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Dec 16

Charts – 15 December 2017

Posted on Saturday, December 16, 2017 by Paul in Music

It seems that a lot of you have had the Spotify Christmas playlist on repeat.  Let’s have a look at this week’s top 40 and have a think about what you’ve done.

1.  Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”

But first, “Perfect” lands a second week at the top.  It only needs one more to hang on for Christmas.  And Sheeran wants that badly enough to keep putting out extra versions of the track.  This week, it’s “Perfect Symphony”, a duet with Andrea Bocelli.  One for the mums and dads, apparently.  It’s a completely ridiculous record; Ed Sheeran songs lend themselves to understatement, and a tenor is not understatement.

Like Beyonce, Bocelli doesn’t get a chart credit because this isn’t officially the lead version.  He does have a couple of hit single credits – for “Time To Say Goodbye”, a duet with Sarah Brightman which made number 2 in 1997, and “Canto Della Terra”, which got to 24 in 1999.

“All I Want For Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey climbs 5-2, matching the peak of its original run from 1994.  That’s one.  “Last Christmas” by Wham! climbs 6-3, its highest position since its original release in 1984, when it spent five weeks locked behind Band Aid.  That’s two.  George Michael died on Christmas Day last year and there’s a campaign to get this to number one next week; campaigns tend not to be very effective in the streaming era, but given that “Last Christmas” is at number 3 already, you never know.  “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl climbs 10-7, its highest position since 2007, back at the dawn of the download era, when it got to number 4.  That’s three.  “Let You Down” by NF climbs 13-11, which has nothing to do with Christmas.  “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid moves 16-12, comfortably the highest position it’s achieved as a digital perennial.  That’s four.

15.  Brenda Lee – “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”

That’s five.  Originally a number 6 hit in 1964, this track returned to the top 40 for the first time last year when it made number 31.  Number 15 is clearly much higher – but it’s the third track listed in Spotify’s main UK Christmas playlist, which has to help.  In fact, the song was a bigger hit in 1987 when it reached number 3 as a Comic Relief single by Mel Smith and Kim Wilde (the joke being “Mel & Kim”, though for fairly obvious reasons, it was officially credited as “Comic Relief Presents Mel And Kim Performed By Kim Wilde And Mel Smith”).

“Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shakin’ Stevens climbs 21-16, and once again, that’s the highest position it’s reached in the digital era (just beating last year).  That’s six.

18.  Michael Bublé – “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”

That’s seven.  This is a track from Bublé’s 2011 Christmas album “Christmas”.  It made the singles chart for the first time last year, when it got to 27.  Like Brenda Lee, it’s not a regular chart fixture, and I can only assume streaming playlists are a factor in drawing attention to it.  The song dates from 1951, and the first hit version was by Perry Como.  But this is the only version to have made the UK top 40.

19.  Elton John – “Step Into Christmas”

That’s eight.  And similar territory here – although “Step Into Christmas” is a familiar Christmas compilation filler, it hasn’t been one of the digital era perennials.  It made number 37 last year, but that’s it.  Now, suddenly, it’s at number 19 – higher than it managed on its release in 1973, when it spent five weeks hovering between 24 and 26.

“I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” by Wizzard climbs 24-22, which is a more typical performance for it.  That’s nine.

23.  Chris Rea – “Driving Home For Christmas”

That’s ten.  This is another unfortunate case for the TV video channels, as “Driving Home For Christmas” does have a video, but it was made in 2009 to promote a charity re-issue, and it’s full of people like Mike Read, Lionel Blair, and Keith from The Office, who weren’t exactly a major casting coup even at the time.  “Driving Home” only got to 53 on its release in 1988, and didn’t make the top 40 until 2007.  It’s gained some momentum recently, reaching 29 in 2015 and 26 last year.

27.  Ramz – “Barking”

That’s… oh, hold on, UK R&B.  This has 7 million views on the GRM Daily Youtube channel.  Leaves me kind of cold – it’s seriously repetitive – but it’s the highest new entry of the week.

29.  Ariana Grande – “Santa Tell Me”

That’s eleven.  This is an interesting one – it’s a Christmas single which Ariana Grande released in 2014, to no particular impact.  In Britain, it got to 79.  Nobody much noticed it in 2015 or 2016 either.  But it’s track six on the main Spotify Christmas playlist, and it doesn’t seem unreasonable to suggest that the streaming services have raised its profile considerably.

30.  Slade – “Merry Xmas Everybody”

That’s twelve.  It’s been higher in the download era – it made number 20 in 2007 – so maybe it’s starting to tail off?

35.  John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir – “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”

That’s thirteen.  Warning: there’s a reason why you don’t see this video much on the music channels.  Let’s say it’s heavier on the war than the Christmas.  This is an official video, but it was made for a 1993 DVD release and re-edited in 2004 to include more up-to-date war footage.  There would have been no point making it for the original release, as there would have been nowhere to show it.

“Happy Xmas” reached number 4 on its original release in 1972, but peaked at number 2 when it was reissued after Lennon’s murder in 1980.  Its only previous appearance of the digital era came in 2007, when it managed a week at number 40.  The song was also used as a charity single for the second series of Pop Idol in 2003, in a version that Lennon would probably not have greeted with enthusiasm.

36.  Leona Lewis – “One More Sleep”

That’s fourteen.  This is an unexpected return.  “One More Sleep”, a blatant bid for Christmas cash cow status, managed two weeks at number 3 on its release in 2013, but hasn’t been heard from since.  It is on the Spotify Christmas playlist, but it’s seventeen tracks in.  By the time you reach it, you’ve gone past a version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” by Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé, Kurt Nilson’s take on “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow”, and “Jingle Bell Rock” as essayed by the Vamps.  Still, something’s clearly raised its profile this year.

37.  Andy Williams – “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”

That’s fifteen.  This is a track from Williams’ 1963 Christmas album, which wasn’t promoted as a single at the time – hence, it didn’t actually make the singles chart until the digital era in 2007, when it got to number 21.  It didn’t return until last year (when it reached 24) and something tells me it’ll climb next week.

38.  Bing Crosby – “White Christmas”

That’s sixteen.  “White Christmas” dates back to the pre-chart era, but its chart peak came in 1977 when a re-issue got to number 5.  This is its first appearance of the digital era.  Oddly enough, there’s no sign of “Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy”, the Crosby / David Bowie single, which got to number 3 in 1982 and is Crosby’s joint biggest UK hit.  It ties for that honour with his 1952 release “The Isle of Innisfree.”  “White Christmas” has also been a hit for Mantovani (number 6 in 1952), Pat Boone (number 29 in 1957) and Keith Harris & Orville (number 40 in 1985).

39.  Paul McCartney – “Wonderful Christmastime”

That’s seventeen.  Originally a number 6 hit in 1980, “Wonderful Christmastime” didn’t make a digital-era return until last year when managed a week at number 40.  It’s got time to go further this time.

By the way, there’s another five Christmas songs between 41 and 50, so don’t be surprised if we have even more of them next week.

Over on the album chart… absolutely nothing.  “÷” by Ed Sheeran returns to number 1 for an eighteenth week, and there are no new entries at all.

Bring on the comments

  1. Douglas says:

    Sorry to stuff up your numbering, but you’ve counted both Wizzard and Chris Rea as “nine”…

  2. Paul says:

    Oops. That should be updated now.

  3. Douglas says:

    Sorry to have nitpicked! I’m amazed enough at the amount of effort and energy that goes into these posts – that they exist at all is a miracle!

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