15 classic songs that didn't make Christmas Number 1

24 November 2024, 08:00 | Updated: 20 December 2024, 18:43

Sometimes those evergreen festive hits didn't do as well as you've always thought... Here are 20 seasonal songs that never made it to the top at Christmas.

By Radio X

@RadioX

1. Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (1973)

   Written by Roy Wood with an eye on the festive top spot 50 years ago, his attempt got stuck at Number 4 for four weeks - and never got any further. Slade, meanwhile sat pretty at the top for five weeks, well into January 1974.

   

   Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Official Music Video) [HD]

2. The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York (1987)

   Incredibly, this festive favourite was kept off the top spot by the Pet Shop Boys' cover of Always On My Mind. It was expected that things would turn out differently in 2023, following the sad death of frontman Shane MacGowan, but on Christmas week this year the song only made it to Number 6.

   

   The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York (Official Video)

3. John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1971)

   John & Yoko's Christmas hit wasn't even issued in the UK when it first came out in 1971 and only made it to Number 4 a year later. Even following the Beatle's death just before Christmas 1980, the horribly appropriate seasonal song only made it to Number 2, where it was held off the top spot by... John Lennon, who's own Imagine topped the chart.

   

   HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER). (Ultimate Mix, 2020) John & Yoko Plastic Ono Band + Harlem Community Choir

4. Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime (1979)

   Macca's Xmas ditty disappointingly only made it to No 6 in 1979, stuck behind the likes of ABBA's I Have A Dream (quite Christmassy) and Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall (not Christmassy in the slightest).

   

   Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime

5. Elton John - Step Into Christmas (1973)

   Elton's Christmas fave only scraped to No 24 when it was first issued in 1973! The song's highest placement has been in 2020 and 2021, where streams have pushed the track to Number 8.

   

   Elton John - Step Into Christmas

6. I Believe In Father Christmas by Greg Lake (1975)

   Bohemian Rhapsody kept the prog rock legend at Number 2 for two weeks in 1975. We'd hope he'd have been happy to be put in second place by such a classic.

   

   Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas (Official 4K Video)

7. The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) (2003)

   Justin Hawkins and co were robbed in 2003 when Mad World from the Donnie Darko soundtrack made the festive top spot.

   

   The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End) (Official Music Video) [HD]

8. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping (1981)

   Originally appearing as a track on a Christmas compilation, this New Wave classic was issued as a single in late 1982 where it made the uninspiring peak of Number 45 for two weeks. Four decades later, its a permanent fixture on the Christmas playlist.

   

   The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping (Music Video)

9. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love (1984)

   This did get to Number 1 in 1984 - it was the third of Frankie's singles to reach the top that year - but it wasn't at the top in the important Christmas week. After seven days in the top spot, The Power Of Love was bumped by both Band Aid and Wham's Last Christmas. On Christmas Day 1984, Frankie suffered the ignominy of sitting behind Paul McCartney and the Frog Chorus in the charts.

   

   Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love

10. Bing Crosby & David Bowie - Peace On Earth/The Little Drummer Boy

    This star-studded collaboration was recorded for a TV special in 1977 and was never intended to appear on vinyl. That is, when Bowie's record label RCA decided to issue the festive medley just as their star was due to depart for a bigger and better deal with EMI, at the end of 1982. Despite being a fan favourite, the song only made it to Number 3 in Christmas week, stuck behind Shakin' Steven's cover of Blue Christmas and the genuinely awful Renee And Renato, whose Save Your Love was at the top for four weeks.

    

    Bing Crosby, David Bowie - Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy

11. The Pretenders - 2000 Miles (1983)

    The first music to come from the new line-up of The Pretenders (after the deaths of original members Pete Farndon and James Honeyman-Scott), this poignant song peaked at Number 15 in the charts.

    

    Pretenders - 2000 Miles (Official Music Video) [HD Remaster]

12. Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (1963)

    Forever soundtracking your Christmas shopping, this charming festive song was originally recorded for The Andy Williams Christmas Album back in 1963. The record label preferred to plug Andy's version of White Christmas instead, but the song began to grow in popularity over the decades. In 2007, Marks and Spencers used it in a TV ad, leading the record company to issue a single, which peaked at No. 21 on the UK chart.

    

    Andy Williams - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Official Audio)

13. Chris Rea - Driving Home for Christmas (1988)

    Originally recorded as a b-side in 1986, this modern classic was included on Rea's set of re-recordings, New Light Through Old Windows, two years later. Issued as part of The Christmas EP that year, it stuck at Number 53, but the song has seen multiple reissues over the years; in 2021 it peaked at Number 10, but still has never touched the top spot.

    

    Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas (Official Lyric Video)

14. Chris De Burgh - A Spaceman Came Travelling (1975)

    Recorded for the singer-songwriter's second album Spanish Train And Other Stories in 1975, this mystical single didn't chart at all on its first release. When the track was re-issued off the back of De Burgh's success with Lady In Red in 1986, it fared slightly better... but only made Number 40. A lifetime of appearing on Christmas compilations has made it an evergreen festive tune, however.

    

    A Spaceman Came Travelling

15. Wham! - Last Christmas (1984)

    Well, at the time it didn't. - it took 39 years for this classic to make the top of the charts at Christmas 2023, thanks mainly to the recent George Michael Netflix documentary. George and Andrew famously spent five weeks at Number 2 back on its original release in 1984, being held off the top by Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? Even more surprising, the track has topped the 2024 Christmas chart, a full 40 years after it was first released.

    

    Wham! - Last Christmas (Official Video)