Ah yes. I remember Mark Goodier's infamous 'Spice trolling' in the late 90s Christmas charts mentioned above. See also 'Goodbye' vs 'Chocolate Salty Balls' when he pulled off the same trick again!

 

The one that stands out the most for me was Bob the Builder vs Westlife. It was incredibly satisfying, this being at the point of Westlife's career where I couldn't stand their smug gloating just because of having seven #1's on the trot - and just the week before the Christmas chart they'd beaten S Club 7 to 'Record of the Year' again as well which I wasn't happy about at all. 11 year old me wrath etc.

 

I actually had a feeling, even when it debuted at #2 on release week against Eminem, that Bob would climb and be Christmas number one. So when it actually did I was cackling with glee to say the least. Westlife thought they had it stitched up then they didn't. Proof that the UK charts can be the best because they throw the unpredictable upon you.

 

Girls Aloud's debut naturally stands out as well. What I wouldn't give for an X Factor winner's single to sound like, or be akin to the first time I heard 'Sound of the Underground'. Louisa will be lucky if she gets past a third single!

I can't quite remember the Bob the Builder win as I started following the charts in the 2000-2002 period.

 

Record companies by then had really just got the biggest pop bands of the year to release a soppy pop ballad and in 2000 they came unstuck with Bob doing what Mr Blobby did in 93!

I've seen at least one music channel show all the Christmas #1 videos except Mr Blobby, and bafflingly instead playing Take That's 'Babe' and crediting that as 1993's #1.

 

Either they didn't have the Blobby video, counted the wrong week (Babe was #1 the week before) or just decided to pretend it never existed.

The 1993 race has been taken over by 2000 with west life's defeat as a notorious boy band fail moment. Looking back they are similar chart phenomena which defind the Xmas charts post 1991 but how can they think Babe I was the 93 Xmas no1?

1986 had a surprise too but many of you here won't have even been born! Caravan Of Love by Housemartins was expected to hold on to No.1 but was beaten by Reet Petite, the re-release by Jacke Wilson.

Yeah I'd have to agree the 2000 Christmas Chart was one of the best just to see Westlife fail for the first time as they were being incredibly smug about having just had 7 no.1s in a row and beating the Spice Girls in the Album chart so to see them fail to get to no.1 was brilliant made even more better because they were very sore losers. Also in general the Christmas chart that year was very competitive loads of hype and just loved the build up. I'd be interested to know the sales from the top 10 from that year.

 

I also loved the build up to the 2003 Christmas chart however i was throughly disappointed when the Darkness lost but it was still a great chart battle and I think its the last time we had a proper traditional christmas chart battle that wasn't a campaign of some sort against the X Factor.

Basically to have a massive xmas hit obv the song has to be great but christmas songs which do well chart wise are from bands/groups that are at the peak of their powers commercially, eg Slade in 73, Wham in 84 or East 17 in 95!

Anyone adding 2015 to this topic :wacko:

Ah yes. I remember Mark Goodier's infamous 'Spice trolling' in the late 90s Christmas charts mentioned above. See also 'Goodbye' vs 'Chocolate Salty Balls' when he pulled off the same trick again!

 

Long shot but is there a recording of the 1998 Xmas chart anywhere? I'd love to hear it again.

Is it possible to hear any of the old top 40 rundowns?

I think the odd few are on Youtube, surely the BBC must have them all hidden in their archives somewhere though.

Edited December 22, 20159 yr by gooddelta

I used to have the week after on CD somewhere....

I have hundreds of R1 chart shows, send me a PM if interested

This will only be my 5th or so Christmas following the chart so there's not a lot to pick from :heehee: I am rather enjoying the suspense this year and I think that's my favourite Christmas chart moment so far :dance:

I have hundreds of R1 chart shows, send me a PM if interested

 

Really? Oooh I do have a couple in mind...I'll PM later AcerBen!