Labels:text | screenshot OCR: =======-=- 8-8-3-3-3-3-5- THE OFFICIAL MED USERS GROUP -=-===================== It's the time for "Deck The Halls" as those Christmas songs that toppped the charts. The Story Of Christmas Number One Hits Quite surprisingly, the first Christmas number one was actually the first EVER number one? It was by Al Martino and called `Here In My Heart'. It actually stayed at the top for nine weeks between 1952 and 1953. The first Christmas number one to feature the subject of Christmas was The Christmas Alphabet' by Dickie Valentine. This was in 1953. Amazingly, of all 396 records up to 1992 which hit the Christmas top ten since it started in 1952, only 55 were actually about Christmas! 31 were `novelty' records, and 31 were `instrumentals' The Beatles topped the Christmas chart four times, three of these in a row between '63 - '65. They have also had the number two spot. This makes them the ever. None of these were most popular Christmas act the Beatles never released a record about Christmas although records about Christmas, in fact, their failed attempt in 1995 to have ANOTHER Christmas number one with Free as a bird' did have a B-Side entitled `Christmas Time ( Is Here Again)' . Instrumental hits seem to do much better at the festive season. Christmas hits, roughly every one in eleven was an Instrumental. Winifred Atwell is the only act to feature in five consecutive Christmas top ten hits. These hits were from 1953 to 1957 and were all instrumentals. Good old Cliff Richard (famous for his Christmas singles) made four Christmas hits in a row between 1962 and 1965. Acts which have made three in a row include the Beatles, Madness, Madonna, and Cliff Richard again! (in a separate occasion to the above four in a row). Christmas charts more than Four records have appeared in the Christmas charts once. These are: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid. "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. "Last Christmas" by Wham! "Rete Petite" by Jackie Wilson. All these records hit the top ten on both occasions. "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" has spent more weeks on the chart than any other Christmas record. Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody" is currently in second place. "White Christmas" has charted in EIGHT different versions! Finally, a list of all the Christmas number ones since the chart started in 1952 ... 1952 "Here in my Heart" by Al Martino 1953 "Answer Me" by Frankie Lane 1954 "Let's have another party" by Winifred Artwell 1955 "The Christmas Alphabet" Dickie Valentine 1956 "Just Walkin' in the Rain" by Johnnie Ray 1957 "Mary's Boy Child" by Harry Belafonte 1958 "It's only Make Believe" by Conway Twitty 1959 "What do you want to make those eyes at me for" by Emma Ford and the Checkmates 1960 "I love you" by Cliff Richard and the Shadows 1961 "Moon River" by Danny Williams 1962 "Return to Sender" by Elvis Presley 1963 "I Want to hold your hand" by the Beatles 1964 "I feel fine" by the Beatles 1965 "Day Tripper/We can work it out" by the Beatles 1966 "Green, Green, Grass of Home" by Tom Jones 1967 "Hello, Goodbye" by the Beatles 1968 "Lilly the Pink" by Scaffold 1969 "Two Little Boys" by Rolf Harris 1970 "I hear you knockin'" by Dave Edmunds 1971 "Ernie (The Fastest Milman in the West" by Benny Hill 1972 "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" by Little Jimmy Osmond 1973 "Merry Xmas Everybody" by Slade 1974 "Lonely this Christmas" by Mud 1975 "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen 1975 1976 "When a child is born" by Johnny Mathis 1977 "Mull of Kintyre/Girl's School" by Wings 1978 "Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord" by Boney M 1979 "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" by Pink Floyd 1980 "There's no one quite like Grandma" by St. Winifred's School Choir 1981 "Don't you want me" by the Human League 1982 "Save your love" by Renee and Renato 1983 "Only You" by the Flying Pickets 1984 "Do they know it's Christmas" by Band Aid 1985 "Merry Christmas Everyone" by Shakin' Stevens 1986 "Reet Petite" by Jackie Wilson 1987 "Always on my mind" by the Pet Shop Boys 1988 "Mistletoe and Wine" by Cliff Richard 1989 "Do they know it's Christmas" by Band Aid II 1990 "Saviour's Day" by Cliff Richard 1991 "Bohemian Rhapsody These are the days of our lives" 1992 "I will always love you" by Witney Houston. by Queen 1993 "Mr . Blobby" by Mr. Blobby 1994 "Stay another day" by East 17 1995 "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson A lot of the information from this article was obtained from `British Hit Singles', published by Guinness. =-=- 2-2-2-3-2-2 -=-===- THE OFFICIAL MED USERS GROUP =-=-==================== This article orignally appeared in the official OctaMED magazine, TI. For more information on TI, please send a stamped, addressed envelope or international reply coupon to MED USERS GROUP, 6 Glevum Road, SWINDON, Wiltshire, SN3 4AF, ENGLAND. This is also the address to write to if you would like to make any comments or criticisms of this article or if you would like permission to use this article in your publications.
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