Entertainment Swindon

Its that season again where theres not a store in any shopping centre you walk into that doesn’t play Christmas songs from the moment they open to the moment they close. But you would be shocked to hear that many of these popular songs that we know all the words to never actually made it to number one.

All I want for Christmas is you (1994)

The Mariah Carey song is one we hear every year that should have been a dead cert, but, believe it or not, it took 26 years to make it to number One in the UK. The Mariah Carey Christmas classic is probably the most popular of all Christmas songs, but in 1994, Carey lost to Boy-Band East 17 with their song ‘Stay’.

However, although Carey lost the battle in 1994, ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ has since gone on to make number 1 in 26 other countries and became the best selling Christmas song by a female artist, with over 16million copies (and counting) sold and over 520million plays globally on Spotify. All I want for Christmas has also been covered by artists over 1000 times.

In 2020, with ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ making it to Number 1, Mariah Carey took to then Twitter, tweeted “We did it!”, followed by a bunch of emojis including happy tears.

Last Christmas (1984)

Wham in the 80s were huge, one of the biggest pop sensations of the time, so when they released Last Christmas, you would of thought that it would reach Number 1 by a country mile. But they like all the other songs highlighted here were pipped to the post.

In 1984 another song that would lead to a world wide fund raising campaign and a charity concert at Wembley Stadium, the song was Bob Geldof & Midge Ure’s star-studded Christmas anthem Band Aid – Do They Know its Christmas.

Last Christmas has still to officially be a Christmas Number 1, remaining one of the biggest Christmas songs to never have made it to the top spot. The song did make it to the top spot here in the UK on 7th January 2021, but not good enough to be officially a Christmas Number 1.

Fairytale of New York (1987)

The song sang by Kirsty McColl & The Pogues is one of the most popular Christmas songs ever, but it was beaten by the Pet Shop Boys, with their cover version of Always On My Mind. 

The Pogues did something that few festive songs ever did, it painted the festive season as a lonely time of year, experienced by many each year. But the song pulls off a surprisingly cheerful vibe even though the message in the song is inherently one of sadness. The song captures the hearts of everyone each year and with the recent passing of front man of the Pogues Shane MacGowan bookies are pitting Fairytale of New York to be this years Christmas Number 1 which is announced on 20th December.

Walking In The Air (1985)

Who doesn’t know this song?… And I’m not even restricting this to those that were kids at the time of not only the release of this song, but the animated feature ‘The Snowman’ that alongside the song has become timeless.

The song that went into the charts, but not quite making it to Number 1, infact only actually made it to number 5 in the Christmas Charts was sung by Aled Jones, though in the animated short film The Snowman, it was not actually Aled Jones who sang in the animated classic, that was actually voiced by St Pauls Cathedral choirboy Peter Auty.

The Christmas Number 1 of 1985 was Shakin Stevens with Merry Christmas Everyone.

Wonderful Christmastime (1979)

Sung by ex-Beatle’s member Paul McCartney, Wonderful Christmas was a sure bet to hit Christmas Number 1, but by Pink Floyd with their iconic song Another Brick in the Wall were to take that spot. 

In fact, surprisingly McCartney didn’t even reach number 2 spot, only attaining number 6. But, on a positive note, McCartney two years previously made Christmas Number 1 with Mull of Kintyre, the best selling paean to his Scottish retreat which not only went to No.1 in 1977, but also became the first single to sell two million copies in the UK.

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1980)

Former Beatle John Lennon along with his wife Yoko/Plastic Ono Band along with the Harlem Community Choir were beaten to the Number 1 spot by St Winifreds Choir with their song There No One Quite Like Grandma for the 1980 Christmas top spot. 

Happy Xmas (War is Over) was released in the wake of the shocking murder of Lennon on 8th December 1980 by Mark Chapman, expectations were that it would hit the Christmas Number 1 spot, but it wasn’t to be when Manchester’s St Winifred’s School Choir’s steamed in with ‘There’s No One Quite Like Grandma’ and beat Happy Xmas (War Is Over) to be the 1980 Christmas Number 1.

I Believe in Father Christmas (1975)

The song I Believe in Father Christmas, written by Greg Lake & lyricist Pete Sinfield who believed that the Christmas festive season had become too commercialised. But surprisingly to some, the message of the song actually appealed to peoples hearts, connecting with its audience. But unfortunately it wasn’t to be, as that year Queen released the Operatic Rock masterpiece Bohemian Rhapsody. Greg Lake was later philosophical about his disappointment, telling Uncut “I got beaten by one of the greatest records ever made”.

Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) (2003)

A song today, unless you are a Darkness fan, you might just of forgotten this song even existed, but The Darkness were at the peak of their popularity at this time with their quirky throwback retro-rocker style and Justin Hawkins high pitch vocals. So when they released their alternative Christmas song, everyone probably thought it would go straight in at Number 1. 

But as we have noticed far too often in our look at those who never made it to the Christmas top spot, The Darkness were left as first loser spot at Number 2. Instead it was Gary Jules emotive cover of the Tears for Fears Mad World that secured the coveted Christmas Number 1 spot due to it featuring in the movie Donnie Darko.