The Twelve Songs of Christmas

A nostalgic journey through Britain's cultural and social history told via twelve iconic Christmas number ones by one of the greatest pop historians of his generation

Twelve songs, seventy-five years and a nation's chart obsessionEvery December, Britain waits for the one chart result that still matters: the Christmas number one. In an age when the singles chart has lost much of its cultural power, the festive top spot remains fiercely contested by pop stars, novelty acts, charity campaigns and the occasional underdog. The Twelve Songs of Christmas tells the story of this uniquely British obsession through a dozen chart-toppers, beginning in 1950 with Gene Autry's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and leading up to Wham! with "Last Christmas", which - thirty-nine years after its release - finally claimed the crown in 2023. Along the way are the Beatles' sixties dominance, Slade and Wizzard's glittering seventies takeover, Band Aid's global phenomenon, the Spice Girls hat-trick and the reality-TV era of Christmas chart battles. Stuffed with brilliant stories, forgotten classics and seasonal nostalgia, the book explores how the Christmas number one became one of Britain's most enduring musical traditions making it the perfect festive gift for Christmas music enthusiasts and music lovers alike.