When is the Christmas Number One announced and how is it calculated?
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The Christmas Number One is a British institution, with huge artists from all genres hoping to one day claim the prestigious title. Wham! finally secured the top spot last Christmas with their 40-year-old track and reignited the dormant chart battle after five years of Ladbaby wins.
![[The Late Late Show with James Corden]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/GettyImages-1189630708.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The beloved track is in the chart race again but there are plenty of new songs in number one pursuit, mixed in with the classics for the 2024 crown. The Spice Girls, The Beatles, Leona Lewis, Rage Against the Machine, Girls Aloud, Nicole Kidman, and even Mr Blobby have all had one – so it truly is anyone’s game.
![[Bob Geldof at Band Aid recording session in 1984]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187165231-8d57.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
But how are the charts calculated and when will this year’s winner be announced?. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Up Next. The official Top 40 chart in the UK is compiled by the Official Charts Company.
![[George Michael raises glass to camera in Wham!'s Last Christmas music video]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_232974243-3c71.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
While other countries have chart battles, the Christmas number one is a UK tradition not shared by America’s Billboard ranking. Jar of Hearts icon Christina Perri even confessed to Metro this year that she thought it was ‘made up for Love Actually’ and ‘not a real thing’.
The Official Chart was first established in 1952 and surveys thousands of retailers and digital services daily to count UK physical sales, digital downloads, audio streams, and video streams. It remains the most comprehensive research panel of its kind, it captures 99.9% of the total UK singles market.
