Charts – 3 December 2021
It’s the most predictable time of the year!
That’s seven weeks at number one. As we’ll see, the march of the Christmas singles is upon us – there are no new entries this week without a Christmas element. She’s almost certain to get shouldered aside next week, since Ed Sheeran has a Christmas single out. The other two Adele tracks, “I Drink Wine” and “Oh My God”, are at 5 and 6.
16. The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl – “Fairytale of New York”
Well, here we go again. This reached number 2 on release in 1987, and it’s charted every Christmas since 2005. Last year it spent five weeks in the top 10, peaking at number 4.
The Pogues also made other records.
17. Shakin’ Stevens – “Merry Christmas Everyone”
Tragically, the official version of this video on YouTube no longer includes the silent, weirdly sinister, bizarrely overlong opening section. It’s a real loss. “Merry Christmas Everyone” was the Christmas number one in 1985, and it’s made the top 40 every Christmas since 2014 – it took a few years for it to become a digital-era staple. Last year, it spent a month in the top 10, peaking at 6.
20. Michael Bublé – “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”
A track from his “Christmas” album which has finally been given a video this year, ostensibly to promote the tenth anniversary deluxe edition of the album, but probably also in recognition of the fact that it charts every year. It’s charted every Christmas since 2016, and its all time peak is number 7, which it reached in 2018 and again last year.
22. Brenda Lee – “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”
Originally a number 6 hit in 1962, this started charting again in Christmas 2016. It made the top 10 in 2017, but it landed in the teens in subsequent years. She had another Christmas hit in 1964, when “Christmas Will Be Just Another Lonely Day” reached number 25. It’s quite good, actually.
23. Band Aid – “Do They Know It’s Christmas”
The Christmas Number One of 1984 managed five weeks at the time, and it’s charted every Christmas since 2015. It’s made the top 10 in the last four years, reached 6 or 7 each time. While it’s a good record on its own terms, there’s something a little bit uncomfortable to me about wheeling out a song about famine as a festive crowdpleaser.
28. Wizzard – “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”
I say this every year but – yes, “Everyday” is one word. A number 4 hit on release in 1973, this has charted every year since 2011, and made the top 10 in 2019. Last year, it peaked at 12.
29. Kelly Clarkson – “Underneath the Tree”
One of two records from this century that have joined the Christmas perennials list, this reached number 30 on release in 2013. It’s charted every Christmas since 2017, and its all time peak came last year when it got to number 15.
30. Elton John – “Step into Christmas”
This only got to number 24 on release in 1973, but went on to become a compilation album staple. It’s charted every year since 2016, and it reached number 8 in both of the last two years – its all time peak.
31. Ariana Grande – “Santa Tell Me”
The other modern entry on the perennials list. This didn’t make the top 40 on release in 2014, but it’s charted every Christmas since 2017. Its all time peak came last year when it reached 11.
33. Chris Rea – “Driving Home for Christmas”
Another track that’s only really become established in the digital era; it failed t0 make the top 40 on release in 1988. It’s charted every year since 2015 and reached an all time peak of 11 in 2018 and again last year.
36. George Ezra – “Come On Home for Christmas”
This is actually new! It’s an Amazon release, which is likely to suppress its numbers. George Ezra hasn’t had a single out for three years – he was last in the top 40 with “Pretty Shining People”, which reached number 25 in 2018 – and this is an odd way to break his silence.
38. Andy Williams – “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
This has charted every year since 2016, and its all time peak was 17 in 2017. Since then, it’s landed in the 20s.
This week’s climbers:
- “ABCDEFU” by Gayle climbs 14-2. Judging from the midweeks, it’s going to get swept away by a torrent of Christmas singles next week, but you never know – if it hangs around over Christmas it might have a run at the top in the New Year.
- “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey climbs 24-3. Yes, already.
- “Last Christmas” by Wham climbs 28-4.
- “Seventeen Going Under” by Sam Fender isn’t giving up quite yet, and climbs 9-8.
- “Enemy” by Imagine Dragons & JID climbs 40-34.
And of course everything else is shoved aside by the Christmas hits.
On the album charts, “30” by Adele naturally gets a second week at number 1.
2. Westlife – “Wild Dreams”
How are we defining “wild” here? Anyway, Westlife have never missed the top 5 with an album since their debut release in 1999; they usually make number 1 but, well, they’re going up against Adele.
5. Gary Barlow – “The Dream of Christmas”
Good lord. That single is not good. I had low expectations for a Gary Barlow Christmas album and that single limbos comfortably beneath them. Still, top 5 for a side project album like this is not bad.
24. David Bowie – “Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001)”
The latest in a series of box sets spanning Bowie’s career. They tend to wind up round about here. With this one, we’re in the territory of albums like “Black Tie White Noise” and “Earthling”. The single above has aged well. It wasn’t a hit in the UK, though Wikipedia assures me it reached number 5 in Lithuania.
28. Deep Purple – “Turning To Crime”
Gosh, that feels low for a new Deep Purple album. These legacy acts normally do well on the album chart, because their audience still… buys stuff. And indeed, their previous two albums both made the top 10. This is a covers album, and perhaps that’s led people to see it as a side project.
38. The Temperance Movement – “Covers & Rarities”
And in a nice little bit of synchronicity, we round off with the Temperance Movement covering Deep Purple for their own rarities album. Next week… presumably more Christmas.
Why is the Band Aid video age restricted by YouTube? Seems rather odd.
Probably because of the famine footage.
Fairytale of New York is a Christmas song like Die Hard is a Christmas movie. It has Christmas in it, but that’s almost incidental to the real theme. At best it’s a nice counter to the sugar overload of real Christmas fare, at worst it’s just people trying to be edgy by including it.
Great song though.
Hey now, Die Hard is absolutely a Christmas movie.
Yeah, it happens at Christmas, but the whole point of the movie is a man trying to reconcile with his family in time for the holidays. It’s why there’s a party, it’s why security is so slim at Nacatomi, it’s why the police and FBI are so incompetent because they’re all working skeleton crews on Christmas Eve. McClane makes Christmas jokes, they play Christmas music, and his wife is named HOLLY. Die Hard can only happen on Christmas; the movie doesn’t work if it’s Memorial Day or the Fourth of July or whatever.
And don’t get me started on Lethal Weapon, which is basically It’s a Wonderful Life but with explosions. Or Gremlins; Gizmo is a Christmas present for Pete’s sake.
On the other hand, Iron Man 3 takes place at Christmas, but is not a Christmas movie. Same with On Her Majesty’s Secret Service or a bunch of other examples I could toss out there.
Sorry about the rant, but there you go. 🙂
Deep Purple covering Love? How very odd. It’s also terrible.
Sure, but what Die Hard is actually about is an action hero fighting bad guys who have taken over a building. Likewise Fairytale is actually about a drunk couple contemplating their relationship. Christmas features, perhaps strongly, but the song (and the movie) doesn’t have much to say about it.
That’s kind of like saying Home Alone isn’t a Christmas movie though, isn’t it? Home Alone is mostly about a kid dealing with silly robbers and boobytrap shenanigans. But both Die Hard and Home Alone at their core is dealing with family bonds and reunions of separated families (with added action or silliness, respectively). What’s more Christmas than getting the family back together?
Also, Die Hard director John McTiernan says Die Hard is a Christmas movie, so there’s that. I mean, who would know better than him, right? 🙂
This is a fun debate, and I’m not being super serious or anything, but what makes a movie a Christmas movie?
(also, I only just now listed to Fairytale of New York. Never even heard of it before. I don’t have any thoughts on it, really)
I don’t know, maybe it’s not a Christmas movie unless Santa’s in trouble and the hero has to take over the job.
One of my favorite Christmas movies is The Lion in Winter (the original with Hepburn). It’s set during Christmas, depends on the holiday for the family being together, and has a lot to say about that togetherness. It doesn’t figure Santa or the baby Jesus in any way, though presents are wrapped and trees are decorated.
So more in the Die Hard vein rather than The Santa Clause or Charlie Brown. But I think that’s okay – some movies are Christmas movies because they evoke feelings or memories or wishes about family during the holidays. They offer catharsis about the practical obligations and stresses of being together. Like Elf but without the magical parts.
She bore him many children. But no sons. King Henry had no sons. He had three whiskered things but he disowned them. You’re not mine! We’re not connected! I deny you! None of you will get my crown, I leave you nothing and I wish you plague!! May all your children breach and die!!
My objection to The Lion in Winter being a Christmas movie is that for me, a Christmas movie has to be at least a little bit crap, and The Lion in Winter has no crap about it at all.
I swear The Lion in Winter is haunting me lately. I’ve never seen it but everyone is talking about it.
@Si: Because it’s Christmas time! 😉
My favorite Christmas movie is Scrooged with Bill Murray. (my favorite version of a Christmas Carol, though, is the Patrick Stewart version) One of the things I love about Scrooged is at the end, I still can’t quite tell if Bill’s character actually gets it, or if he’s having a mental breakdown, or a mix of both. Love it.
The Lion in Winter is great! We haven’t watched it in years; we’ll have to dig it out this season. 🙂
I didn’t even know Lion in Winter was a Christmas movie until this discussion (which I swear was about The Pogues). It’s mainly coming up when people talk about Eleanor of Aquitaine and stuff. It’s confirmation bias I’m sure, but I didn’t even know this movie existed a few months ago. I probably saw the name before this and thought it was about Narnia.
My favorite bit of trivia about The Lion in Winter is that Katharine Hepburn, who plays Eleanor of Aquitaine in the movie, was descended from Eleanor on both sides of her family.