Although the UK charts have been published since 1952, it wasn't until Slade and Wizzard's respective efforts in 1973 that there was a serious contest to take the Christmas number one spot.
Indeed, the early Christmas number ones were claimed by the popular artists of the day, including Cliff Richard (1960), Elvis Presley (1962), The Beatles 1963-1965, 1967) and Tom Jones (1966), none of which were Christmas songs.
Slade took the 1973 crown with Merry Xmas Everybody, with Mud, Band Aid, Shakin' Stevens and Cliff Richard (twice more) all topping the charts with Christmas hits.
In the early part of the 2000s, reality TV shows dominated the charts, starting with Girls Aloud in 2002 up to Ben Haenow in 2014. From 2005, X Factor winners took four consecutive number ones, a streak only broken by Rage Against the Machine in 2009.
YouTuber LadBaby claimed five straight Christmas number one titles before Wham! finally took top spot in 2023, nearly 40 years after its initial release.
Below we look at the list of all UK number one singles.
Previous Christmas Number Ones
Year | Artist | Song |
1952 | Al Martino | Here in My Heart |
1953 | Frankie Laine | Answer Me |
1954 | Winifred Atwell | Let's Have Another Party |
1955 | Dickie Valentine | Christmas Alphabet |
1956 | Johnnie Ray | Just Walkin' in the Rain |
1957 | Harry Belafonte | Mary's Boy Child |
1958 | Conway Twitty | It's Only Make Believe |
1959 | Emile Ford and | What Do You Want to Make |
1960 | Cliff Richard and | I Love You |
1961 | Danny Williams | Moon River |
1962 | Elvis Presley | Return to Sender |
1963 | The Beatles | I Want to Hold Your Hand |
1964 | The Beatles | I Feel Fine |
1965 | The Beatles | Day Tripper / We |
1966 | Tom Jones | Green, Green Grass of Home |
1967 | The Beatles | Hello, Goodbye |
1968 | The Scaffold | Lily the Pink |
1969 | Rolf Harris | Two Little Boys |
1970 | Dave Edmunds | I Hear You Knocking |
1971 | Benny Hill | Ernie (The Fastest |
1972 | Jimmy Osmond | Long Haired Lover |
1973 | Slade | Merry Xmas Everybody |
1974 | Mud | Lonely This Christmas |
1975 | Queen | Bohemian Rhapsody |
1976 | Johnny Mathis | When a Child Is Born (Soleado) |
1977 | Wings | Mull of Kintyre / |
1978 | Boney M. | Mary's Boy Child – |
1979 | Pink Floyd | Another Brick in |
1980 | St Winifred's | There's No One |
1981 | The Human League | Don't You Want Me |
1982 | Renée and Renato | Save Your Love |
1983 | The Flying Pickets | Only You |
1984 | Band Aid | Do They Know It's Christmas? |
1985 | Shakin' Stevens | Merry Christmas Everyone |
1986 | Jackie Wilson | Reet Petite |
1987 | Pet Shop Boys | Always on My Mind |
1988 | Cliff Richard | Mistletoe and Wine |
1989 | Band Aid II | Do They Know It's Christmas? |
1990 | Cliff Richard | Saviour's Day |
1991 | Queen | Bohemian Rhapsody / These |
1992 | Whitney Houston | I Will Always Love You |
1993 | Mr Blobby | Mr Blobby |
1994 | East 17 | Stay Another Day |
1995 | Michael Jackson | Earth Song |
1996 | Spice Girls | 2 Become 1 |
1997 | Spice Girls | Too Much |
1998 | Spice Girls | Goodbye |
1999 | Westlife | I Have a Dream / |
2000 | Bob the Builder | Can We Fix It? |
2001 | Robbie Williams | Somethin' Stupid |
2002 | Girls Aloud | Sound of the Underground |
2003 | Michael Andrews | Mad World |
2004 | Band Aid 20 | Do They Know It's Christmas? |
2005 | Shayne Ward | That's My Goal |
2006 | Leona Lewis | A Moment Like This |
2007 | Leon Jackson | When You Believe |
2008 | Alexandra Burke | Hallelujah |
2009 | Rage Against | Killing in the Name |
2010 | Matt Cardle | When We Collide |
2011 | Military Wives with | Wherever You Are |
2012 | The Justice | He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother |
2013 | Sam Bailey | Skyscraper |
2014 | Ben Haenow | Something I Need |
2015 | Lewisham and | A Bridge over You |
2016 | Clean Bandit | Rockabye ft. Sean Paul |
2017 | Ed Sheeran | Perfect |
2018 | LadBaby | We Built This City |
2019 | LadBaby | I Love Sausage Rolls |
2020 | LadBaby | Don't Stop Me Eatin' |
2021 | LadBaby | Sausage Rolls for Everyone |
2022 | LadBaby | Food Aid |
2023 | Wham! | Last Christmas |
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