Top 5 UK Christmas #1s ever

[jawnbc]

Artists 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, and Lady 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":

Watch on YouTube

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!)

Comments

[squalidbear.livejournal.com]

Nice to see that Shane McGowan lived up to his reputation for not going on stage unless totally shit-faced. I swear he's mumbling "blah blah blah" for some of the time.

[jawnbc]

My brother is very proud of the fact that he "used to drink with Shane McGowan when he still had a tooth in his head." Quel honneur...

[squalidbear.livejournal.com]

God preserve us...

[zurcherart.livejournal.com]

I love my pressing of Boney M's Christmas Album. It has top honors on my Christmas CD shelf. Right after Amy Grant and Tammy Wynette and John Denver and the Muppets. Amy Grant has a shelf of her own - she's almost made me go broke releasing Christmas albums. The ease of impulse one click purchasing on iTunes led to my new Swedish Christmas album this year. But sadly I have to report I had to relegate Carola to the bottom of the (virtual) Christmas shelf. Definitely not her best effort. Though Swedish Christmas lyrics are never not funny.

[arktos62.livejournal.com]

My personal favourite goes back to 1975: Greg Lake, with a little help from Prokoviev, and "I believe in Father Christmas". It didn't quite make No.1, Bohemian Rhapsody ensuring Queen reigned supreme. And it doesn't get nearly enough airplay this time of year, whereas you can't walk into any shop from October onwards without geting an earbashing from Noddy Holder.

[jawnbc]

That was a great track indeed.

[progbear.livejournal.com]

..and of course the “O My Lord” bit thrown into Boney M’s version of “Mary’s Boy Child” is transparently there just so that Frank Farian can nab a royalty every time someone plays it. Sorry for the cynicism, but this is Frank Farian we’re talking about! I believe this pre-dates the Spinners with their covers of “Cupid” and “Working My Way Back To You,” each featuring a drop-in verse written by their manager.