OK so I know there was a rate a few years ago to find Buzzjack's ultimate Christmas song, but I thought I'd run a simple poll to see what comes out on top in 2024.

 

This vote is for the classic recurring hits*, the songs we love (or hate) to see charting annually, so I've omitted anything very recent. I can't enforce it but I would suggest being selective and voting for up to your TEN favourite songs only, as this will give a better indication of the most popular songs.

 

For info and comparison, this is how the top 10 looked in the 2019 rate:

1 The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York (feat. Kirsty MacColl) 8.98

2 Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone 8.59

3 Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 8.45

4 Leona Lewis - One More Sleep 8.38

5 Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry 8.35

6 The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping 8.28

7 John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 8.21

8 Boney M. - Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord 8.16

9 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You 8.15

10 The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) 8.06

 

But will the results of this poll match the results of the rate?

 

*I made a decision to also include East 17, Frankie Goes To Hollywood etc. as rightly or wrongly, they have come to be associated with the festive season, please don't come at me for my selection of songs!

Shakin Stevens

Wizzard

Kelly Clarkson

Mariah Carey

Nat King Cole

Brenda Lee

The Pogues

The Darkness

East 17

Andy Williams

 

Though I'd put Greg Lake in place of Andy and in the middle somewhere.

I probably should have included Greg Lake but it wouldn't allow more than 50 in the list so I had to cut a couple.

I voted for six, but Top 3 is

 

Merry Christmas Everyone

Driving Home For Christmas

One More Sleep

Grew up on the Andy Williams Christmas album so his songs scream Christmas for me. Also gave votes to British classics Slade, Shaky, Chris Rea and Wham which have always been unavoidable

1. Wizzard

2. Mariah Carey

3. Shakin' Stevens

4. Leona Lewis

5. Kelly Clarkson

6. The Waitresses

7. Wham!

8. Brenda Lee

9. Band Aid

10. Cliff Richard - Saviour's Day

 

Of the list above

1. Wham! - Last Christmas

2. Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock

3. Leona Lewis - One More Sleep

4. Kelly Clarkson - Underneath the Tree

5. The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride

6. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

7. Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

8. Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run

9. Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday

10. Jackson 5 - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

I had a definitive 8 from that:

 

1. Pogues

2. Waitresses

3. Bruce

4. Pretenders

5. Wham!

6. Jona Lewie

7. East 17

8. Darkness

 

Then added Coldplay and Ronettes (Sliegh Ride)

 

I know it’s not on the list but love the Harry Belafonte version of Mary’s Boy Child. Remember hearing it from a young age

went for these in rough order:

 

The Waitresses

The Pogues

Wham!

John Lennon & Yoko Ono

Mariah Carey

Brenda Lee

The Ronettes

Elton John

Jona Lewie

Wizzard

 

obvs Christmas Time Is Here would get one of my votes if it was listed but y'know....whatever, it's all good x

 

(and -10 votes for Band Aid ta)

 

Voted (from the order they appear above):

Bruce Springsteen

Chris Rea

Darlene Love - All Alone On Christmas

FGTH

John & Yoko

José Feliciano

Mariah

The Beach Boys

The Pogues

Wizzard

From the mentioned songs only Kylie.

So we're 34 votes in and two songs are on zero votes - poor brave Justin Bieber and Eartha Kitt (and Kylie would have been included in that too if it hadn't been for Last Dreamer)

Not too surprised that 'Fairytale Of New York' is in the lead, with 50% of voters having included it, but I'm surprised Mariah and Wham! aren't even in the top 5 :o (EDIT: actually Wham! are joint 3rd but Mariah's not top 5)

Good to see 'Christmas Wrapping' performing decently here, I really wish it would make the top 40 one of these years, such an under-rated classic :wub:

Edited December 9, 2024Dec 9 by Mangø hø hø!

In truth I avoided posting any votes for Mariah and Wham! just because I assumed they'd outperform most other options, based on how they seem to do just that on the official charts nowadays.

 

Sadly I fear that 'Christmas Wrapping' continues to miss out on a UK Top 40 placing just because it didn't manage one first or second time around in the early '80s. Had it been a bigger hit originally, it might've stood a better chance of sticking with people through the ensuing decades and thus perform better in current-day seasonal streaming tallies than it has (I also would guess being a tad more leftfield it isn't included on every preconceived playlist that many people passively rely on to play out a background of Christmassy hits). That said, it does seem to get a decent amount of airplay each Christmas, and so it seems that more recent generations have yet to fully take notice of it as they have done some other seasonal fodder which was released many years before their time

No idea why I felt I'd have to limit my votes but I went for Pogues, Mariah AIWFCIY, Darlene AAOC & Pretenders.

Pogues, John Lennon, Feliz Navidad, Kelly and Taylor

 

my fav Xmas songs are kinda sad and depressing, the ones from Sufjan Stevens and Phoebe Bridgers

 

 

The Pogues

Wizzard

The Waitresses

John & Yoko

Pretenders

Band Aid

Darlene Love

Ronettes

Slade

Darkness

 

 

 

Would definitely have added Greg Lake, The Greedies and Cristina personally

 

Gone for Coldplay, Elton, Jona, José, Shaky, Slade, The Pogues, Pretenders, The Ronettes and The Waitresses x

I didn't vote as I couldn't find Cher's Christmas song in the list.

Coldplay, Kylie, E17, Wham, Mariah, The Pogues, Sia, Slade, Cliff and Jona.