‘Perfect’ Christmas number one for 2024 finally revealed and it’s made history-Rebecca Sayce-Entertainment – Metro

The Christmas number one single for 2024 has been revealed and it has already broken chart records.

Wham! has once again clinched the top spot with their hit single Last Christmas 40 years after it was initially released.

Their latest chart-topping feat marks the first time a song has held the Christmas number one spot in two consecutive years.

The song was famously beaten to Christmas number one in 1984 by Band Aid’s charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas? and eventually reached the top spot in the UK in 2021 – 36 years after its release.

The track also secured the Christmas number one title last year, making history as the longest journey to make it to the top spot in time for Christmas Day.

It became a particularly poignant track after George Michael died on Christmas Day in 2016 at the age of 53.

Wham! released Last Christmas 40 years ago (Picture: Michael Putland/Getty Images)

Ridgeley thanked fans for their support of the song (Picture: Official Charts Company)

It has been hailed by many as the ‘perfect’ Christmas song, regularly topping lists of the best festive tracks ever made.

It was the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century in the UK, until 2011 when it was overtaken by The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York.

Speaking after this win, Michael’s bandmate Andrew Ridgeley thanked fans for their support and wished them a Merry Christmas.

’37 years to get to Number 1, 39 years to Christmas Number 1, and then like London buses they all come along at once,’ he said in a statement.

‘I’m especially pleased for George, he would have been utterly delighted, his fabulous Christmas composition has become such a classic, almost as much a part of Christmas as mince pies, turkey, and pigs in blankets.

‘It’s testament to a really wonderful Christmas song that in a lot of people’s minds evokes and represents Christmas as we would all wish it to be.

‘I’d like to thank everyone who has listened to, downloaded, bought, streamed Last Christmas and been a part of history. Thanks so much and Merry Christmas!’

The number one spot still eludes ‘Queen of Christmas’ Mariah Carey (Picture: Terence Patrick/CBS via Getty Images)

Gracie Abrams is in the number two slot (Picture: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

On joining the ranks of The Beatles and Sir Cliff Richard with multiple Christmas number ones, he said: ‘Artists of that calibre and songwriters, of which George was one, transcend the ages and decades and endure because of their quality. I think that’s the reason why Last Christmas has endured.’

Mariah Carey’s beloved Christmas tune was in the running for the coveted UK Christmas number one title, while new tracks from Tom Grennan, Gracie Abrams, and Bruno Mars were also in the mix.

Abrams nabbed the number two spot, with Carey in at number three and Grennan placing fourth. Apt by Rose and Bruno Mars took fifth place.

The race kicked off last week with sales and streams counted and announced on BBC Radio 1’s The Official Chart show today.

Grennan’s new track It Can’t Be Christmas was a newcomer in the race this year, with the singer-songwriter sharing a video on social media that documented him having the words ‘Christmas No.1 2024 is…’ tattooed on his right thigh.

Grennan later appeared on BBC Radio 1 telling Greg James that he will get himself tattooed on his leg if he won the top spot.

He claimed he would ink a permanent tribute to whoever scores the Christmas number one.

Looks like Tom Grennan will be having Wham! tattooed on his leg (Picture: David Fisher/Shutterstock)

Sabrina Carpenter has the 2024 Christmas number one album (Picture: PARRISH LEWIS/NETFLIX)

Speaking to Official Charts ahead of today’s announcement, the singer discussed his Christmas Number 1 tattoo: ‘Whatever happens, I’m getting somebody’s name tattooed on my leg. If it’s Wham!, then great, because Wham! are unreal. But if it’s me, even better! And if it’s Mariah… great too!

‘But honestly the tattoo thing I think is just a way for me to remember this time.’

Ridgeley shared a message with Grennan, wishing him success in the future.

‘I wish Tom every success in the future, the business relies on up-and-coming talent,’ he said.

‘He’s gonna have his work cut out writing something like Last Christmas, everyone will, but at some point someone will, I’m sure of it.’

Martin Talbot, Chief Executive of the Official Charts, congratulated Wham! on their monumental win, as well as Sabrina Carpenter whose album Short N’ Sweet is the official Christmas number one album.

Five-time Christmas number one champion LadBaby were out of the running this year, having dominated the competition with their sausage roll-themed singles between 2018 and 2022.

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