It earned the Christmas Number One slot in December 1973 and has been hugely popular during the UK Christmas period ever since.
6. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard
Wizzard was an English rock band formed by Roy Wood in Birmingham in 1972. The band was only active until 1975. However, in that time, they were able to write one of the most notorious UK Christmas songs of all time and by far their most significant hit.
โI Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday’ was released in December 1973. The song has never reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. Regardless, the hit has upheld its popularity year after year since its release and even rising in popularity in recent years, breaking the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart in 2019.
5. Last Christmas – Wham!
Wham! are an English pop duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. The pair was hugely successful in the 1980s, selling over 30 million records in 4 years.
Their hit โLast Christmas’ was released on December 3rd 1984, and written and produced by George Michael. The song was an instant success, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart for five consecutive weeks.
โLast Christmas’ has become a festive favourite in the UK. However, it had never reached the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart until finally, on New Year’s Day 2021, 36 years after its initial release.
4. Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens
Shakin’ Stevens is a Welsh singer and songwriter. Although Stevens started producing music in the 1960s, it wasn’t until the 1980s that he became a famous artist. Yet when he did, he rose to the top, becoming the UK’s best-selling singles artist during the 80s with hits like โGreen Door’, โThis Ole House’, and of course, โMerry Christmas Everyone’. It remains an upbeat classic and a top Christmas song that has seen a resurgence in recent years
โMerry Christmas Everyone’ was released on November 25th 1985 and produced by Dave Edmunds. It is, unsurprisingly, Steven’s highest-performing and most iconic song of his career.
In 2019 and 2020, the song performed better than it had for years by reaching number six on the UK Singles Chart two years in a row. In 2020, a few famous singers created a new version of the song to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society and Action For Children.
3. All I Want for Christmas is You – Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer and songwriter born on March 27th 1969. She is notably referred to as the โQueen of Christmas”. And since the 90s has been a recurring favourite at Christmas.
โAll I want for Christmas is you’ is a song Carey recorded for her 1994 album Merry Christmas. It was her fourth studio album and first holiday album. As a top Christmas song, it continues to dominate the airwaves with its infectious melody and Careyโs powerhouse vocals. The track was a success on release, but since then, it has only increased in popularity and annual listeners.
The song was popular in the UK and America and also managed to top the charts in over 28 countries, breaking multiple records. Carey’s hit is the top-selling holiday album of all time by a female artist, a huge accomplishment.
2. Fairytale Of New York โ The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl: The Second Top Christmas Song
The Pogues are a Celtic Punk Band founded in London in 1982. During the 80s, the band became a big success with several hit songs and albums. They made a name for themselves using traditional Irish instruments such as the mandolin, tin whistle, accordion and banjo.
โFairytale of New York’ was released on November 23rd 1987, and was initially released as a single, but was later featured in their 1988 album If I Should Fall From Grace With God. The hit also featured British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl on vocals.
Although โFairytale of New York’ has never reached number one, it has spent an immense amount of time among the top 10 and year upon year rakes in millions of streams. It has generated 4 million total sales in the UK since its release and is also the UK’s most-played Christmas song of the 21st Century.
1. White Christmas – Bing Crosby: The Top Christmas Song of All Time
If you celebrate the Christmas period, then chances are you’ve heard โWhite Christmas’ by Bing Crosby. He was born on May 3rd 1903, and is arguably one of the most influential worldwide music artists of the 20th Century. Crosby was a huge success in both the film and music industries, winning multiple awards in both areas.
โWhite Christmas’ was released in 1942 during the middle of World War II. The song has been covered many times. However, Crosby’s version is, in fact, the world’s best-selling physical media single, with over 50 million copies sold worldwide.
Bing Crosby passed away on October 14th, 1977; he was 74 years old. His music continues to reach millions to this day, and the iconic โWhite Christmas’ hit remains among the top songs year after year.
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