Whichever song is number one this Christmas will you still be hearing it in 30 years’ time? Maybe, but then again maybe not. And yet there are plenty of festive hits that have stood the test of time and are still played decades after they were first heard.
All of them come from the days when every high street had a record shop or two and artists had to sell copies by the truckload to make any impression on the charts. Times may have changed but everybody loves a Christmas sing-song. So here, in no particular order, is our festive top ten, from the time when record shops ruled and vinyl was king.
Where else could we possibly begin? This song, written by Irving Berlin and performed by Bing Crosby, is one of the bestselling records of all time. It first topped the charts way back in 1942 and has since become a must have on everyone’s festive playlists all over the world.
First released in December 1973, this record by Wolverhampton rockers Slade was still at number one in mid-January. Another staple of Christmas radio scheduling and a major contributor to Noddy Holder’s pension fund.
Another from the same year! This song was confined to the number four position by Slade in 1973. A festive glam-rock classic!
For many this 1984 hit was the first indication of what a talented songwriter George Michael would become. Much loved by millions, including the late Heather of Albert Square.
This 1987 festive hit is frequently voted the best Christmas song of all time although it’s far from a jolly tale. It tells the story of a young Irish immigrant couple whose American dream is destroyed by drink and drugs. As the bells ring out for Christmas Day the recriminations continue on the street. Fabulous stuff!
Recorded against the backdrop of the Vietnam War this song has its origins in billboards that the couple paid to have erected in eleven American cities in 1969 that read: WAR IS OVER (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko. It reached number four in the UK charts in December 1972.
Another festive hit with a wartime theme! A First World War soldier wishes he was at home for Christmas accompanied by a brass band. Stop the Cavalry was kept off the top of the charts in 1980 by two re-issued songs by the murdered John Lennon, one of them being War is Over.
This unlikely duet gives the American singer his second entry in our top ten. Recorded in 1977, it was released as a single in 1982, reaching number three in the Christmas chart.
Released in 1975, this is the only solo hit from the former King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer man. It has been interpreted as a protest against the commercialisation of Christmas but Lake insists it is about the loss of innocence.
How could we finish without mentioning this 1984 chart topper? It brought the famine in Ethiopia to national attention and spawned the following summer’s huge Live Aid concert. Two other versions have appeared over the intervening years raising millions for famine relief.
So that’s our festive top ten but do you think they’re Christmas crackers or Christmas turkeys? Share some of your festive favourites with us below.
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