I’d like to wish each and every one of UK Number Ones Blog’s readers a very merry Christmas. In blog world its December 2002, but in the real world it’s December 2025, and I hope the festive season is a great one for all of you.
And if you have time, why not have a look back through some of my many Christmas-themed posts from over the years. Starting with, of course, our hallowed Xmas Number Ones. In the fifty years I’ve covered there have been twelve #1s with an explicitly festive theme. From Dickie Valentine in 1955, through (deep breath) Harry Belafonte, Slade, Mud, Johnny Mathis, Boney M, Band Aid (and Band Aid II), Shakin’ Stevens, to Cliff (and more Cliff, and even more Cliff…)
And then of course there are plenty of other legendary Christmas number ones that have little or nothing to do with Christmas, but which have become synonymous with the season. The Flying Pickets, Renee and Renato, East 17, Bob the Builder, Pink Floyd, Mr Blobby, St. Winifred’s Choir, Little Jimmy Osmond… A largely motley crew I will admit, but nothing reveals the British psyche more than the crap they send to #1 for Christmas.
In fact, why not check out the polls I ran a couple of years ago, in which you can vote for your favourite (and least favourite) festive chart-topper. The initial results saw Slade as winners, and a tie between Blobby and the St. Winifred’s kids for worst, but the polls remain open and votes are coming through every so often. Your vote still counts!
Moving away from actual number one singles, I’ve also done posts on two festive perennials which probably should have made the top. Wizzard’s 1973 #4 hit ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday’ is one of my all-time favourites, but isn’t all that well-known outside of the UK. While John & Yoko’s ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ is another, somewhat more melancholy, classic that probably was the unofficial number one single in the weeks after Lennon’s murder (all of which I explain in this post here.)
And finally, last year I did a ‘Cover Versions of Christmas #1s’ post, featuring Oasis (and Steps) doing Slade, Korn doing Pink Floyd, and Shaky covering himself!
All that’s left to do now is to wish you all one more Merry Christmas, and to leave you with a festive classic that has never made it beyond #10 in the UK, but which may well go higher this year due to the sad news of Chris Rea’s death yesterday.
We’ll be back before 2026, with a special New Years post.
The UK Number Ones Blog 
Great choice, one of the greatest xmas records of all-time, and something of a crime it has only peaked at 10 when one looks at the usual suspects Playlisted to high spots in the chart each year. Chris makes one feel all warm and cosy and cuddly and family-oriented, which is really the point of christmas outside religion, to me. His voice is the cherry on top. If I were to name an under-rated Chris track it’s Tell Me There’s A Heaven – one of the saddest songs ever, I think, it is heartbreakingly beautifully dark and tragic.
Happy Christmas to you too, and thank you for all of the entertainment. I played Chris Rea today in his honour, but it is far from being either my favourite Christmas or Chris Rea song – Stainsby Girls holds the latter accolade. Have a good one 🎅🏻
Thanks Clive, and Merry Christmas to you too! It’s not one of my regular Xmas favourites either, but it seemed apt.