The annual battle for the Christmas number one is heating up, but a decades-long trend threatens to crown yet another festive classic, possibly blocking contemporary artists from the top spot.
Listeners bracing for the holiday season should prepare for a familiar soundtrack: Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” Noddy Holder’s roaring “Merry Christmas Everyone,” and Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” have all re-entered the UK Top 40, signaling a likely repeat of past years where established holiday hits dominate the charts. The Christmas number one is a cultural touchstone in the UK, impacting artist visibility and sales, and traditionally offers a significant boost to the winning artist’s career.
The dominance of these ”golden oldies” is a direct result of changes to the official charts’ methodology.Since streaming figures were included in the calculations,older songs benefit from consistent plays throughout December,consistently outperforming newer releases. This year, tho, there’s a stronger challenge to the established order than in recent memory.
The current system, while reflecting overall listening habits, has led to calls for a seperate chart for classic Christmas songs, mirroring the existing exclusion of compilation albums from the official album charts.Some argue this would provide a fairer platform for contemporary artists vying for the coveted number one spot.
Despite the potential for another familiar winner,a wave of new contenders is emerging,offering a glimmer of hope for a fresh Christmas chart-topper. This year’s competition promises a more exciting race than previous seasons.
Below, we preview the artists and songs poised to become your new Christmas favourite.
