Kylie Minogue takes an early lead in the Official UK Christmas Number 1 race 2025 with her Amazon Music UK exclusive single XMAS, Official Charts can confirm.
Currently 7,000 units ahead 48 hours into the race, the Aussie pop princess’s lead is boosted by the release of XMAS's new 7” gold vinyl, 12” zoetrope vinyl and CD editions which freshly dropped on Friday, and also Amazon Music streams which are typically higher over the weekend too. Kylie will also be performing XMAS at tonight’s Strictly Come Dancing semi final, which could propel her chances further still.
Despite enjoying a glittering comeback to the Official Singles Chart Top 10 in 2023 with viral single Padam Padam, Kylie hasn't had a UK Number 1 single in 22 years, since her 2003 hit Slow topped the chart. Can she finally end the drought by not taking home just any Number 1, but the coveted Christmas Number 1?
At face value it’s a promising lead, but Kylie is not safe. Don't rule out an upset further into the week, as more sales and streaming data arrives for other contenders that are available across all platforms.
This means reigning Christmas Number 1 champions WHAM! start the week in second place with Last Christmas. Having claimed the Christmas Number 1 in 2023 and 2024, Last Christmas will have to fight to secure a hat-trick, possibly making Official Charts history in the process by becoming the first-ever single to achieve the accolade.
The UK's best-selling track of the week so far, and just 231 chart units behind WHAM!, is Together For Palestine's charity single, Lullaby (3). The song, featuring Leigh-Anne, Bastille's Dan Smith, Mabel, Neneh Cherry, Nadine Shah and more raises life-saving funds for the people of Gaza. All profits from the release will go to Choose Love’s Together For Palestine Fund, supporting three Palestinian-led organisations: Taawon, Palestine Children's Relief Fund and Palestine Medical Relief Service.
The song has sold just under 10k units so far according to Official Charts Company data. However, with other contenders outperforming the track on streaming, downloads would need to accelerate to progress or maintain its position across the week.
One to watch this week is The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's Fairytale of New York (5). The track is the third best-selling single of the week thanks to a limited-edition zoetrope vinyl variant which was available to purchase on Friday, as well as boasting strong streaming support. Having achieved every position in the Top 20 bar Number 1, can the UK’s most-loved Christmas track (according to YouGov) break the duck?
With less than 10k chart units separating the whole of the Top 5, it’s very much all to play for across all participating campaigns this year. However, with this also being preliminary data only, expect the picture to evolve as more streaming data arrives throughout the week.
Looking at the rest of the Top 10, Elton John’s Step Into Christmas could jump an impressive 11 places and achieve its highest position since 2022 (7), Kelly Clarkson’s modern festive classic Underneath The Tree has now seemingly joined the big leagues (8) and Shakin’ Stevens may also find his former Christmas Number 1 Merry Christmas Everyone break the Top 10 standings 40 years after it reached the festive summit (9).
Elsewhere, Andy Williams’ It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year looks to make its move towards the Top 10, currently up five (15), Dean Martin’s Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! is tracking to push four places (16) and Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime has its sights set on the Top 20 (18).
Other hits which may significantly rise and look to have their say in the Christmas Number 1 race include Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (23), José Felicano’s Feliz Navidad (25), Sia's Snowman (29) and Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song (30).
The potential highest climber into the Top 40 this week could be Cher’s DJ Play A Christmas Song, which is on course to fly 25 places to Number 33.
We could also see two tracks in the Top 40 for a holiday icon in Michael Bublé: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (21) and Holly Jolly Christmas (40).
And now, it’s all down to the British public who can make all the difference this week. Whoever you're backing, get buying and streaming before 11.59pm Thursday 18 December to make it count, with the winner being revealed on Friday 19 December on BBC Radio 1's The Official Chart with Jack Saunders from 3pm. The full Official Christmas Singles and Albums Chart Top 100 will be published on OfficialCharts.com.
