X Factor killed the Christmas Number One — but there’s still hope
Share:
Does anyone still care about the Christmas Number One? Be honest. Does it matter to you who is at the top of the charts on December 25?. Long gone are the epic battles of Slade vs Wizzard, Wham! Vs Band Aid, or even East 17 vs Mariah Carey (with the former shockingly winning).
![[(L-R) Noddy Holder, Don Powell, Dave Hill and Jim Lea of Slade perform on a Christmas TV show in December 1973 in Hilversum, netherlands. (Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_232943831-f516.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Official Charts formed in the 50s but Christmas Number Ones really kicked off in 1973 when Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody triumphed on Christmas Day. In the decades that followed, other artists solidified this festive tradition with their own Christmas songs which have since become classics (even Mr Blobby).
![[Editorial use only. No book publishing Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ken McKay/REX/Shutterstock (629883ci) Leona Lewis 'The X Factor final' TV Programme, London, Britain - 16 Dec 2006]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233762438-e12f.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
However, I’d argue that the British public has largely stopped caring about this iconic and unique marker of the festive period – and it’s time to hold the culprit accountable. The X Factor killed off the Christmas Number One — and it was a slow, painful death.
![[Editorial use only. No book publishing. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ken McKay/REX/Shutterstock (580392o) Shayne Ward 'X FACTOR' TV PROGRAMME FINALISTS PUTTING UP THE CHRISTMAS TREE, BRITAIN - 05 DEC 2005]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233762435-48a7.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
It’s easy to blame streaming, putting this Christmas apathy on the dwindling popularity of radio and the disappearance of Top of the Pops as we stick to our own carefully curated music bubbles. But responsibility for the sheer indifference this country feels towards a once-beloved tradition also falls at the feet of ITV’s most popular show.
![[LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 06: Facebook campaigners Jon and Tracy Morter receive a donation cheque for the royalties earned for the Christmas 2009 number one single by American rap-rockers Rage Against The Machine during their free concert at Finsbury Park on June 6, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Andy Sheppard/Redferns)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233764246-2589.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The singing competition dominated — and suffocated — the Christmas charts from 2005 until 2014, with seven winners’ singles debuting in the coveted slot. First to land the competitive chart position was Shayne Ward’s That’s My Goal, which was an admirable effort considering the competition was a charity re-release of Fairytale of New York and a bizarre song about JCBs.
![[Editorial use only. No book publishing. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ken McKay/Talkback Thames/REX/Shutterstock (1259838iu) Matt Cardle and Judge Dannii Minogue 'The X Factor' Results Show Live, TV Programme, London, Britain - 12 Dec 2010]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233762436-bd5c.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
