16 December 2021
Newsdesk
The 2021 Official Christmas Number 1 battle has begun.
The biggest chart race of the year has kicked off its 2021 edition – the 70th ever Christmas Number 1 race – in style, with a colourful range of contenders setting their sights on this year’s crown.
The winner is due to be revealed exclusively on BBC Radio 1’s The Official Chart on Christmas Eve, Friday 24 December from 4pm.
Contenders
Three-year reigning Christmas Number 1 champion LadBaby has thrown his hat into the ring for an attempt at a record-breaking fourth consecutive feat. While the Christmas Number 1 hat-trick has also been claimed by both The Beatles and Spice Girls, no act has ever managed to make it to four consecutive Christmas chart-toppers.
Ladbaby has roped in Ed Sheeran and Elton John for a remix of the duos new festive single – which is the current week’s Number 1. Merry Christmas has been transformed into Sausage Rolls For Everyone.
But of course – there are no guarantees in the biggest chart race of the year.
During last year’s festive season, previous iconic Number 2 singles Last Christmas by Wham and All I Want For Christmas Is You both climbed to Number 1 for the very first time after 36 and 26 years respectively; but still neither have manage to nab the Official Christmas Number 1 position. With both tracks already in the Top 5, it wouldn’t be wise to count either out.
After campaigning all the way into the Top 5 during the Christmas Number 1 race of 2020 with their sweary political ditty Boris Johnson is a F**king C**t, anarchic punk outfit The K**ts are back once again for another shot at festive victory. Will new offering Boris Johnson is STILL A F**king C**t better last year’s performance? Only the British public will decide.
More major artists are also eyeing up potential #XmasNo1 glory this year, including ABBA with their first ever Christmas single Little Things, George Ezra with his Amazon Original Come On Home For Christmas – which has already reached the Official Singles Chart Top 10 – and of course Adele’s ever-popular Easy On Me which spent seven weeks at the top.
A selection of charity campaigns are also vying for their moment in the festive chart spotlight, including David Mcgovern & Santa Ste - the singer and owner of Beyond Vinyl in Newcastle returns with another Christmas cover, Stay The Same, originally by Joey McIntyre. Featuring Sam Fender’s drummer Drew Michael, proceeds will go to the Batten Disease Family Association. Last year they topped out at Number 2 on the Physical Singles Chart with a cover of Stay Another Day.
Other notable bids include Craig Revel Horwood & Rietta’s It's Christmas, Merry Christmas!, and Adam Rowe and Dan Nightingale – AKA the Have A Word Podcast – are hoping to make their mark with charity single Laura’s Gone.
View all of this year's Christmas Number 1 contenders here.
The UK’s favourite Christmas Number 1 has been revealed
After three weeks of fierce competition, over 41,000 votes counted and fanbases pitted against one another, the UK has voted Rage Against The Machine's Killing In The Name the UK’s Favourite Christmas Number 1 of all time.
In partnership with Nine Eight Books, to celebrate both the 70th Official Christmas Number 1 race and The Official Christmas No. 1 Singles Book, the first-of-its-kind knockout poll ended with Spice Girls’ much-loved 1996 Christmas chart-topper 2 Become 1 battling against Rage Against The Machine’s anti-establishment Killing In The Name – famously campaigned for by Jon and Tracy Morter to reach Christmas Number 1 in 2009, in response to the X Factor takeover in the years before – as fans from all ends of the musical spectrum found themselves campaigning for their favourite artist to win.
Ultimately, after a hard-fought battle which saw an almost even split for the entire voting period, it was Rage Against The Machine who took the crown as the UK’s Favourite Christmas Number 1 of all time, clinching the victory with just 51% of the final vote.
Jon Morter said:
"I'm humbled to think that a small idea in a kitchen in Essex a few years back has been officially crowned the 'Nation's Favourite Christmas Number 1'.
“It was the people's Number 1, using the people's song...a song that even the band themselves now claim is owned by all of us, not them, so I'm not surprised it has won considering these challenging times we're living in. Rage on!"
Out now, The Official Christmas No. 1 Singles Book is the perfect gift for music lovers of all ages, jam-packed with facts, figures and photos to get your toes tapping along to the sounds of seven decades of festive chart-toppers.
With a fully illustrated double-page spread for every year since the Official Singles Chart began in 1952, Michael Mulligan's fun and authoritative journey through the Christmas archives will delight curious browsers and dedicated pop nerds alike.
Featuring Top 10 countdowns, fascinating trivia about the highest-charting Christmas singles and plenty of entertaining infographics, this is the ideal family stocking-filler, celebrating all that is wonderful, whimsical and unpredictable about the festive season's most hotly contested musical event.
The Official Christmas No.1 Singles Book is priced at RRP £12.99 and is available via the Official Charts online store, on Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmith and more.
How is the Christmas Number 1 winner determined?
The only chart that counts, The Official Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company on behalf of the British music industry. First established in 1952, the Official Chart today surveys around 9,000 retailers and digital services daily to count UK physical sales, digital downloads, audio streams and video streams. The most comprehensive research panel of its kind, it captures 99.9% of the total UK singles market.
The Top 40 is counted down every Friday afternoon on BBC Radio 1 and the Official Singles Chart Top 100 is published in full on OfficialCharts.com from 5.45pm.
Who will win the Christmas Number 1 2021?
The Official Christmas Number 1 race 2020 kicks off today, Friday December 17, with sales and streams counting up until midnight (11.59pm) on Thursday, December 23, whoever you’re backing get behind them before then.
The winner will be announced exclusively on BBC Radio 1’s The Official Chart, from 4pm on Christmas Eve, Friday December 24. The full Top 100 Official Christmas Singles Chart and Albums Chart will be published on OfficialCharts.com from 5.45pm.
