December 28, 2025Dec 28 Author Can't say I'm that enthusiastic about anything that has dropped out so far, my favourites of the current losses are "You Were Made For Me" and "Tom Dooley".
December 29, 2025Dec 29 Author 60th: 10 pointsThe Isle Of Innisfree - Bing Crosby Voters: WhoOdyssey (7), Julian_ (3)Chart run: 15/11/1952 4-4-6-4-{3}-3-3-5-4-5-7-11->12 Christmas number one: Here In My Heart - Al MartinoChristmas number two: You Belong To Me - Jo StaffordTied with Kay Starr's "Comes-A-Long A-Love" for the first ever Christmas number 3 is this ode to the uninhabited Isle of Innisfree (mispelt by me in the OP, sorry) in County Sligo, Ireland. Composed by Irish songwriter Dick Farrelly in 1950, Bing Crosby made the song a worldwide hit 2 years later. It was number 4 on the first ever UK chart and was the first of Bing's 11 UK top 40 hits. It is also his joint highest-charting UK hit, the track it's tied with is still to come in this rate.
December 29, 2025Dec 29 Author 59th: 12 pointsA Taste Of Aggro - The Barron KnightsVoters: chartjack2 (9), Scone1 (3)Chart run: 02/12/1978 19-4-4-{3}-3-4-6-17-36-70->10Christmas number one: Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord - Boney MChristmas number two: YMCA - Village PeopleThe Barron Knights are a successful comedy rock group who had 60s hits parodying some of the period's biggest acts, such as "Call Up The Groups" which reached number 3 in 1964. They enjoyed a resurgence in the late 70s, with "A Taste Of Aggro" becoming their most successful single and matching "Call Up The Groups" as their highest charting song at Christmas 1978. The track parodies three of that year's biggest hits. Boney M's "Rivers Of Babylon" is parodied as "Dentist In Birmingham", Father Abraham's "The Smurf Song" is reworked to depict the Smurfs as bank robbers on the run from Dartmoor, and "Matchstalk Men & Matchstalk Cats And Dogs" by Brian & Michael is changed to be about a Tottenham fan who spray paints everything around him. It's a very strange hit, the Boney M section was pretty funny on the first listen but the rest isn't my kind of humour.
December 29, 2025Dec 29 Btw your doing a great job so far guys I haven't been interacting yet because nothing I liked popped up
December 29, 2025Dec 29 Author 58th: 15 pointsDance On - The ShadowsVoters: Jade (7), Jester (7), Michael Bubré (1)Chart run: 5/12/1962 24-11-3-7-3-2-{1}-4-9-11-21-27-31-46-43->15Christmas number one: Return To Sender - Elvis PresleyChristmas number two: The Next Time / Bachelor Boy - Cliff Richard The instrumental "Dance On" was the 9th hit for the Shadows away from backing Cliff Richard. It was number 3 in the Christmas chart of 1962 but would climb to the top in the new year, becoming the 4th of their 5 number ones. A version with vocals by Kathy Kirby reached number 11 in the summer of 1963. Love some 60s instrumental music, this just missed out on a point from me.
December 29, 2025Dec 29 Oh 'Dance On' is the first of my votes to drop out! Not quite up there with their very best ('Wonderful Land', 'Apache' etc.) but still a tune.
December 29, 2025Dec 29 Also the first of mine to drop out, I felt like I needed to vote for at least one of the instrumentals, they're fairly interchangeable but 'Dance On' was the one that stood out the most during my listenthrough x
December 29, 2025Dec 29 Author 57th: 17 pointsChristmas Drillings - SidemenVoters: chartjack2 (15), Steve201 (2)Chart run: 17/12/2022 58-41-{3}-27-73->5Christmas number one: Food Aid - LadBabyChristmas number two: Last Christmas - Wham!On the 4th of December 2022, popular YouTube collective Sidemen released a video called "SIDEMEN $100,000 vs $100 CHRISTMAS SONG" in which the group were split into 2 teams, both teams were tasked with releasing a Christmas song and music video. The songs would be pitted against each other and whichever song had the most streams/views by Christmas Day would win the competition. One team had a budget of $100 and created the humorous "This Or That", while the other team, including KSI, Vikkstar123 and TBJZL had $100,000 and created "Christmas Drillings" featuring close collaborator JME. The latter track was very well received by their fanbase and eventually by the wider public, becoming an unexpected streaming hit. The collective realised they had a potential Christmas number one on their hands and began a campaign for the top. Unfortunately for them they fell short and lost to a YouTube star with a smaller following. As much as I dislike KSI I don't quite mind this, it's quite funny and thought it was a welcome contender for the top at the time!
December 29, 2025Dec 29 Unashamedly love Christmas Drillings, far better commentary on the cost of the living crisis than the diabolical Food Aid that got to #1!
December 29, 2025Dec 29 Author 56th: 18 pointsTwist And Shout - Chaka Demus & PliersVoters: jimwatts (11), RabbitFurCoat (7), gasman449 (2) Chart run: 18/12/1993 4-3-3-{1}-1-2-5-11-14-25-36-49-64-67R(55)->14 Christmas number one: Mr Blobby - Mr BlobbyChristmas number two: Babe - Take ThatFirst recorded by the Top Notes in 1961, then by the Isley Brothers in 1962 before becoming one of the most famous songs recorded by the Beatles in 1963, "Twist And Shout" had been a chart hit three times before 1993 but never number one. Jamaican duo Chaka Demus & Pliers and reggae-inspired music on the whole had been massively successful throughout the year and their reworking of the classic song, featuring contributions from Jack Radics and Taxi Gang, finally made "Twist And Shout" a number one at the start of 1994. It was stuck at number 3 for Christmas 1993. I really love this version of Twist And Shout, bit surprised it didn't get very high in this rate!
December 30, 2025Dec 30 On 28/12/2025 at 19:59, chartjack2 said:NB: I voted for not necessarily my favourite songs in the list, but those I felt were the most “Christmas #3-ey”I was the same I prioritised songs that peaked at no3 on Xmas week rather than songs that ended up at no3 one year due to streaming and the likes
December 30, 2025Dec 30 Love a bit of Shadows (thanks to my dad). Good to see other voters for Dance On.
December 30, 2025Dec 30 Just catching up on this now and no real losses at all for me.I seem to have not lost any of my songs invited yet for either.
December 30, 2025Dec 30 Christmas drilling was more of a moment rather than being an actual decent song 😅😅
December 30, 2025Dec 30 Yeh a typical Xmas chart entry. Do love The Shadows as well so wish I’d have pointed them!
December 30, 2025Dec 30 Christmas Drillings is dreadful, makes Food Aid look like a masterpiece in comparison. This Or That was actually not too bad though.Tease Me is a bona fide classic but that cover doesn't hit the spot at all.
December 30, 2025Dec 30 54th: 19 pointsEspecially For You - Denise And JohnnyVoter: Last DreamerChart run: 26/12/1998 {3}-5-7-16-30-45-52-55-57-48-66R(6)-53->12Christmas number one: Goodbye - Spice GirlsChristmas number two: Chocolate Salty Balls (ps I Love You) - ChefJohnny Vaughan and Denise Van Outen presented Channel 4’s “The Big Breakfast” together back in the 1990s. They recorded this cover of “Especially For You” which had been the Christmas #1 for Kylie and Jason exactly 10 years before. The track featured Steps on backing vocals, and was the official Children In Need single for 1998. This version doesn’t do a lot that the original doesn’t and it’s obvious that Denise is by far the better singer.
December 30, 2025Dec 30 54th: 19 pointsI’m Gonna Be Strong - Gene PitneyVoter: Scone114/11/1964 34-16-6-{2}-2-4-3-4-6-12-15-23-36-44->14Christmas number one: I Feel Fine - The BeatlesChristmas number two: Downtown - Petula ClarkAmerican singer Gene Pitney had more than 20 hits over the 1960s and early 1970s. This one had in fact already peaked at #2 before it was #3 for Christmas. That made it Gene’s most successful hit for a very long time, until Marc Almond reworked his song “Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart” and it reached #1. For me that and “Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa” are his best songs and this one isn’t quite as good, though he always gave very striking, dramatic performances.
December 30, 2025Dec 30 20 minutes ago, Julian_ said:54th: 19 pointsEspecially For You - Denise And JohnnyVoter: Last DreamerChart run: 26/12/1998 {3}-5-7-16-30-45-52-55-57-48-66R(6)-53->12Christmas number one: Goodbye - Spice GirlsChristmas number two: Chocolate Salty Balls (ps I Love You) - ChefJohnny Vaughan and Denise Van Outen presented Channel 4’s “The Big Breakfast” together back in the 1990s. They recorded this cover of “Especially For You” which had been the Christmas #1 for Kylie and Jason exactly 10 years before. The track featured Steps on backing vocals, and was the official Children In Need single for 1998. This version doesn’t do a lot that the original doesn’t and it’s obvious that Denise is by far the better singer.Would that make it Steps highest chart placing on Christmas week? And they weren’t even credited were they?
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