RECORDS
The Battle for Christmas Number One: Does It Matter Anymore? escribed by the Official Charts Company as the ‘ultimate prize’ in the music industry, the battle for the UK Christmas Number One has remained a staple of the festive season since the chart’s inception in 1952. With the Christmas period naturally seeing an increase in music sales, it is not too uncommon for big-name artists to start pumping out new material conveniently just before the holiday period. However, as the music industry continues to evolve in the era of streaming and with social media platforms like TikTok driving listening trends, is the Christmas Number One a true reflection of the current musical culture of the year? By taking a look at the history of the Official Singles Chart and at recent trends in the consumption of music, it could be argued that the battle for the Christmas Number One has in fact never been more relevant and offers a unique insight into how the music industry is reforming into the future. In the wake of the drawn-out death of the TV talent show and with it the yearly production of short shelf-life X Factor winners, a new generation of novelty acts has emerged from the shadows - most notably the recent success of internet personality LadBaby and his sausage roll-themed charity singles. While some may see the encroachment of a social media influencer into the field of pop as a sign of the irrelevancy or ‘dumbing down’ of the Charts, a look back at past Christmas chart-toppers reveals an eclectic mix of acts that can hardly be described as a ‘Musician’s Hall of Fame’. In 2000, the virtuosic tenor performing under the name ‘Bob the Builder’ graced the chart, while Take That were denied the Number One spot in 1993 by the unsung 22
CELEBRATIONS
