Top 5 UK Christmas #1s ever
Dec. 22nd, 2006 05:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jawnbcArtists in the UK view having the #1 UK single for Christmas week to be a particular achievement. Many artists delay (or rush) single releases in order to maximize their chances for this particular plum puddin'. In years past these were often holiday themed songs; sadly with the advent of XFactor, the hackneyed début single of its winner. So it was last year and so it will probably be this year.
5. Mistletoe & Wine - Cliff Richard (1988): Sure it's arguably too Christian ("just follow the master". Ick), but it's a great schlager pop song, andLady Sir Cliffie is a great pop singer.
4. Don't You Want Me - Human League (1981: Only the 4th single from their breakout album "Dare", this went on to top the US singles chart almost 6 months later. The second British invasion had begun...
3. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid (1984): Bob Geldof was so outraged by footage of the Ethiopian famine he harangued the creme of UK and Irish pop and rock to clamber into a London recording studio for this the first of the great charity records of the 80s. Apparently all Bono asked is that he not have to sing "well tonight thank Gawd it's them instead of you." Thank Gawd he did.
2. Mary's Boy Child/O My Lord - Boney M (1978): Harry Belafonte introduced the world to "Mary's Boy Child" in the early 60s, but most know Boney M's version better. And if you don't have the Boney M Christmas CD, chase down a copy; it's pure pablum, but so fun! Even with the nickle-dime production standards.
And the #1 UK Christmas #1 of all time...actually only made it to #2, thanks to those sassy Pet Shop Boys staking out the summit for all of December 1987 with "Always on My Mind":
1. However "Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl was a #1 in ireland--thrice in fact, and has re-entred the Irish and UK charts again this year.
(thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lusty_librarian for the reminder!)
5. Mistletoe & Wine - Cliff Richard (1988): Sure it's arguably too Christian ("just follow the master". Ick), but it's a great schlager pop song, and
4. Don't You Want Me - Human League (1981: Only the 4th single from their breakout album "Dare", this went on to top the US singles chart almost 6 months later. The second British invasion had begun...
3. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid (1984): Bob Geldof was so outraged by footage of the Ethiopian famine he harangued the creme of UK and Irish pop and rock to clamber into a London recording studio for this the first of the great charity records of the 80s. Apparently all Bono asked is that he not have to sing "well tonight thank Gawd it's them instead of you." Thank Gawd he did.
2. Mary's Boy Child/O My Lord - Boney M (1978): Harry Belafonte introduced the world to "Mary's Boy Child" in the early 60s, but most know Boney M's version better. And if you don't have the Boney M Christmas CD, chase down a copy; it's pure pablum, but so fun! Even with the nickle-dime production standards.
And the #1 UK Christmas #1 of all time...actually only made it to #2, thanks to those sassy Pet Shop Boys staking out the summit for all of December 1987 with "Always on My Mind":
1. However "Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl was a #1 in ireland--thrice in fact, and has re-entred the Irish and UK charts again this year.
(thanks to
lusty_librarian for the reminder!)
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Date: 2006-12-23 04:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-23 04:49 am (UTC)