* READ MORE: From the archives – the worst Christmas Number Ones of all time
The speculation about who would hit the peak position on the charts in time for Christmas was raised earlier this week, with news that frontrunners LadBaby would be stepping down from their streak of annual Number One tracks.
Comprised of Mark and Roxanne Hoyle, the LadBaby duo have consistently topped the charts around Christmas for their sausage roll-themed takes on famous tracks. These include ‘We Built This City’ (2018), ‘I Love Sausage Rolls’ (2019), ‘Don’t Stop Me Eatin’’ (2020), ‘Sausage Rolls For Everyone’ (2021) and ‘Food Aid’ (2022).
Now, Official Charts Company have revealed the artists who are most likely to take the top position on the UK charts – compiling a list of the contending songs for the 2023 Christmas Number One.
Among those listed are a variety of charity singles, including ‘West End Girls’ – the recently shared track by post-punk duo Sleaford Mods. Shared earlier this week, the track sees the Nottingham band deliver a cover of Pet Shop Boys’ 1985 hit single in aid of the homeless charity, Shelter.
Another contender looking to donate funds to charity with their track is from Nala The Station Cat. After becoming an online sensation, the four-year-old cat has released a track called ‘Check Meowt’ – with funds set to be donated to the RSPCA and Stevenage homelessness charity Feed Up Warm Up.
As expected, some classic festive tracks are also predicted to surge during the latter half of next month, with iconic songs including Slade’s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’, Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ and the ‘Fairytale Of New York’ classic by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl.
Less conventional hits are also making their way up the charts according to the Official Charts Company – with Australian rock veterans AC/DC becoming frontrunners after a campaign was launched online. The movement comes in a bid to get the band their first UK Number One in time for their 50th anniversary.
It is also possible that the top spot for the Christmas 2023 charts may go to an artist who has recently shared a non-festive new release. As outlined by the company, those with a good chance of topping the charts include The Beatles with their “final” song ‘Now And Then’, Jack Harlow with his hit new track ‘Lovin On Me’ and Andrea Bocelli with ‘Festa’ – an original song he shared as part of the annual John Lewis Christmas advert.
Check out a full list of contenders below.
Charity Singles
Nala the Station Cat – ‘Check Meowt’
Sleaford Mods – ‘West End Girls’
Rock Choir – ‘I Wish it Could Be Christmas Everyday’
The Gleeman – ‘I Love Christmastime’
Sooty – ‘I’m in the Mood for Christmas’
The Celebs – ‘So Delicious’
Classics
Slade – ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’
Wham! – ‘Last Christmas’
The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl – ‘Fairytale of New York’
Mariah Carey – ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’
Ed Sheeran & Elton John – ‘Merry Christmas’
Elton John – ‘Step Into Christmas’
Political and social media campaigns
AC/DC – ‘Thunderstruck’
EMF featuring Stephen Fry – ‘Hello People’
The Krackpots – ‘Proper Christmas’
New releases
The Beatles – ‘Now And Then’
Jack Harlow – ‘Lovin On Me’
Mimi Webb – ‘Back Home for Christmas’
Trickster – ‘Silent Night vs Santa Claus is Coming to Town’
Cher – ‘DJ Play a Christmas Song’
Ella Henderson & Cian Ducrot – ‘Rest of Our Days’
Tate McRae – ‘exes’
Andrea Bocelli – ‘Festa’
Tyla – ‘Water’
OneRepublic – ‘Dear Santa’
Retailer exclusives
Amazon Originals
– Sam Ryder – ‘You’re Christmas to Me’
– Jorja Smith – ‘Stay Another Day’
– Anne-Marie – ‘Christmas Without You’
Spotify Singles Holiday
-Ezra Collective – ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’
Apple Music’s Carols Covered
-Ella Henderson – ‘Stay Another Day’
“You can always tell when we are in the final run in to Christmas – festive lights switching on in high streets across the country, chocolate tubs appearing in all of our supermarkets, the arrival of Xmas channels appearing on our TVs… and, of course, the starting pistol firing on the Christmas Number One Race,” said Chief Executive Officer of the Official Charts Company, Martin Talbot, about the annual race for peak position.
“With LadBaby stepping back after five years as winners, this year’s race looks as open as ever. Aside from the Sleaford Mods’ cover of ‘West End Girls’ for Shelter, Sooty is batting on behalf of Great Ormond Street Hospital, a Rock Choir is raising money for Cash For Kids, and we even have a trance pussycat called Nala supporting the homeless and the RSPCA. Plus, of course, there will be a range of classics… What a Christmas chart race it is going to be!”
For 2022, it was Wham!‘s 1984 Christmas hit ‘Last Christmas’ that closed out the year, when it returned to the top spot on the Official Singles Chart.
The single became the final chart-topper of 2022 with over 79,000 charts units, according to the Official Charts Company. It was also the most-streamed track of the week.
‘Last Christmas’ first topped the charts at the beginning of 2021, 36 years after its release. It had previously peaked at Number Two, having been kept off the top spot by Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ which also featured George Michael.
The post These are the contenders for UK Christmas 2023 Number One appeared first on NME.
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