Festive music returns to singles chart with Christmas classics set to compete with new songs
It’s that time of the year again.
Christmas singles are back once again in the singles chart and pushing for a Top 20 finish in the latest Midweeks sales flash.
Wham!’s Last Christmas – the No.1 single for Christmas last year – is at No.21 (4,114) with a consumption increase of 64.2% week-on-week powering a 29 place surge.
Not far behind, Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You is at No.25 (3,985 units), up from No.51 thanks to a 54.5% week-on-week consumption increase.
Each of the festival perennials has already been streamed more than a million times in the UK since Friday. It’s also worth noting that, as catalogue tracks, both are penalised by chart rules that impose ACR, which means they require double the volume of streams to register a chart ‘sale’. If that wasn’t the case, both would already be pushing for the Top 10.
As a result, they could face a challenge for No.1 this year from a high-profile new Amazon Original festive single from Kylie Minogue. XMAS is in the Midweek sales flash at No.72 (2,158 units) with consumption up 83.6% week-on-week.
Minogue’s XMAS will be available digitally exclusively from Amazon Music, which will limit its audio streaming consumption. But with the gifting season approaching, the track is also being sold physically on CD, seven-inch gold vinyl and 12-inch zoetrope vinyl. In addition, Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped) – a special 10th anniversary edition of Kylie Christmas – is released on December 5.
Amazon Original songs have previously made a strong challenge for the Christmas No.1, with YouTube video streams combining with Amazon audio streams. Last year Tom Grennan made No.4 in Christmas week with It Can’t Be Christmas, while Sam Ryder was in the running in 2023.
Modern festive hits could be set to return to the chart in the run-up to Christmas, alongside potential new entries for 2025 Amazon Originals from Gwen Stefani.
Although it’s still only mid-November, the festive songs have arrived a week later than normal, as noted in Alan Jones’ charts analysis.
Forty-one years since its release, Last Christmas is about to secure its 134th week in the Top 75. Carey’s hit is heading for its 126th week in the Top 75, although it came out a decade after Wham!’s song. Following chart changes allowing downloads (2005) and then streams, they have become regulars in the rundown – both are charting for the 19th season in a row.
In terms of overall UK consumption, All I Want For Christmas Is You is ahead on 5,626,585 units (post-1994), while Last Christmas is on 4,877,378 units (post-1994).
In the US, All I Want For Christmas Is You has already re-entered the Hot 100, marking its earliest re-entry in chart history. It has topped the US chart every festive season since 2019.
Other festive regulars set to return to the UK singles chart on Friday (November 21) include Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, Bobby Helms’ Jingle Bell Rock, Fairytale Of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande and Underneath The Tree by Kelly Clarkson.
In the UK albums chart, Michael Bublé is beginning his return to the upper reaches with Christmas – it has moved 142-56 with a 91.6% consumption increase in the latest Midweeks. The album has returned to No.1 for the last four years.
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