List of Christmas number one singles (UK)

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This is a list of Christmas number one singles in the United Kingdom. Christmas number one singles are those that are at the top of the UK Singles Chart on the nearest Sunday after Christmas. The official UK Singles Chart began in 1952, after appearing in the New Musical Express.[1] The positions of all songs are based on week end sale totals, from Sunday to Saturday.[2]

The Beatles are the only artist to have four number ones, three consecutively starting from 1963. Cliff Richard also spent four Christmases at the top, with two of his own songs—one with The Shadows and one as a part of Band Aid 2. Paul McCartney has been top seven times; four times with The Beatles, and once each with Wings, Band Aid and Band Aid 20. The Spice Girls equalled the record of having three consecutive Christmas number ones, from 1996 to 1998. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen reached the number one spot in Christmas 1975 and 1991, and is the only song to have reached the top twice, although "Do They Know It's Christmas?" has been Christmas number one in each of its three versions.[3] The Band Aid version of this song is the second best selling single in UK history.[4] Many of the Christmas number ones were also the best-selling song of the year.[5]

[edit] List

Al Martino, who was the first ever person to reach the Christmas top spot
Al Martino, who was the first ever person to reach the Christmas top spot
Queen, whose song "Bohemian Rhapsody" was twice Christmas number one
Queen, whose song "Bohemian Rhapsody" was twice Christmas number one
Bob Geldof, creator of supergroup Band Aid who were Christmas number one in three different incarnations
Bob Geldof, creator of supergroup Band Aid who were Christmas number one in three different incarnations
Cliff Richard, who reached the number one slot at Christmas four times
Cliff Richard, who reached the number one slot at Christmas four times
Mr Blobby, who had a novelty number one in Christmas 1993, and was the first non-human to attain this
Mr Blobby, who had a novelty number one in Christmas 1993, and was the first non-human to attain this
Shayne Ward, the first X Factor winner to get to number one at Christmas
Shayne Ward, the first X Factor winner to get to number one at Christmas
Year Artist Song Weeks at
#1[3][6][7]
1952 Al Martino "Here in My Heart"[A][B] 9
1953 Frankie Laine "Answer Me" 8
1954 Winifred Atwell "Let's Have Another Party" 5
1955 Dickie Valentine "Christmas Alphabet" 3
1956 Johnnie Ray "Just Walkin' in the Rain" 7
1957 Harry Belafonte "Mary's Boy Child"[A] 7
1958 Conway Twitty "It's Only Make Believe"[B] 5
1959 Emile Ford & The Checkmates "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" 6
1960 Cliff Richard & The Shadows "I Love You" 2
1961 Danny Williams "Moon River" 2
1962 Elvis Presley "Return to Sender" 3
1963 The Beatles "I Want to Hold Your Hand"[A][B] 5
1964 The Beatles "I Feel Fine"[A][B] 5
1965 The Beatles "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out"[A][B] 5
1966 Tom Jones "Green Green Grass of Home"[A] 7
1967 The Beatles "Hello, Goodbye"[B] 7
1968 The Scaffold "Lily the Pink" 3
1969 Rolf Harris "Two Little Boys" 6
1970 Dave Edmunds "I Hear You Knocking" 6
1971 Benny Hill "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" 4
1972 Little Jimmy Osmond "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" 5
1973 Slade "Merry Xmas Everybody"[A] 5
1974 Mud "Lonely This Christmas" 4
1975 Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody"[A] 9
1976 Johnny Mathis "When A Child Is Born (Soleado)" 3
1977 Wings "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School"[A] 9
1978 Boney M "Mary's Boy Child" / "Oh My Lord" 4
1979 Pink Floyd "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)"[A][B] 5
1980 St Winifred's School Choir "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma" 2
1981 The Human League "Don't You Want Me"[A][B] 5
1982 Renée and Renato "Save Your Love" 4
1983 The Flying Pickets "Only You" 5
1984 Band Aid "Do They Know It's Christmas?"[A] 5
1985 Shakin' Stevens "Merry Christmas Everyone" 2
1986 Jackie Wilson "Reet Petite" 4
1987 Pet Shop Boys "Always on My Mind"[A] 4
1988 Cliff Richard "Mistletoe and Wine" 4
1989 Band Aid II "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 3
1990 Cliff Richard "Saviour's Day" 1
1991 Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" / "These Are the Days of Our Lives"[A] 5
1992 Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You"[A][B] 10
1993 Mr Blobby "Mr Blobby" 2
1994 East 17 "Stay Another Day" 5
1995 Michael Jackson "Earth Song"[A] 6
1996 Spice Girls "2 Become 1"[A] 3
1997 Spice Girls "Too Much" 2
1998 Spice Girls "Goodbye" 2
1999 Westlife "I Have A Dream" / "Seasons in the Sun" 1
2000 Bob The Builder "Can We Fix It?" 3
2001 Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman "Somethin' Stupid" 3
2002 Girls Aloud "Sound Of The Underground" 4
2003 Michael Andrews & Gary Jules "Mad World" 3
2004 Band Aid 20 "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 4
2005 Shayne Ward "That's My Goal" 4
2006 Leona Lewis "A Moment Like This" 4
2007 Leon Jackson "When You Believe" 3[8]

[edit] Notes

A  Over a million copies were sold.
B  Also reached number one in the United States, although not necessarily at Christmas.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The story of the single. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  2. ^ FAQ. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  3. ^ a b All the Christmas number ones. CBBC. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  4. ^ Record-Breakers and Trivia. EveryHit. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  5. ^ UK Top 100 Best Selling Singles. UK Charts. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  6. ^ Christmas Number Ones : Singles. EveryHit. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  7. ^ Thirty years of Christmas No 1s. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  8. ^ Leon Jackson - When You Believe. ACharts. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
v • d • e
UK Christmas number-one singles (Full list)
"Here in My Heart" (1952) · "Answer Me" (1953) · "Let's Have Another Party" (1954) · "Christmas Alphabet" (1955) · "Just Walkin' in the Rain" (1956) · "Mary's Boy Child" (1957) · "It's Only Make Believe" (1958) · "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" (1959) · "I Love You" (1960) · "Moon River" (1961) · "Return to Sender" (1962) · "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1963) · "I Feel Fine" (1964) · "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" (1965) · "Green Green Grass of Home" (1966) · "Hello Goodbye" (1967) · "Lily the Pink" (1968) · "Two Little Boys" (1969) · "I Hear You Knocking" (1966) · "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" (1971) · "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" (1972) · "Merry Xmas Everybody" (1973) · "Lonely This Christmas" (1974) · "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975) · "When a Child Is Born" (1976) · "Mull of Kintyre" (1977) · "Mary's Boy Child" (1978) · "Another Brick in the Wall" (1979) · "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma" (1980) · "Don't You Want Me" (1981) · "Save Your Love" (1982) · "Only You" (1983) · "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (1984) · "Merry Christmas Everyone" (1985) · "Reet Petite" (1986) · "Always on My Mind" (1987) · "Mistletoe and Wine" (1988) · "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (1989) · "Saviour's Day" (1990) · "Bohemian Rhapsody" / "These Are the Days of Our Lives" (1991) · "I Will Always Love You" (1992) · "Mr. Blobby" (1993) · "Stay Another Day" (1994) · "Earth Song" (1995) · "2 Become 1" (1996) · "Too Much" (1997) · "Goodbye" (1998) · "I Have a Dream" / "Seasons in the Sun" (1999) · "Can We Fix It?" (2000) · "Somethin' Stupid" (2001) · "Sound Of The Underground" (2002) · "Mad World" (2003) · "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (2004) · "That's My Goal" (2005) · "A Moment Like This" (2006) · "When You Believe" (2007)
Complete list · 1950s · 1960s · 1970s · 1980s · 1990s · 2000s