I hate the Cascada version - its just terrible and embarressing!

 

Personally I prefer Cascada's version - maybe because I haven't had to put up with it every Xmas for nearly 30 years... :P

http://i.imgur.com/MfqtH.gif

GEZZA’S ELEVENTH CHART OF CHRISTMAS- 2003

http://mylifeaccordingtomeandmeonly.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/garyjules.jpg

It’s easy to forget now but about a month before the Christmas chart was unveiled the strong favourite (odds at 4-6) was actually the Idols with their cover of Lennon & Yoko Ono’s “Happy Christmas” on the strength of the second series of “Pop Idol” and I recall being very surprised when, as the first sales flashes came through they weren’t even top 3. Anyway at the beginning of December the odds were:

8-13 The Darkness
6-5 Michael Andrews/ Gary Jules
9-1 The Idols
50-1 Bill Nighy, Noddy, Bo Selecta, Cliff Richard, Fast Food Rockers
66-1 Katie Melua, Blue, Sugababes
100-1 Alex Parks
150-1 Atomic kitten

http://platform-online.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/the_darkness.jpg

The Darkness, as you can see, had become strong favourites for the prize but another record championed by Radio 2 was Michael Andrews cover of Tears For Fears “Mad World” from the film “Donnie Darko” which was doing the rounds in competition to another version in the same vein by Alex Parks who had peaked far too early with her “fame academy” winning track “Maybe That’s What It Takes”.

It was The Darkness who drew first blood topping all of the midweek flashes and looking set for the festive No 1 with some ease. However Andrews/ Jules kept up the pace never falling more than 10k behind CTDLTBE and a last minute surge saw them triumph by just under 5k!


1- MAD WORLD- Michael Andrews Ft Gary Jules (227,547)
2- CHRISTMAS TIME (DON’T LET THE BELLS END)- Darkness (222,561)
3- CHANGES- Ozzy & Kelly Osbourne (144,802)
4- PROPER CRIMBO- Bo Selecta (97,000)
5- HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER)- The Idols (73,165)
6- LEAVE RIGHT NOW- Will Young (66,684)
7- SHUT UP- Black Eyed Peas (54,000)
8- LADIES NIGHT- Atomic Kitten (28,343)
9- I’M YOUR MAN- Shane Richie (28,000)
10- TOO LOST IN YOU- Sugababes (27,000)

Tomorrow our last chart and the closest race since 1980!

Skipping back to the 1998 chart, wow at how much Chef managed to sell! It was all the rage at school at the time, I was in Year 7 so it was all very hilarious to my peers, but I remember the Spice Girls song being everywhere too. Gorgeous song, better than Too Much but not as good as 2 Become 1 although Viva Forever remains my favourite ballad of theirs. Nice to see the Honeyz forgotten second hit holding up strong in the top ten there, it was on par with Finally Found for me, both amongst my top 20 of 1998 :wub:

 

As for 2003, WTF at that sales gap between #7 and #8! And although I'm not a fan of either, I'd have preferred The Darkness to win, at least they were putting some effort into making an original Xmas song.

Gezza - Just wanted to say I've thoroughly enjoyed this and all the other countdowns you've done over the last year or so. Full of interesting facts and some surprises too! Will be interesting to see the conclusion of this one - know one for certain but can't think for the life of me what the other one might be!

 

Going back to the Cliff vs Kylie/Jason battle, just out of interest, do you have the sales for the other three weeks they were locked at no's 1 and 2? Have always been intrigued as to how K&J even at the height of SAW couldn't get past Cliff.

I've got the following which mainly lists sales for 'Mistletoe And Wine' but which also partly answers your question:

 

03/12/88:

Mistletoe And Wine - 30,000 (#7)

 

10/12/88:

Mistletoe And Wine - 130,000

 

17/12/88:

Mistletoe And Wine - 160,000

Especially For You: 132,000

 

24/12/88:

Mistletoe And Wine: 170,000

 

Alan Jones reported at the time that on the chart dated 24/12/88 'Mistletoe And Wine' significantly increased its lead at the top which means the maximum 'Especially For You' could have sold would be 142,000 and judging by his comments its likely to be below 140,000.

Funnily on 10th Dec 88 in London, Bros went to the top. Must of been close in the London area, for the 10th.

Absolutley loved that Christmas chart in 2003. I wanted the Darkness to get it but I didn't really mind. It really WAS the last exciting Christmas chart-for the whole of December in 2003 it felt like there were dozens of new entries each week as apposed to these days where you may get 5 or 6 for the whole month leaving the chart stale and a 'who cares?' feel.

-

Edited May 14, 20169 yr by Electric Top 10

Is it that painful chart from 2009? :( :angry:

 

"Too Lost In You" was my second Xmas # 1 hit for Sugababes after "Stronger" in 2002.

 

No. That particular chart battle had a difference of 53k.

Tomorrow our last chart and the closest race since 1980!

 

For the first time I don't know what the number one will be on one of your charts! I was convinced 98 and 03 would be the two closest, just not sure which order.

 

 

I've got the following which mainly lists sales for 'Mistletoe And Wine' but which also partly answers your question:

 

03/12/88:

Mistletoe And Wine - 30,000 (#7)

 

10/12/88:

Mistletoe And Wine - 130,000

 

17/12/88:

Mistletoe And Wine - 160,000

Especially For You: 132,000

 

24/12/88:

Mistletoe And Wine: 170,000

 

Alan Jones reported at the time that on the chart dated 24/12/88 'Mistletoe And Wine' significantly increased its lead at the top which means the maximum 'Especially For You' could have sold would be 142,000 and judging by his comments its likely to be below 140,000.

 

Cheers for those sales. I guess what ultimately made the difference was what Gezza said - Cliff got on TOTP every week as he was no.1 whereas K&J had to settle for every other week being no.2

 

I have to say I am quite excited at the prospect of a Christmas chart battle with no X Factor if the rumours are true regarding next year being the final X Factor. Ive really missed all the fun of it.

Just been ripping some of my old 'Hits' albums onto my laptop and came across the first Big Brother winner Craig's christmas song, At This Time Of Year, from 2001. If memory serves me correctly, I'm pretty sure that this song was quite near the top of the 2001 Xmas #1 odds before it limped into the lower end of the top 15. Wasn't it a charity record too, or raising money for a girl? Pretty dire song mind but a nice sentiment.

Just been ripping some of my old 'Hits' albums onto my laptop and came across the first Big Brother winner Craig's christmas song, At This Time Of Year, from 2001. If memory serves me correctly, I'm pretty sure that this song was quite near the top of the 2001 Xmas #1 odds before it limped into the lower end of the top 15. Wasn't it a charity record too, or raising money for a girl? Pretty dire song mind but a nice sentiment.

Christmas 2000, but you're right it was an early runner for the festive No 1. I think it was raising money for the same girl he donated his BB winnings to!

 

EDIT: just checked it was down's syndrome fund.

Didnt it end up at no25 or something, was a poor song and pretty embarressing video looking back.

 

Everyone knows my love for the xmas chart in 2003 - i bought both cd singles in hmv - what great sales and great battle - the last old fashioned xmas no1 fight (apart from 2009) and i couldnt believe it when the darkness got beat lol.

 

Just watched the totps performance there and i had forgotten all about that presenter they had - where is he now!

Oops yep I meant 2000, the album it was on was called Hits 2001 hence the confusion! The same album had Tweenies' No.1 on it. Tweenies AND Bob in the Xmas chart of 2000, what a treat!

http://i.imgur.com/bhwLW.gif

GEZZA’S TWELFTH CHRISTMAS CHART- 1993

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/211772/Mr%20Blobby.jpg

So here is the closest race to the festive chart topper in recent history (post 1980) and another incident of the pop world thinking there was no point competing against flavours of the month and in 1993 that flavour was Take That. Britain’s premier boy band had scored two No 1 tracks on the trot when they released “Babe” as their submission for the prize and surprised literally no-one when the track debuted at No 1 the week before the Christmas on a strong sale of over 130k. If you fancied an outside bet some bookies were taking bets in early Dec on Meat Loaf's “I’d Do Anything For Love” being the Christmas No 1 on the 6th and 7th week of its momentous residence at the top.

http://www.virginmedia.com/images/takethat-takethat-431.jpg

Christmas 93 was unusual in that the sales period covered was actually the furthest away from the big day as it could be an still qualify for the Xmas chart, namely Dec 13-18th meaning that very unusually, sales of the top 2 records both decreased significantly during that week, Take That’s sales dipping 11% more than those of Mr Blobby’s turning a 16k disadvantage for Mr Blobby into a 3k advantage. That such a second week dip for a teen act such as Take That is hardly unusual, what was unusual at the time was that Mr Blobby became the first act in 24 years to return to the top surprising us all, and what a week to do it. Without the advantage of a TOTP performance Blobby had defeated the firm favourites for the crown proving that the “silly” season really couldn’t be beaten even by the power of the teenager, Take That doubtless cursed their decision not to release the week after and guarantee themselves the ultimate chart accolade, a less learned by The Spice Girls in later years.

1- MR BLOBBY- Mr Blobby (93,000)
2- BABE- Take That (90,000)
3- TWIST AND SHOUT- Chaka Demus & Pliers (58,000)
4- FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS- Bee Gees (53,000)
5- IT’S ALRIGHT- East 17 (50,000)
6- I’D DO ANYTHING FOR LOVE (BUT I WON’T DO THAT)- Meat Loaf (46,000)
7- THE PERFECT YEAR- Dina Carroll (44,000)
8- BAT OUT OF HELL- Meat Loaf (41,000)
9- TRUE LOVE- Elton John & Kiki Dee (36,000)
10- THE POWER OF LOVE- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (33,000)

Thanks once again to all who have commented on my threads through 2012, they've been a pleasure to do and host! On a personal note I'd like to wish you all a "Merry Christmas" and We'll be back for more countdowns next year!

Thanks for everything that you've hosted this year, Gezza! :D It was really good to see the sales information as well, where do you get/estimate it from? :o

I remember the 1993 battle very well as a nine year old.

 

I was rooting for Take That, as their song was more Christmassy than Mr Blobby (people in my class loved it). 1994 I was extremely upset....wanted Mariah so badly :(

Interesting to see such low sales for Mr Blobby in 1993. Yet in other years where Christmas day has fallen on a Saturday, the Xmas no. 1 has still managed to sell at least double that amount.