Label’s Christmas Countdown (12 Days to Go): 12 Best Christmas Songs
1. Merry Christmas Everybody – Slade
With a chorus that you just cannot help but sing along to and a beat that would get even the Scrooges among us up and dancing, Slade’s “Merry Christmas Everybody” will always sit firmly at the top of any top Christmas songs list that I write.
2. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl
Although denied the Christmas Number 1 spot by Pet Shop Boys’ cover of ‘Always on My Mind’, this track was undoubtedly an instant hit after its release, reaching and spending five weeks at the top of the Irish charts.
3. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everday – Wizzard
Don’t we all? Wizzard capture in their song everything great about Christmas, accompanied with a festive video. The song gained chart success, reaching number four in the charts where it stayed for four consecutive weeks.
4. Happy Christmas (War is Over) – John and Yoko
Originally released as a protest song about the Vietnam War, this track written by the couple themselves has established itself as one of the most covered and favourite Christmas songs of all time.
5. Do They Know it’s Christmas? – Band Aid
Bob Geldhof and Midge Ure found enormous success with this wonderful charity number, as the song soon became the biggest selling single in UK Singles Chart history, and of course became the Christmas Number 1 in its release year of 1984.
6. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Michael Buble
Where would a Christmas music playlist be without at least one Buble cracker? I have chosen ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), but any of the tracks on his Christmas album would deserve a place on this list.
7. All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
An all-time favourite Christmas track to say the least, and an incredibly popular one here in the UK where as of December 2010 it had spent an amazing fifty weeks in the UK Singles Charts.
8. Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby and David Bowie
Although not the original version, Bing Crosby and David Bowie’s version of the popular Christmas classic with clever harmonies and perfect clash of vocal tones, is a track not to be missed this Christmas.
9. Driving Home for Christmas – Chris Rea
A perfect song for students at this time of year, as we have been day dreaming for weeks about driving home for Christmas, Chris Rea’s Christmas track is sure to get you in the festive spirit.
10.It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams
A phrase everyone uses to describe Christmas, and Andy Williams sings it beautifully. Peaking at number 4 in the UK Singles charts as recently as 2010, it is clear this is still a popular musical choice at Christmas time.
11.Christmas Time – The Darkness
Although not a band you’d usually associate with Christmas, The Darkness really pulled it out of the bag when they released their own Christmas song in December 2003.
12.Winter Wonderland – Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz’s fantastic cover of the classic Christmas song ‘Winter Wonderland’ may be less known, but nonetheless is well worthy of a place in this list.
