Hark the heralds! Christmas is nearly upon us and regardless of whether you’re feeling the holiday cheer or not, the music that accompanies the festive season is unavoidable, as artists like Mariah Carey, Wham! and Slade make themselves comfy on our radio waves. The month of December is a time when people across all generations acknowledge a set group of songs as the ultimate Christmas hits, bonding under the shared nostalgia that these songs evoke.
Sadly, the UK’s Christmas charts have become slightly stale in the past decade. Parody songs, X-Factor winning tracks and endlessly recycled Christmas covers have hogged the #1 spot and left little wiggle room for any new songs to gain any semblance of popularity. The lack of new entrants has left radio stations in December sounding like a jingle-hell.
While of course there has been new Christmas number ones, songs that have topped the Christmas charts in the last decade have had very little staying power simply because they haven’t been memorable. This is in part because Christmas music has become a formulaic genre; producers have nailed down how to get a festive hit and seal this onto every new song.
It’s also evident that the UK public is suffering from a severe case of festive fatigue. Hearing the same songs on the radio and in supermarkets becomes repetitive very quickly. Retailers in the UK have even started playing Christmas songs earlier and earlier in the year to encourage bulk-buying presents towards the end of October. This explains why you’re hearing Michael Buble in the frozen aisle before you’ve even found a Halloween costume.
Perhaps a new iconic Christmas song could capture another side of Christmas. For most of us, the holiday season is a time for joy, family and receiving gifts, but for others, it can be especially lonely. The Pogues’ iconic Christmas hit Fairytale of New York was partly successful because of its off-kilter take on Christmas, imagining how the holidays might look for someone drowning their sorrows in the pub. So maybe the next big song could reach the top spot by pulling heartstrings?
Then there’s the case for the anti-Christmas hit: a song completely unrelated to Christmas that somehow resonates with our festive side, or a song criticising Christmas in its entirety. The finest example of this is Rage Against the Machine’s 1992 metal song Killing in the Name. Although it was released in the early ‘90s, the song made it to #1 in 2009 as disillusioned Brits agreed with its anti-consumerist sentiments. The song would also famously derail the X-Factor’s clutch on the Christmas #1.
The door for a new Christmas classic has been pried open this year, as YouTube duo LadBaby have bowed out of the race for the top spot. The pair have had five consecutive #1 hits, beating The Beatles’ record last year. Their clutch on Christmas has been partly because they pledged to donate their earnings to charity, giving back £350,000 to food charity The Trussel Trust since debuting in 2018 with We Built This City.
LadBaby have opted out of making a song this year, starting a new race for the Christmas #1. Contenders include a few all-time classics: Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You; Wham’s Last Christmas; and the aforementioned Fairytale of New York by The Pogues. There are also several new songs with a chance to reach #1: Jack Harlow’s non-festive Lovin’ On Me; Noah Kahan’s Stick Season; Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder’s You’re Christmas To Me; and Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s Merry Christmas, which was beat by LadBaby in 2021 but could make a comeback this year.
The only certainty this year is that a new classic should gain internet virality, and to do this a song must capture the attention of Gen Z, who hold all the stakes through Spotify streams and – most importantly – TikTok shares. One track that has a good chance of reaching UK #1 this Christmas is Creator Universe’s rendition of Wizard’s 1973 track I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. Creator Universe is a group comprised of many of our favourite British TikTokers, who have come together to win the hearts of the younger generation. Like LadBaby, they also vow to donate their earnings to a good cause.
Let’s face it – no Christmas song will be as iconic and memorable as Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You. These songs are legendary during the holiday season because they have been around for such a long time, and the older generation recalls fond memories of Christmases past listening to these songs. Mariah’s big hit didn’t even reach #1 in the US until 2019, believe it or not. With Gen Z reaching their twenties, less iconic Christmas songs from the early 2010’s could see a resurgence. Who doesn’t feel a tinge of nostalgia whenever they hear Ariana Grande’s Santa Tell Me or Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe?
Whatever angle the next big festive hit takes, whether that be raising money for a good cause or pounding drums and strumming bass guitars in defiance of capitalism, the song should speak to the younger generation and have enough staying power to stand the test of time.
Feature image credit: Daniela Federici for Columbia Records
Student journalist with a passion for music.
