Oh well, here we are again.

1. Wham! – “Last Christmas”

You know the drill: “Last Christmas” reached number 2 on release in 1984, because that was also the year of Band Aid. It was originally a double A-side with “Everything She Wants”. It resurfaced as a digital download in 2007, and it’s been back every year since 2011. It reached number 1 for the first time at Christmas 2020 – more accurately, on the first chart of 2021. It had another two weeks at number 1 at Christmas 2022, and it spent four weeks at number 1 in 2023.

For younger generations, I wonder how far George Michael’s reputation now rests on this one song. Slade and Wizzard were big names in their day too, after all.

25. Sabrina Carpenter – “A Nonsense Christmas”

This is the Christmas version of “Nonsense”, which reached number 32 last year. Although it’s the title track of her Netflix special A Nonsense Christmas, it’s a year old. It got to number 78 last Christmas, but, well, Sabrina Carpenter’s had a very good year since then. The soundtrack EP, “Fruitcake”, is long enough to qualify for the album chart, and enters at number 5.

For some reason, the Netflix version of the song has only been posted officially by Netflix Brasil, with subtitles in Portuguese. The English language channel opts instead for her opening monologue song, a rewrite of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, which is maybe a better advert for the show. “There are comedy specials. And there are music specials. And there are holiday specials. But who does musical comedy holiday specials? A lot of people. But do those specials have celebrity guests? Yes they do. Everyone with a musical comedy holiday special does them with celebrity guests. And this is one of those.”

28. Paul McCartney – “Wonderful Christmastime”

Over at the back catalogue, here’s the only track people remember from Paul McCartney’s “I’ve got one of these newfangled synths, I wonder what this button does” phase (some of which is very odd indeed). This reached number 6 on release in 1980, and it’s been back every year since 2016. Its modern peak was number 17 at Christmas 2021 and 2022.

33. Wizzard – “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”

Number 4 at Christmas 1973 (the year that “Merry Xmas Everybody” by Slade was number 1). Its first modern appearance was in 2007, and it’s been here every year since 2011. It reached number 10 in 2019 but it’s seen diminishing returns since then as British tastes in Christmas music seem to be moving on from the 1970s at last. Last year, it only got to number 25.

34. Chris Rea – “Driving Home for Christmas”

This missed the top 40 on release in 1988, and didn’t make the top 40 for the first time until 2007. It’s charted every year since 2015, and reached an all-time peak of number 10 at Christmas 2021. But it’s another one that looks to be on the wane, and it only got to 19 last year.

38. John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir – “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”

This reached number 4 on release in 1972. It was reissued at Christmas 1980 after John Lennon’s murder and reached its all time peak of number 2. Then it was reissued in 1981 at reached 28. And it was reissued again in 2003 and reached 33. It first showed up as a download in 2007, and it’s been back as a streaming track every year since 2014. Its modern peak is 18 in Christmas 2018; it got very close to that last year too.

It’s one of only three top 40 singles to carry a credit for Yoko Ono. The others are “Instant Karma”, also credited to John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band, which reached number 5 in 1970; and “Walking on Thin Ice”, credited to Yoko alone, but featuring Lennon on guitar (the last thing he recorded). That song reached number 35 in 1981 and again as a remix in 2003 – if you haven’t heard it, it’s surprisingly good.

39. Leona Lewis – “One More Sleep”

Number 3 in 2013, and it’s been back every year since 2017. It made the top 10 in 2018 but it’s been in decline ever since, and only got to 29 last year.

This week’s climbers:

• “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey climbs 5-3.
• “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee climbs 6-5, matching last year’s peak – it got to number 4 in the year before that.
• “It Can’t be Christmas” by Tom Grennan climbs 25-6 – a Christmas record, but a current release. Remember, all the back catalogue tracks are on permanent downweight, so the 2024 Christmas songs have an advantage over them.
• “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms climbs 10-7, matching its all-time peak from two years ago.
• “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl climbs 13-8.
• “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande climbs 11-9, one place short of its all-time peak from last year.
• “Messy” by Lola Young climbs 35-11 – remarkably, a non-Christmas track actually cutting through. It must be very well placed for the January chart.
• “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams climbs 15-13.
• “Step into Christmas” by Elton John climbs 23-15. That’s its highest position in three years.
• “Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shakin’ Stevens climbs 18-16.
• “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Michael Bublé climbs 26-17.
• “Snowman” by Sia climbs 29-18. It’s moving up a league – its previous best was number 27 last year.
• “Christmas Magic” by Laufey climbs 39-20 – that’s another current release.
• “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow” by Dean Martin climbs 36-21.
• “Sleigh Ride” by the Ronettes climbs 30-23.
• “The Days” by Chrystal climbs 38-24. That’s a dance record, bolstered by interest in its remixes, but still putting up a strong fight to climb the charts. Again, look out for it in January.
• “Holly Jolly Christmas” by Michael Bublé climbs 34-26.
• “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano climbs 40-27. That’s one place higher than last year, but it got to 21 in the year before.

There are seven entries this week (the six above, plus Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars reappearing at 37). The tracks leaving the chart:

• “People Watching” by Sam Fender, which peaked at 4 but only lasted 3 weeks before the snow hit.
• “TV Off” by Kendrick Lamar & Lefty Gunplay, entering at 6 and taking two weeks to leave.
• “Nice to Meet You” by Myles Smith, peaking at 12 and lasting a month.
• “Merry Christmas” by Ed Sheeran & Elton John entered at 9 this week but has now been out long enough to get hit by the permanent downweighting rule.
• “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” by Stromae & Pomme had two weeks, peaking at 19.
• “Squabble Up” by Kendrick Lamar entered at 4 and took two weeks to leave.
• “Wildflower” by Billie Eilish got to 7, and had 18 weeks in the top 40.

Without the Christmas songs, the top 10 would look like this (which is to say, this is the January 10 top in waiting):

1. (1) Gracie Abrams – “That’s So True”
2. (2) Rosé & Bruno Mars – “APT”
3. NEW Lola Young – “Messy”
4. (4) Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – “Defying Gravity”
5. (10) Teddy Swims – “The Door”
6. RE Teddy Swims – “Bad Dreams”
7. NEW Chrystal – “The Days”
8. (6) Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo – “What Is This Feeling”
9. (3) Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song”
10. RE The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – “Timeless”

We can take the album chart quickly.

1. Taylor Swift – “The Tortured Poets Department”

A second week at number 1 in this run, thanks to a physical reissue.

4. Rosé – “Rosie”

Her debut solo album, including the single “APT”.

5. Sabrina Carpenter – “Fruitcake”

We’ve covered that above.

30. Andre Rieu & The Johann Strauss Orchestra – “The Sound of Heaven”

This seems to be an unusually sombre album from the stadium purist-irker – the other track which he’s posted as a single is “Nearer my God to Thee”. Number 29 is unusually low for him – he hasn’t missed the album top 10 since 2018.