The problem is, Last Christmas is overwhelmingly the most popular song in the country right now. The Christmas chart may be a big deal to the OCC but do they really want a song at Christmas No.1 that is not legitamately one of the top 10 most consumed songs of the week (like when River got there after Christmas because everything above it was on ACR). I agree that the 40 year anniversary of Last Christmas is something they can make a tale out of, moreso than a slowly fading incumbent staying at No.1 for a seventh week or whatever.

 

Many charts in the world have the same thing happening - Wham! are No.1 in Sweden every year too, Mariah in Germany and the US etc - but I don't think that the fact that the Christmas chart used to be an institution here is a reason they will further change something that other countries have left alone - they have already done more to change it than those other countries by introducing ACR in the first place. Christmas No.1 hasn't really had that much genuine interest for years, aside from people getting annoyed that LadBaby kept getting it (but more because they found him/the songs annoying and not really caring about the rest of the chart and the records he was beating in the process, I didn't really hear about the public whinging that Ava Max and Stormzy and Ed missed their Christmas No.1s).

 

Streaming consumption doesn't really lend itself well to a 'race' which means the Christmas No.1 concept was always going to be hard to maintain excitement for in this era. It was obviously a lot more fun when it was based on what people bought in the shops or online, and hype in the media could easily whip up a frenzy for a record, but now media hype might just get you 1,000 downloads and 100k extra streams - which means basically nothing.

 

Another problem is that record labels steer clear of Christmas - and understandably so because on the face of it everything gets buried, but if Harry Styles had released a new single this week, do we really think he wouldn't sell over 60k to beat Wham! Or if one of the year's bigger selling No.1 hits had been at its peak now then there would also be a genuine question mark over the outcome. There were at least 22 weeks this year that the No.1 single sold more than Last Christmas will this week - but the industry just seems to die off in Q4 now, which is the complete opposite of what used to happen.

 

Things definitely do need to change, but I'm not certain it's the charts themselves, but rather the music industry's approach to Q4 and the music services and the way passive plays are counted (especially from Alexa on free shuffle - with Amazon 'randomly' shuffling their own exclusives to the top, and Spotify not prominently pushing a local Christmas playlist for each market so everything is Americanised everywhere). If the OCC do ban Christmas songs, we will have a pretty meaningless chart in December, and after 18 years of Christmas songs being in and now Wham! being No.1, I expect the public will notice and ask why their festive faves have suddenly disappeared, and won't get too whipped up in the excitement of whatever song has already been No.1 for six weeks spending a seventh week there on 40k sales.

 

Also, you would discourage British artists from making any new Christmas songs if they were all shunted into a separate chart, so a rule would have to only count for old Christmas songs and then the waters would be muddied on years that older songs are 'actively promoted' again. So I can definitely see why the OCC haven't done anything about trying to separate them.

Edited December 15, 2024Dec 15 by gooddelta

This year's Christmas Number One race is dull. I don't think people even know Tom's song exists or that the chart is on Friday. Even if he somehow got the Number One now or after Christmas, the only thing that will be talked about is how Amazon scammed their way to Number One, as the song itself is a bit of a snoozefest.

Edited December 15, 2024Dec 15 by Pineapple_

Is Bet365 not re-opening Christmas #1 betting? Have I scammed myself out of £7*, thinking that there would be opportunities to cash out in the coming days?

 

* Assuming that Tom Grennan doesn't get Christmas #1 x

 

Betting up again 365. I've cashed out Grennan

not a rumour, but a fact - the record label insisted on the change to 'Christmas' as they rightfully knew that would sell them more records

 

It's not even true, at all. If you watch their documentary Andrew Ridgeley explains in great detail exactly how the song came about.

 

Please don't perpetuate this nonsense because of that nutcase who keeps on saying it :rolleyes:

Betting up again 365. I've cashed out Grennan

 

Wouldn’t it be better to wait until first look? Amazon data is usually ahead so it should out Tom in front unless Wham have huge physicals

People do post the fantasy that the OCC are going to "do something about" the Christmas charts every single year and nothing ever happens (apart from the 3 year exception to automatic SCR resets I suppose but that's clearly made very little impact). I really think it's more likely they'll just de-emphasise coverage of the Christmas #1 rather than make any drastic changes to stop Wham! getting it every year.

 

Unfortunately I think Rich is right that the concept of the Christmas #1 race just doesn't translate well into the realities of a streaming-dominated chart.

It's not even true, at all. If you watch their documentary Andrew Ridgeley explains in great detail exactly how the song came about.

 

Please don't perpetuate this nonsense because of that nutcase who keeps on saying it :rolleyes:

 

I’m glad some people have sense on here. The Last Easter garbage story has been perpetuated long enough.

The problem is, Last Christmas is overwhelmingly the most popular song in the country right now. The Christmas chart may be a big deal to the OCC but do they really want a song at Christmas No.1 that is not legitamately one of the top 10 most consumed songs of the week (like when River got there after Christmas because everything above it was on ACR). I agree that the 40 year anniversary of Last Christmas is something they can make a tale out of, moreso than a slowly fading incumbent staying at No.1 for a seventh week or whatever.

 

Many charts in the world have the same thing happening - Wham! are No.1 in Sweden every year too, Mariah in Germany and the US etc - but I don't think that the fact that the Christmas chart used to be an institution here is a reason they will further change something that other countries have left alone - they have already done more to change it than those other countries by introducing ACR in the first place. Christmas No.1 hasn't really had that much genuine interest for years, aside from people getting annoyed that LadBaby kept getting it (but more because they found him/the songs annoying and not really caring about the rest of the chart and the records he was beating in the process, I didn't really hear about the public whinging that Ava Max and Stormzy and Ed missed their Christmas No.1s).

 

Streaming consumption doesn't really lend itself well to a 'race' which means the Christmas No.1 concept was always going to be hard to maintain excitement for in this era. It was obviously a lot more fun when it was based on what people bought in the shops or online, and hype in the media could easily whip up a frenzy for a record, but now media hype might just get you 1,000 downloads and 100k extra streams - which means basically nothing.

 

Another problem is that record labels steer clear of Christmas - and understandably so because on the face of it everything gets buried, but if Harry Styles had released a new single this week, do we really think he wouldn't sell over 60k to beat Wham! Or if one of the year's bigger selling No.1 hits had been at its peak now then there would also be a genuine question mark over the outcome. There were at least 22 weeks this year that the No.1 single sold more than Last Christmas will this week - but the industry just seems to die off in Q4 now, which is the complete opposite of what used to happen.

 

Things definitely do need to change, but I'm not certain it's the charts themselves, but rather the music industry's approach to Q4 and the music services and the way passive plays are counted (especially from Alexa on free shuffle - with Amazon 'randomly' shuffling their own exclusives to the top, and Spotify not prominently pushing a local Christmas playlist for each market so everything is Americanised everywhere). If the OCC do ban Christmas songs, we will have a pretty meaningless chart in December, and after 18 years of Christmas songs being in and now Wham! being No.1, I expect the public will notice and ask why their festive faves have suddenly disappeared, and won't get too whipped up in the excitement of whatever song has already been No.1 for six weeks spending a seventh week there on 40k sales.

 

Also, you would discourage British artists from making any new Christmas songs if they were all shunted into a separate chart, so a rule would have to only count for old Christmas songs and then the waters would be muddied on years that older songs are 'actively promoted' again. So I can definitely see why the OCC haven't done anything about trying to separate them.

 

I think the point about it being easy to sell 60k to beat Wham on Xmas week, however, I think it important to note it’s not just wham it’s general Xmas music consumption throughout the chart new music is up against in December so even a Harry Styles release may struggle based on the fact people aren’t listening to new music anymore at this time of year. Like ‘Stick Season’ last year it exploded in January for a reason even though it did do well on Xmas week and through December. Same with Raye the year before.

 

Also think the playlists are Americanised all year round now not just in December for Xmas songs.

 

 

I’m glad some people have sense on here. The Last Easter garbage story has been perpetuated long enough.

 

I don't know German but this is from someone calling themselves Dr Pop:

 

Edited December 15, 2024Dec 15 by TheSnake

Yeah if you can cash out Tom I would do so immediately

Wham as short as 1/8

Wouldn’t it be better to wait until first look? Amazon data is usually ahead so it should out Tom in front unless Wham have huge physicals

 

I've got a small fortune on Wham at odds around 5/6 and its now a 2 horse race.... so yes i should have waited so i' ve gone in again on Grennan for savers on betfair

Wham as short as 1/8

 

 

you can still get 4/11 on Betway but I'm full up on them stake wise so can't press up

If I cash out of my Tom Grennan bets I’d lose about 50p at the moment.

 

Might just hold on for a potential Alexa surge :D

Think bet 365 suspend at 8pm tonight. Not sure on other firms

Think bet 365 suspend at 8pm tonight. Not sure on other firms

 

Yeah I think that’s what it currently says

 

Although it did originally say closes at 4pm 13th Dec. So good to see they’ve opened it a bit longer.

 

 

Wham now as short as 1/10

 

Tom back out to 14/1

I cashed out on Tom yesterday and got my £7 back and an additional 78p :lol: :ph34r:

I cashed out on Tom yesterday and got my £7 back and an additional 78p :lol: :ph34r:

 

I lil proft for you then...

 

I could still cash out and lose 50p overall.... I think i'm just going to see how it plays out though :D

 

Lose 50p and cash out

 

Stick and Lose 20 quid if Wham Win

 

Stick and Win 215 quid if Tom manages to pull off a surprise win

 

 

 

I lil proft for you then...

 

I could still cash out and lose 50p overall.... I think i'm just going to see how it plays out though :D

 

Lose 50p and cash out

 

Stick and Lose 20 quid if Wham Win

 

Stick and Win 215 quid if Tom manages to pull off a surprise win

 

 

You need to cash out @ £19.50...its all over bar the shouting