A record number of Christmas songs made it into the top 40 singles chart during 2020, with many appearing earlier than ever, analysis has found.
Of the current top 40, a total of 26 have a festive theme – the highest proportion for any Christmas chart in history.
The previous record was 16 out of 40, in 2017.
Eight of the current top 10 are seasonal hits, including All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey (number 2), Last Christmas by Wham! (3) and Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin’ Stevens (7).
(PA Graphics)
This year also saw the earliest appearance in the top 40 for a festive song.
All I Want For Christmas Is You entered the chart on November 20 – five weeks before Christmas week.
TOGETHER AT CHRISTMAS
Decca (UMO) (Classics) The reliable cosiness of Michael Ball and Alfie Boe singing Christmas classics is probably just what many people need at the end of a year of unexpected challenges and stress. Like a Premier Inn room, listeners get exactly what they expect as the hugely popular pairing pack their fourth duet album with Christmas classics such as O Holy Night and Silent Night as well as pop hits such as Mistletoe And Wine, White Christmas and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Gregory Porter joins the duo for a gentle reworking of The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire). New song My Christmas Will Be Better Than Yours is a light-hearted and entertaining duet and a spine-tingling version of I Believe, a song written nearly 70 years ago to give people hope, is perfectly timed. Ball s melodic voice and Boe s deep tenor work well together but it is the warmth of their long-standing friendship, which began on a 2006 production of Kism
The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins: 10 Christmas songs that changed my life
The Darkness’ frontman Justin Hawkins reflects on the Christmas songs that have soundtracked his family festivities over the years
Words: Kerrang! Staff
The Darkness know a thing or two about Christmas songs. But which ones have inspired, angered and moved Justin Hawkins? Let’s find out…
The Christmas song that soundtracked my childhood…
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Santa Claus Is Comin To Town (1982)
“The boss of the blue collar Christmas!
‘You’d better be good, for goodness sake’ are clearly words to live by. This song has been around since the 1930s, but I just read on the internet machine that it was also released by Stringbean et al as part of a Sesame Street Christmas compilation album in 1982. No-one does Christmas like Mr Snuffleupagus!”