Neil B

One of my favourite bands of all time. I like their debut album "Crocodiles" the best.

I like "10538 Overture" but not much else. Got sick of hearing the likes of "Mr Blue Sky" when they were out!

"Machinery" is a good song, but on the whole not a particularly great artist. John Peel liked her though :D

That's weird, Rob! Put the titles of your two favourite Erasure tracks together and you get the title of a Jesus & Mary Chain hit ("Sometimes Always") :D I like most of what Erasure put out up to around 1992. Favourite is "Breath Of Life" which tends to get overlooked as it was followed up by the "Abba-esque" EP!

My dad was a big Donovan fan and bought loads of his albums, even the dodgy post-'60s ones! All his '60s hits are good with the possible exception of "There Is A Mountain" which I just find irritating!

John Peel was a big fan. That's good enough for me :)

My favourite Duran songs: Careless Memories My Own Way New Moon On Monday Skin Trade All the early singles are pretty good, though I was never keen on "The Wild Boys" or "A View To A Kill".

A great artist who died too young. I first heard of him in the early '90s. My favourite songs of his "One Of These Things First", "Road" and "Northern Sky". His sister was in Crossroads by the way!

Any sales figures for Madonna's 66th best selling single, "Everybody"? :D

OK, sort of makes sense now. Tom Tom Club etc.

Nope, still don't get it but thanks anyway :D

It's unusual for a Xmas record in that it doesn't contain any sleigh bells or any Christmas noises whatsoever! Still one of the best though I reckon.

All the other festive No.1s : Dickie Valentine - "Christmas Alphabet" (1955) Harry Belafonte - "Mary's Boy Child" (1957) Mud - "Lonely This Christmas" (1974) Johnny Mathis - "When A Child Is Born (Soleado)" (1976) Boney M - "Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord" (1978) Band Aid - "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (1984) Shakin' Stevens - "Merry Christmas Everyone" (1985) Cliff Richard - "Mistletoe & Wine" (1988) Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers - "Let's Party" (1989) Band Aid II - "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (1989) Cliff Richard - "Saviour's Day" (1990) Band Aid 20 - "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (2004)

1. SLADE - "MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY" http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d7/MXE.jpg/200px-MXE.jpg Entered chart at No.1 w/e 15/12/73 Spent 5 weeks at No.1 Weeks on chart : 9 Re-entries/reissues: 1980 : live version, No.70 1981 : re-entry, No.32 1982 : re-entry, No.67 1983 : re-entry, No.20 1984 : re-entry, No.47 1985 : reissue, No.48 1986 : re-entry of reissue, No.71 1989 : re-entry of reissue, No.99 1990 : re-entry of reissue, No.93 1998 : remix as Slade vs Flush, No.30 2006 : reissue, No.21 2007 : downloads, No.20 Well, it couldn't really be anything else could it? :D It's CHRIIIIISSSSTTTTMAAAASSSSSS!!!!!!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8KT365wlA

Other festive No.2s (leave it!) : The Wombles - "Wombling Merry Christmas" (1974) Greg Lake - "I Believe In Father Christmas" (1975) John & Yoko etc - "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" (1980) Wham! - "Last Christmas" (1984) Bros - "Silent Night" (1988) Mariah Carey - "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (1994) The Darkness - "Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)" (2003) Cliff Richard - "21st Century Christmas" (2006)

2. THE POGUES & KIRSTY MacCOLL - "FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK" http://cdn.7static.com/static/img/sleeveart/00/000/490/0000049034_350.jpg Entered chart w/e 5/12/87 Reached No.2 w/e 26/12/87 Weeks on chart : 9 Reissues/re-entries : 1991 (No.36), 2005 (No.3), 2006 (No.6), 2007 (No.4) Once we got to the mid-'80s it seemed like there would never be another great Christmas record, but then along came this classic! Hard to believe now that it was held off the Xmas No.1 spot by the decidedly non-festive "Always On My Mind" by the Pet Shop Boys, though I didn't mind at the time as I liked them both. I was just glad it wasn't Rick Astley :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qErJT3NI2bo

Other festive No.3s : Jimmy Boyd - "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (1953) Mel & Kim - "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" (1987)

3. JONA LEWIE - "STOP THE CAVALRY" http://musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk/cavalry.jpg Entered chart w/e 29/11/80 Reached No.3 w/e 13/12/80 Weeks on chart : 11 Not strictly a Christmas song, but still a classic. I never tire of hearing it.

Other festive No.4s : The Goons - "I'm Walking Backwards For Christmas" (June 1956) Adam Faith - "Lonely Pup (In A Christmas Shop)" (1960) John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir - "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" (original issue, 1972) Dana - "It's Gonna Be A Cold Cold Christmas" (1975) Mr Hankey - "Mr Hankey The Christmas Poo" (1999) Bo Selecta - "Proper Crimbo" (2003)

4. WIZZARD - "I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERYDAY" http://i1.ebayimg.com/01/i/001/0a/7e/190b_1.JPG Entered chart w/e 8/12/73 Reached No.4 w/e 22/12/73 Weeks on chart : 9 Reissues/re-entries : 1981 (41), 1984 (23), 2007 (downloads, 16) Full credit : Wizzard, vocal backing by the Suedettes, plus the Stockland Green Bilateral School First Choir, additional noises: Miss Snob and Class 3C. Absolutely timeless! I know it had Slade to compete with, but I still can't believe it ended up stuck at No.4 behind Gary Glitter and the New Seekers!

I don't get it either!

If they did bring back Whistle Test or the Tube they'd only get Fearne Cotton or someone equally as clueless to present it so it would be a complete waste of time!

5. BING CROSBY - "WHITE CHRISTMAS" http://991.com/newgallery/Bing-Crosby-White-Christmas-420976.jpg Entered chart w/e 3/12/77 Reached No.5 w/e 24/12/77 Weeks on chart : 7 Reissues/re-entries : 1985 (No.69), 1998 (No.29) Originally released in 1942. It was the best selling single worldwide until Elton John's "Candle In The Wind '97". 1977 was the first year in which the single charted in the UK, a couple of months after Bing's death. Not my cup of tea, but I suppose this was the ultimate Christmas classic until Slade (or possibly John & Yoko) came along. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1GPxcxrBkI The other 3 festive No.5s are all post-2000 so I'd better not mention them here :D

Other festive No.6s : Mantovani - "White Christmas" (1952) Beverley Sisters - "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (1953) Brenda Lee - "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" (1962)

6. PAUL McCARTNEY - "WONDERFUL CHRISTMASTIME" http://www.jpgr.co.uk/r6029_a.jpg Entered chart w/e 1/12/79 Reached No.6 w/e 5/1/80 Weeks on chart : 8 Well, I still think it sounds like he's making it up as he goes along, but I can't help feeling nostalgic whenever I hear it playing in card shops :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWuKimtUEas