It Looks Like This Festive Hit Is On Track To Score This Year’s Christmas Number 1, With A Week To Go

We might still be a week away from the announcement about what song is this year’s Christmas number one – but it looks like we might have an idea.

On Friday evening, Wham!’s Last Christmas was revealed to be the first festive chart-topper of 2024, almost 12 months exactly after it became last year’s Christmas number one marking the first time in the song’s history that it reached the accolade.

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s festive tune is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and has already received a surge in streams in the lead-up to Christmas, pushing it back to the top of the charts.

To coincide with the anniversary, a physical re-release of the track debuted on Friday, so we reckon it chances of holding onto the number one spot ahead of next week’s chart are pretty high.

Mariah Carey performing a special Christmas show in 2014
Mariah Carey performing a special Christmas show in 2014

via Associated Press

There’s a veritable avalanche of Yuletide bops in the chart this week, with Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You at number three, while Brenda Lee’s 66-year-old ditty Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree is at five.

Below that is Tom Grennan’s original tune It Can’t Be Christmas (an exclusive to Amazon Music subscribers – meaning if you’ve asked Alexa to play Christmas music in the last few weeks you’ve probably heard it without realising) at number six, Bobby Helms’ Jingle Bell Rock at number seven and The Pogues’ Fairytale Of New York at number eight.

Tom Grennan's new Christmas tune has already made it into the top 10
Tom Grennan’s new Christmas tune has already made it into the top 10

via Associated Press

Completing the top 10 are Ariana Grande’s Santa Tell Me and Kelly Clarkson’s Underneath The Tree, which have both reached new UK chart peaks in 2024.

Christmas tunes by Michael Bublé, Sia, Elton John and Sabrina Carpenter can also be found lower down this week’s chart.

Meanwhile, you can click here for a round-up of 2024’s new Christmas tunes – and our verdict on each of the songs.

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It’s Official – Wicked Songs Are Defying Gravity And Flying Up The UK Chart

Wicked’s cultural dominance is showing no signs of slowing down.

On Friday evening, the Official Charts Company revealed that no fewer than three songs from the hit movie musical’s soundtrack have soared up the UK singles chart, a week on from Wicked’s official release.

Fittingly, it’s Cynthia Erivo’s big number Defying Gravity (featuring vocals from Ariana Grande) that’s flying the highest, entering the chart at number seven, and becoming the first Wicked cut to make it into the top 10.

Slightly lower at number 13 is Ariana’s version of Popular, while the duet What Is This Feeling enters at number 17.

Cynthia and Ariana performing Popular in the movie Wicked
Cynthia and Ariana performing Popular in the movie Wicked

Interestingly, this isn’t Ariana’s first time putting her own spin on Popular, as she previously released a duet with Mika way back in 2012, which interpolated the Wicked cut.

Although it didn’t chart here in the UK, it did enter the lower half of Billboard’s charts across the pond.

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Meanwhile, it’s not just the Wicked soundtrack that musicians have to contend with when it comes to fighting for spots in the charts this week.

Yes, we’ve officially arrived at the time of year when festive songs make their way back into the top 10, with Wham!’s Last Christmas making it to number eight just days shy of its 40th anniversary.

Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You has also had a massive surge in streams, bumping it to number 10.

In fact, an additional eight Christmas songs are in this week’s top 40, including tracks from Brenda Lee, The Pogues, Ed Sheeran, Andy Williams, Kelly Clarkson and Wicked’s own Ariana.

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