Top 10 – Christmas Songs
We all have our favourite, don’t we? It’s an exciting time of the year, Christmas. It’s a time when you may receive things you never expected, families celebrate together and you get to listen to your dad’s old Christmas records.
But what is the best Christmas song of all time? It is an intriguing question, as you would think that all would be relatively popular considering the general feel good factor associated with them. I think we’ll start in reverse for this one at no.10!
When a Child Is Born – Johnny Mathis
This 1976 hit by Johnny Mathis proved to be a major hit reaching no.1 in the Christmas of that year and although the song has had many versions, Johnny Mathis’ version remains the most popular and best portrayed throughout chart history.
The Millennium Prayer – Cliff Richard
The Millennium Prayer released Christmas 1999 looking to see us into the new millennium with a bit of Cliff. He reached no.1 with it and it ensured he had had a no.1 in every decade since the 1950’s.
Fairytale of New York – The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl
Written as a duet featuring Kirsty MacColl on vocals, Shane MacGowan’s male character is perfect to MacColl’s female and it is cited as possibly the greatest Christmas song of all time due to its storytelling qualities. However, it didn’t reach no.1 (DUN DUN DUNNNNNN) instead being kept off by T’Pau’s China in Your Hand and by Always on My Mind by the Pet Shop Boys.
White Christmas – Bing Crosby
The original Christmas crooner it seems, this Christmas classic will forever be remembered but amazingly it didn’t reach no.1 in the charts of 1942, only reaching no.5. Must have been some tune to keep this off the top!
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
How many of our festive film faves kick off to this tune? Although the original version of the song may not have rocked its way into the charts upon release. Brenda Lee’s 1958 classic has seen 31 different cover versions over the last 40 years and takes a current number 14 on the all time Billboard Hot 100.
Jingle Bell Rock– Bobby Helms
This little gem from Christmas 1958 only managed to reach no.6 in the charts at the time. Yet since its initial release the classic has been covered over 50 times; most famously by girl band Girls Aloud who took the song to no.2 in the charts.
Merry Xmas Everybody – Slade
Probably one of, if not the most famous, Christmas tune of all time. Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody from 1973 is one of the all time Christmas greats.
Last Christmas – Wham!
Written and produced by George Michael himself, a massive Christmas hit comes in the form of Last Christmas. Although it is one of only 3 Christmas hits in this list not to reach no.1.
Mary’s Boy Child – Boney M
Mary’s Boy Child was a Christmas hit for Jamaican-born German formed disco group Boney M and became a major hit Christmas 1978. As of 2014, it is the second biggest selling Christmas single of all time.
Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid
Here we go, el numero uno, famously put together by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure of Ultravox fame. To raise money for relief of the Ethiopian famine of the mid-1980’s and was number 1 at Christmas 1984. It spawned a 20th anniversary performance in 2004 as the Band Aid legacy lived on in order to ensure people around the world sampled some of the Christmas spirit. As of 2014, Do They Know It’s Christmas is the best selling Christmas song of all time – quite an accolade.
Now have your say!
