2011: Nicki Minaj - Super Bass

Peak position: #08

Weeks in chart: 49

Christmas Number One: Military Wives with Gareth Malone - Wherever You Are

 

Another break from X Factor winners at #1, as Little Mix's single was put out a week early to avoid the embarrassment of entering at #2 behind Military Wives who had a huge sales week. At the opposite end of the chart we had Nicki Minaj. 'Super Bass' had been a big top 10 hit peaking in August and by Christmas had naturally descended to #100 on its 33rd charting week, however the New Year effect saw it shoot back up to #57 the following week and it had another quarter-year charting for free. It was her first major hit as a leading performer.

2012: Of Monsters And Men - Little Talks

Peak position: #12

Weeks in chart: 40

Christmas Number One: Justice Collective - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

 

Another year where X Factor released a week early to avoid competition with a charidee release. We got a much better song at the bottom end of the chart again though with 'Little Talks' having re-entered at #100. It peaked at #12 in September and spent 18 weeks on the chart but 2013 would see the song get another big chart revival. The song is perhaps the biggest hit to ever come from an Icelandic band.

2013: Swedish House Mafia feat. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child

Peak position: #01

Weeks in chart: 60

Christmas Number One: Sam Bailey - Skyscraper

 

What was marketed as the last ever release from Swedish House Mafia ended up giving them their biggest ever hit, entering at #1 in October 2012. It of course kept lingering around the chart for most of the following year, and re-entered at #100 in time for Christmas. They did indeed take a lengthy hiatus before returning to touring a few years ago and eventually putting out new music last year.

2014: Dean Martin - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Peak position: #27

Weeks in chart: 33+

Christmas Number One: Ben Haenow - Something I Need

 

Well it was only a matter of time before we'd get some Christmas music cropping up in this list. "Let It Snow..." was written by Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne in 1945, and its most popular version by Dean Martin recorded in 1959. It first appeared in the UK Top 100 in 2007 thanks to the inclusion of download sales to the chart, having presumably been a popular song for many years beforehand. It made a few more appearances in the 2010s before eventually going top 40 in the last week of 2019 - it has now made the top 40 every year since.

2015: Years & Years - King

Peak position: #01

Weeks in chart: 59

Christmas Number One: Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir - A Bridge Over You

 

A #1 hit in March 2015, electro/synthpop track 'King' became the major breakthrough hit for then-group Years & Years (now a solo project by singer Olly Alexander) - it remains their biggest hit. Having not left the chart since, it descended right to the bottom of the chart just in time for Christmas before going on to spend another quarter-year in the chart.

2016: The Killers - Mr Brightside

Peak position: #10

Weeks in chart: 342

Christmas Number One: Clean Bandit - Rockabye

 

With the least eventful Xmas #1 race ever leading to Clean Bandit getting their 7th week at #1 with low sales by default, we had another inevitability at the bottom end of the chart, yes it is finally time that 'Mr Brightside' landed in this position at Christmas. The longest chart runner of all time was "only" on its 152nd week then, but this week marked the 8th that it sat at the very bottom of the chart (out of 15, so far). The song won't be appearing in this list twice, mind. Not yet, at least.

It's odd how all the songs since the James Blunt song were really big hits. You would think so low down the chart there'd be some lesser-known songs popping up.

Lol of course 'Mr. Brightside' had to show up for one of these years :lol:

 

'Little Talks' as well :heart:

My most basic BuzzJacker opinion is probably 'Bad Romance' being one of my favourite songs. Hearing it live for the first time was definitely a highlight of 2022 :wub:

Loving this. Can't wait to see more. I'm guessing we won't ever know sales of these 100 golden classics?

'Little Talks' and 'Don't You Worry Child' <3 'Bad Romance' obviously iconic too and 'King' is good. Not as crazy on the rest oops (MB is extremely overrated for me when they have better songs imo).

2017: Gwen Stefani feat. Blake Shelton - You Make It Feel Like Christmas

Peak position: #71

Weeks in chart: 05

Christmas Number One: Ed Sheeran - Perfect

 

Having taken a lengthy hiatus after her mid-00s success, Gwen Stefani returned with a new album in 2016. The following year it was decided to put out a Christmas album from which this was taken as the lead single. Blake Shelton (US country singer and Gwen's hubby) was featured giving him his first UK "hit". It is one of my favourites of the recent batch of Christmas pop actually being a jolly upbeat tune. However it only managed to scrape the top 100 for Christmas, climbing to #98 the following week. It then peaked at #71 in 2018.

2018: DJ Snake feat. Selena Gomez, Cardi B & Ozuna - Taki Taki

Peak position: #15

Weeks in chart: 15

Christmas Number One: LadBaby - We Built This City

 

During the big craze for Latin pop crossovers we had DJ Snake team up with Ozuna (Puerto Rican rapper) for 'Taki Taki', also featuring verses from Selena Gomez & Cardi B. The song was a huge global hit amassing 2.3bn YouTube streams and 1.3bn Spotify streams. It wasn't quite so big in the UK however just managing five weeks in the top 20, peaking in November before ACR and Christmas music pushed it down to the very bottom of the chart for this week. The song title supposedly has no meaning and was just used in the song because it sounded catchy.

 

2019: Khalid - Up All Night

Peak position: #55

Weeks in chart: 08

Christmas Number One: LadBaby - I Love Sausage Rolls

 

Khalid was a fairly big name in RnB toward the end of the 2010s, having had two #1 hits, although he seemed to lose his chart relevance just as quickly as he gained it, having not reached the chart this or last year. 'Up All Night' was thrown out toward the end of 2019 but could only manage a #55 peak and couldn't do much recovery post-Christmas. The song is nothing special anyhow.

2020: Eminem feat. Skylar Grey - Black Magic

Peak position: #100

Weeks in chart: 01

Christmas Number One: LadBaby - Don't Stop Me Eatin'

 

2020 saw Eminem release what remains his latest studio album in Music To Be Murdered By, giving him a #1 single in Godzilla in January. Just in time for Christmas saw the deluxe edition released scoring him two minor top 100 hits. The second of these was 'Black Magic' with guest vocals from semi-regular collaborator Skylar Grey. Assisted by being the first track on the deluxe edition. It's no Eminem classic but fairly good on a re-listen.

2021: Mariah Carey feat. Ariana Grande & Jennifer Hudson - Oh Santa

Peak position: #60

Weeks in chart: 06

Christmas Number One: LadBaby feat. Ed Sheeran & Elton John - Sausage Rolls For Everyone

 

The self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas may have never had a Christmas #1 but she eventually got herself at the opposite end of the chart for Christmas with 'Oh Santa'. Originally taken from her 2010 Christmas album, it was given a remix for its 10th anniversary with guest vocals from Ariana & Jennifer, also to promote her Apple TV Christmas special, allowing the song to chart for the first time. Having peaked at #67 in 2020, it re-entered at the all-important #100 on its second year. It now sits at a new peak of #60 and may even climb in tonight's chart. The song doesn't live up to "All I Want..." of course, but is another great addition to the recent Christmas cannon.

2022: Zoe Wees - All I Want (For Christmas)

Peak position: #100

Weeks in chart: 01

Christmas Number One: LadBaby - Food Aid

 

Originally sang by Liam Payne and reaching #73 in 2019, German singer Zoe Wees managed her first "hit" with this cover version promoted as part of the Amazon Original series - although the song is also available on YouTube. It's a rather unimpressive end to this series - even putting aside the controversial aspect of Amazon exclusives charting primarily through passive listening - as the song is rather boring and her voice not particularly palatable to my taste.

 

Well that's it then, merry what's left of Christmas!

Surprisingly few Christmas songs in the end then - 'Oh Santa!' is pretty good (I think I like it a little more than AIWFCIY), actually forgot that Zoe Wees one was a Liam Payne cover lmao :') I've not listened to it yet but I remember the original being rather bland. Otherwise a forgettable batch to end on, I remember nothing about the Gwen, Eminem or Khalid songs, 'Taki Taki' is a light bop though.

 

Thanks for this Dan, an entertaining idea! Maybe we could do Christmas #40s as a future thread too.

Thanks for doing this Dan - great idea and an entertaining read!

It's a shame the last Christmas #100 wasn't Run Rudolph Run (#99) or, better still, Little Saint Nick (#96) - anyway thanks for this Dan!