Christmas No 1: Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ tops 2023 chart in the UK

Every year, the UK gets collectively giddy about what will be the No 1 Christmas song.

This national obsession feels unique to the UK compared to its European neighours, and inspires grassroots campaigns, novelty singles and fanbase rivalries.

Before iTunes and Spotify, it was all about selling as many singles in the run up to the big day. Now, it’s down to the number of streams and sales in the week leading up to midnight on Thursday evening (this year, yesterday - 21 December), to count before the Christmas chart is revealed.

This year, after five years of YouTuber Mark Ian Hoyle, aka: LadBaby, holding the Christmas number one spot, with tracks like ‘We Built This City’ (2018), ‘I Love Sausage Rolls’ (2019), and ‘Food Aid’ (2022), the coveted title of Christmas No 1 on Official Singles Chart has gone to Wham! and their 1984 classic ‘Last Christmas’.

Wham!'s song led the midweek charts, and was the favourite to win this year. It originally reached No 2 in 1984, and has never been No 1 in Christmas week.

It’s popularity is due to several factors – it’s one hell of a tune; nostalgia factor; George Michael has that stunning Diana bouffant in the video; and considering LadBaby decided not to enter the 2023 race, the top spot was Wham!’s for the taking.

This year, former Eurovision Song Contest runner-up Sam Ryder (with his Amazon exclusive song from the soundtrack of its film Your Christmas Or Mine 2, which was heavily promoted by the company), The Pogues and Mariah Carey were all battling it out to be crowned this year's Christmas number one.

Here is the Top 10 2023 ranking:

Wham! - ‘Last Christmas’

Sam Ryder - ‘You’re Christmas To Me’

Mariah Carey - ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’

Noah Kahan - ‘Stick Season’

Ed Sheeran & Sir