17 December 2023
Newsdesk
The UK’s Official Christmas Number 1 has kicked off in style, with some of the closest opening numbers between contenders battling for the festive chart crown in recent memory, according to Official Charts.
The biggest chart race of the year sees current UK chart-toppers WHAM! take the lead for Christmas Number 1 with Last Christmas (1), but, there are a mere 42 chart units between George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s classic and UK Eurovision 2022 hero Sam Ryder, whose new Amazon Music Original You’re Christmas To Me leaps eight places (2) midweek.
Perennial festive kings WHAM! are looking to secure their first-ever Christmas Number 1 with Last Christmas, and they’re throwing everything they’ve got at it this year, from limited edition Last Christmas vinyl, a first-time CD single release of the song, and download promotion too. They’re in it to win it.
Sam Ryder is also out in force on the campaign trail with a promotional tour bus on the road in London and Manchester this weekend, plus high-profile media appearances behind him too including the Radio 1 Live Lounge and The One Show. It’s no surprise then that You’re Christmas To Me has gained some serious momentum over the weekend. As it stands, Sam Ryder is firmly in with a shot at his first Number 1 single this week - a Christmas Number 1, no less. Could a “Samageddon” be on the cards?
But this is the most important chart race of the year, and so you can never count anyone out! Mariah Carey starts out at Number 3 midweek with All I Want For Christmas Is You, while Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s Merry Christmas jumps to Number 4.
Still very much one to watch however, is The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl, who place at Number 5 on tonight’s Official Chart First Look with Fairytale of New York.
With public support for a long-awaited Pogues Christmas Number 1 in tribute to the late Shane MacGowan, plus a new limited edition vinyl charity release of the single expected to drop on Tuesday, we could easily be looking at a shake-up in the back half of the week. Fairytale Of New York is certainly one to keep an eye on as the week progresses.
Other contenders to look out for as the race develops; Noah Kahan’s Stick Season (6) and Jorja Smith’s Stay Another Day cover (7), another Amazon Music Original which has shot up the chart 13 places since Friday, proving the series’ popularity with the British public.
Another key contender, the UK TikTok collective Creator Universe nab the best-selling single of the week so far with their cover of Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, in aid of foodbank charity The Trussell Trust (11) and are just on the cusp of a Top 10 debut.
As it stands the group of TikTok creators are just 33 chart units behind a Top 10 placing on the Official Chart, with former Number 1 holder Jack Harlow and Lovin’ On Me just ahead of them at Number 10. They’ll need to accelerate sales to match the streaming prowess of their rivals.
Further down, Cher’s DJ Play A Christmas Song (26) is looking to enter the Top 40 for the first time, it would be her first UK Top 40 entry in 10 years and her 34th overall.
Post-punk duo Sleaford Mods may have claimed four consecutive UK Top 10 albums, but they’re on track to enter the Official Singles Chart for the first time ever this week, thanks to their Pet Shop Boys cover West End Girls (78).
The final cut-off for sales and streams to count toward the Christmas Number 1 2023 is 23.59pm Thursday 21 December. The winner will be revealed on BBC Radio 1’s The Official Chart from 4pm Friday 22nd December. The full Official Christmas Singles and Albums Chart Top 100 will be published on officialcharts.com at 5.45pm
