Experiences HQ's Greatest Christmas Number Ones

Today sees the start of the race for what is undoubtedly one of the most coveted spots in music: the Christmas number one slot. It's a festive British tradition, up there with the King's Speech, the big lit up tree in Covent Garden Market and pigs in blankets.

In just seven days from now, the identity of the artist whose song will be topping the charts in time for Christmas Day this year will be revealed, and thus which name will be adding themselves to an extensive and impressive list of seasonal chart toppers that includes The Beatles, Queen, Robbie Williams, Whitney Houston and, erm... Bob the Builder(!)

So with that in mind, we thought we'd revisit some ghosts of Christmas number ones past that are still a top turn on the Experiences HQ office stereo…

• Slade, "Merry Xmas Everybody" (1973)

"IT'S CHRISTMAAAS!" Even though the UK singles charts were first founded in 1952, it is safe to say that it was only really in the 1970s when they became - and by extension, the song topping the chart for 25th December - an intense fixture of popular culture and endless public fascination. This was all to the advantage of one of the main acts at the forefront of the glam rock movement along with Wizzard (themselves behind the classic "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday"), Suzi Quatro, Sweet and T.Rex.

Slade, fronted of course by Noddy Holder, were arguably at the peak of their powers in 1973, and following three number ones in 1971, notched up two further top of the chart hits with both "Cum On Feel The Noize" (which Oasis memorably covered) and "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me". Believed to have been written after a challenge that Noddy's mother-in-law set, the perennial "Merry Xmas Everybody" gave them a hat trick of number ones for that year and was that year's festive bestseller, also charting again in re-releases in 1985, 1989 and 1998, and it has also reappeared on the charts every single December since the arrival of downloading and streaming.

• East 17, "Stay Another Day" (1994)

In the early 90s, the battle of glam rock had given way to a chart battle of a very different kind. In one corner, stood five boys from Manchester - Gary, Robbie, Mark, Howard and Jason - aka Take That (they had gone for the festive top spot in 1993 with "Babe", only to be usurped at the last minute by, of all people, Mr Blobby) and in the other, stood four lads from Walthamstow in East London - Brian, Tony, Terry and John - aka East 17. They'd already had a couple of years of success behind them with hits including "House of Love" and "It's Alright".

But with this sensitive, piano and church bell flecked winter warmer, written by the band's main songwriter, Tony, about the passing of his brother, complete with them wearing ski goggles and massive white parkas in its snowy video, it thus ensured them of having their only number one and the Christmas bestseller of '94, and a place on every music channel and radio station during December since. It is also being reissued today for its 30th anniversary on a limited edition 7" vinyl, which will raise money for Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy.

• Spice Girls, "2 Become 1" (1996)

Fast forward a couple of years to '96, and boy bands had given way to some riotous girl power at the top of the charts. After storming their buffalo-booted way to number one in the summer with their iconic banger "Wannabe" (which stayed there for seven weeks, and is still the biggest selling single of all time by an all female group), that was then followed by the equally brilliant "Say You'll Be There" in October.

They then made it three in a row and rounded it off with this snowflake encrusted, guitar flecked slow number perfect for a kiss under the mistletoe, featuring Ginger, Posh, Baby, Sporty and Scary huddled in winter coats in New York in the video - which they also wore when they famously turned on the Christmas lights in Oxford Street in London that same year. The Spice Girls would also go onto top the seasonal countdown in 1997 with "Too Much", and then again in 1998 with "Goodbye", repeating a feat that was first achieved by The Beatles in the 1960s.

• Girls Aloud, "Sound of the Underground" (2002)

With the dawn of the Noughties came a significant shift in both who was topping the chart, and indeed how they came to public recognition, with the arrival of reality TV talent shows. Following Popstars in 2001 (which gave us Hear'Say and Liberty X), came Pop Idol in 2002 (which gave us Will Young and Gareth Gates). And at the end of that same year, a second series of Popstars - titled Popstars: The Rivals - aired, which saw two bands (one all boys, another all girls) being formed on live Saturday night shows by weekly public phone vote, with the aim of going head-to-head for that year's festive top spot in a battle of the sexes.

And whilst all the initial predictions, even before either of the bands were formed, were in favour of the boys, One True Voice (remember them?), it was Girls Aloud who beat them by 3 to 1 with a drum'n'bass infused banger, described by The Guardian newspaper as "a reality pop record that didn't make you want to do physical harm to everyone involved in its manufacture". And, as well as making them the first artist to have a Christmas number one with their debut release, it was the first of four number ones and twenty one consecutive UK top 10 hits for Cheryl, Nicola, Nadine, Kimberley and Sarah. C'mon the girls!

• Wham, "Last Christmas" (2023)

Now in the present day, it seems to be less about artists specifically releasing a single for the Christmas chart, and more about which of the festive golden oldies cued up on Spotify or by calling out "Alexa, play Christmas music" to a smart speaker, is within a shoe-in for that year's top spot. That particular tussle now seems to be down to the wire to two songs in particular, and last year, after originally playing runner up to the first Band Aid record "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1984, Wham's seasonal classic was finally the one to do it.

Having gained more universal appreciation and love annually since the sad passing of George Michael in 2016, at time of writing, on the current weekly chart it is narrowly ahead of the other main seasonal evergreen - Mariah Carey's now 30 year old "All I Want For Christmas Is You". And, like East 17, it's also being re-released today on a variety of formats for its 40th anniversary. It will be interesting, therefore, to see if that added impetus behind it is enough for it to do the double this year.

Reckon you could be up to the challenge of recording next year's Christmas chart topper? Why not book in for one of our All Singing All Dancing experiences, which includes our Superstar Singing Sessions in a professional recording studio? Don't forget if you've not started your Christmas shopping yet, there's still time as our Christmas Gift Guide has tonnes of great experience gift ideas for everyone that's sure to be their number one this festive season!