Just saw (and greatly enjoyed) the movie; here’s my question: is there in reality an annual competition for “#1 Christmas Song”, or was that invented for the movie?
It’s something of an unoffical contest, to see who is at number 1 in the charts on Christmas week: self-serving hype for the record companies, and a cheap easy story to run with on the evening news.
I think it’s semi-important to have the #1 song at Christmas because you get that title for two weeks instead of one.
Maybe Legolamb or one of the other UKers can explain it better.
When I was in Britain, Christmas 2000, there was a battle going on between Bob the Builder and Westlife for the Christmas number one. Bob the Builder won.
Apparently, if Westlife had won, they would have equalled the Beatles record of consecutive number one hits (or something). So, I’m glad Bob the Builder won!
I could be wrong, but this year The Darkness (Christmas Time (Don’t let the Bells End) and others got beat out by…
Gary Jules’ version of Mad World, off the Donnie Darko soundtrack. A lovely song, but it’s so incredibly depressing that I can’t help but wonder if holiday suicides spiked more than usual. Only in Britain, people.
Christmas #1 isn’t officially a competition, but there is some prestige that goes with it. Traditionally, the week before Christmas is a big music sales period - the high sales figures that usually come in that week obviously because people are buying them as presents.
Also, until very recently, very few shops were open in the period between Christmas and New Years. This meant sales figures dropped sharply right after Christmas and can really skew the charts. To avoid this the chart is not updated for the week after Christmas making whoever was number 1 in the charts at Christmas, number 1 for a further week. Any sales in the week after Christmas are carried over to the following week’s chart.
I think the tradition is still maintained despite the shops being open after Christmas because in the last 5 years there have been more number 1 singles than in each previous year (i.e. each song is spending less time at the number 1 spot). I guess this makes a guaranteed second week at the top spot, and therefore a second week of heavy radio play, quite a big deal.
Saying that, my dad worked in the record industry for years and I’m still not entirely sure I explained this right or if I have exactly the right reason why this is so.
Catfight, yup Mad World did get it last year. Personally I love that song and think The Darkness are overrated, so I was pretty happy with that (not to mention the fact that I won £50 on it…)
I think I get it … I was under the impression that the competition was for “#1 Christmas song”, but it appears to be “#1 song at Christmas”.
Great cover. I am in full agreement. Make mine a pint please.
There’s been very few actual Christmas songs, ie tunes and lyrics directly concerning Christmas in recent years. In fact The Darkness one is the only one I can think of off the top of my head right know since the early 90’s.
I think it kind of became passe (not something that the Darkness really worry about), due to Cliff Richard’s year in, year out hideous stabs at the no1 spot to do that kind of thing, but thats the music industry for you.
In recent years its been either atrocious novelty records (Mr Blobby, Bob the Builder) or dogshit covers by boybands (westlife, Boyzone or whoever)
There must be a site somewhere that will tell you all the Christmas no1s, but I can’t find it googling
Actually, it was the very first thing that shows up when you Google.
You might not be able to find it if you have trouble spelling Christmas… 
Didn’t Iron Maiden’s “Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter” make it to No. 1 one year over Christmas?
You Brits is whacky. 
There have been a few gems:
1965 – The Beatles, “Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out”
1975 – Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
1979 – Pink Floyd, “Another Brick In The Wall”
1981 – The Human League, “Don’t You Want Me”
1987 – The Pet Shop Boys, “Always On My Mind”
1991 – Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are The Days Of Our Lives”
…
The British charts have some strangeness going on at times. Jackie Wilson’s “Reet Petite” was the Xmas #1 in 1986. And how the heck did Bob the Builder’s "Can We Fix It?"song top the charts? Surely that wasn’t played in dance clubs or pubs?
The biggest record buying demographic, especially at Christmas, is parents in their 20’s to early 30’s for their spoiled brats. This also explains the sucess of Mr Blobby. And, for that matter, The Spice Girls and Westlife.
Although actually, you’d be surprised how many clubs play novelty cheese like Bob The Builder on student nights…