Could Wham! Secure the UK Christmas Number One Single Again?

The UK Christmas number one single has been a British institution since the 1950s, as the tradition first started when Al Martino’s “Here in My Heart” topped the festive charts in 1952.

Since then, the public has excitedly predicted the artist and song most likely to reach the top spot each Christmas, with many acts battling it out for number one in the run-up to Christmas week.

Despite a solid effort, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” was denied the Christmas number one in 1984, as it missed out on the position to Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

However, the hit song became the most played song during Christmas Week 2023, helping the band to secure its first Christmas number one almost 40 years after its release.

As the song was streamed approximately 13.3 million times last year, many believe the festive track could top the charts again.

Read on to learn if Wham! is predicted to secure the UK Christmas number one single for a second year running.

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The Current Favorite for the UK Christmas #1

The odds have recently shifted in Wham!’s favor for the Christmas number one single, meaning Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” is no longer the front-runner.

As many people added the track to their festive playlists in 2023, it makes sense the song might be one of the biggest tracks of the Christmas season.

The song has already climbed back into The Official UK Singles Chart Top 100, as it is currently number 61; however, Mariah Carey’s iconic track is number 58, suggesting it could be a close race between the songs.

Wham!’s Fresh Competition

Wham! has competed with some of the biggest Christmas songs in the charts for decades, including Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

The duo will face fresh competition this Christmas, as many popular artists are expected to release new festive tracks that could cause them to reach the top position.

For instance, Tom Grennan plans to release his brand-new song “It Can’t Be Christmas” in time for the festive season.

The new track will be exclusively available on Amazon Music, which could limit the song’s streams and may stand in the way of him securing the Christmas number one.

Grennan believes the song will “become an instant Christmas classic.” If he’s right, Wham! could have the number one spot stolen from them once again.

Of course, it isn’t the first time Wham! has gone up against a brand-new festive song in the charts, as it beat Sam Ryder’s “You’re Christmas to Me” in 2023, pushing it into number two.

However, there is always a chance Ryder’s festive hit could climb into the top spot this Christmas if it generates enough streams.

Ed Sheeran is even in the running for number one during Christmas week, as he will soon release “Under the Tree,” which serves as the soundtrack to Richard Curtis’s new movie That Christmas.

It isn’t the only Christmas song from the British singer-songwriter that could reach the top of the festive charts, either, as he released “Merry Christmas” with Elton John in 2021, which is likely to earn many streams this year.

If you want to find out who will secure the UK Christmas number one single this year, don’t miss BBC Radio 1’s The Official Chart with Jack Saunders at 4 pm (GMT) on Friday, December 20, 2024.

If you believe Ed Sheeran will be the UK Christmas Number 1 single in 2024, you could win $1700 by betting $100 at 1xBet if it happens.