Every Christmas Number 1 Song Ever

13 November 2018, 14:45

The Christmas Number 1 is always the biggest chart of the year. We've put together the definitive list of every Christmas Number 1 song on The Official Vodafone Big Top 40 - all the way from Rage Against The Answer Machine's 'Killing in the Name' to the most recent Christmas champion.

1. Christmas Number 1 2009: Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name

   

   Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name (Radio Edit)

   American metal band Rage Against the Machine took the Christmas Number 1 in 2009 with their signature song 'Killing in the Name'. The 1992 track went to Number 1 seventeen years after its release, following a Facebook campaign encouraging people to buy the song to stop The X Factor's winner's single getting the title.

   That year's winner Joe McElderry had to settle for Number 2 with his song 'The Climb'.

2. Christmas Number 1 2010: Matt Cardle - When We Collide

   

   Matt Cardle - When We Collide (Video)

   The X Factor winner Matt Cardle was Christmas Number 1 in 2010 with his winner's single - a version of Biffy Clyro's 'Many of Horror', retitled to 'When We Collide'. That year's X Factor was a bit of a vintage year: One Direction, Cher Lloyd and Rebecca Ferguson were also finalists on the show.

   However, it was also the series that gave us Wagner!

3. Christmas Number 1 2011: Military Wives, Gareth Malone & London Metropolitan Orchestra - Wherever You Are

   

   Wherever You Are (Military Wives with Gareth Malone) Official Video

   'Wherever You Are' took the Christmas Number 1 gong in 2011. The track was performed by the Military Wives Choir, under the direction of choirmaster Gareth Malone, along with The London Metropolitan Orchestra. Military Wives were formed earlier that year for the BBC Two show The Choir: Military Wives.

   The Number 2 in 2011 was actually Lou Monte's unusual Christmas classic 'Dominick The Donkey'!

4. Christmas Number 1 2012: The Justice Collective - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

   

   The Justice Collective - He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother

   The Hollies' 1969 classic 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' was re-recorded by a group of musicians and celebrities called The Justice Collective to raise money for charities associated with the Hillsborough disaster. The project was led by Peter Hooton from Liverpool band The Farm.

   The cover went to Christmas Number 1 in 2012, knocking James Arthur's X Factor winner's single 'Impossible' from the top spot.

5. Christmas Number 1 2013: Pharrell Williams - Happy

   

   Pharrell Williams - Happy (Video)

   It's one of the biggest songs of the decade and it was Christmas Number 1 in 2013! Pharrell Williams' hit single 'Happy' took the title that year, holding X Factor winner Sam Bailey off the top spot with her winner's single 'Skyscraper'.

   'Happy' was released as part of the Despicable Me 2 movie soundtrack and Pharrell had a hand in all the original songs featured in the film.

6. Christmas Number 1 2014: Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk feat. Bruno Mars

   

   Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars

   Mark Ronson and Bruno Mar's huge single 'Uptown Funk' clinched the Christmas Number 1 trophy in 2014. The party hit held off three New Entries to take the title: Ben Haenow's X Factor winner's single 'Something I Need' was new at Number 2, Alesso's 'Heroes' was new at Number 4 and the Wealdstone Raider's 'Got No Fans' was new at Number 3...

   Yep, the Wealdstone Raider was very close to being Christmas Number 1!

7. Christmas Number 1 2015: Justin Bieber - Love Yourself

   

   Justin Bieber - Love Yourself (PURPOSE : The Movement)

   Justin Bieber knocked himself off the chart to become Christmas Number 1 in 2015! 'Love Yourself' became his third Number 1 of the year, sending another Bieber hit 'Sorry' to Number 3. It meant The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir had to settle for the Number 2 spot with their charity single 'A Bridge Over You'.

   The video for 'Love Yourself' has since had over a billion views on YouTube.

8. Christmas Number 1 2016: Clean Bandit - Rockabye feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie

   

   Clean Bandit - Rockabye ft. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie [Official Video]

   The Christmas Number 1 in 2016 went to Clean Bandit with 'Rockabye'. The track with rapper Sean Paul and rising star Anne-Marie climbed a place to take the top spot on Christmas Day itself! 'I Would Like' from Swedish singer Zara Larsson was at Number 2 on that year's Christmas chart.

   'Rockabye' was the second single from Clean Bandit's album What Is Love?, which wasn't then released until November 2018!

9. Christmas Number 1 2017: Eminem - River feat. Ed Sheeran

   

   Eminem ft Ed Sheeran - River (Clean)

   Eminem's 'River' climbed a place to go to Number 1 on Christmas Eve in 2017. The track with Ed Sheeran was taken from his ninth studio album Revival, which was also released that year. It was Ed's sixth Number 1 song of 2017!

   Wham!'s classic 'Last Christmas' just missed out that year - it was at Number 2.

10. Christmas Number 1 2018: TBA

    

    This year's Christmas Number 1 will be announced on Sunday 23rd December 2018. Ariana Grande, Little Mix and Lady Gaga are among the favourites for this year's trophy.

    Check out more of the favourites for Christmas Number 1 2018 here