Ed Sheeran, Queen and Clean Bandit are among the acts with songs that make up the UK’s most-streamed Christmas Number Ones of all time.
The Official Charts Company has compiled a Top 40 list for BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds that shows the most-streamed top festive hits since the company began its records in 1952.
Sheeran’s 2017 song ‘Perfect‘ from his ‘÷‘ album is the UK’s most-streamed Christmas Number One of all time.
In second place is Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘, which is also the only song to ever be a Christmas Number One twice, once in 1975 and again in 1991 after Freddie Mercury died.
Clean Bandit’s 2018 hit ‘Rockabye‘ featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie lands in third place.
It means that the Top Three songs in the list have nothing to do with Christmas.
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However, Shakin’ Stevens‘ hit ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ is fourth, Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ is fifth, and Slade‘s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ is sixth, so a festive theme follows further into the Top 10.
The remainder of of the Top 10 is mainly dominated by non-festive tracks including The Human League‘s ‘Don’t You Want Me’, Whitney Houston‘s ‘I Will Always Love You’ and Rage Against The Machine‘s ‘Killing In The Name‘. ‘Mary’s Boy Child’ by Boney M lands at Number 10.
BBC Radio 2’s Steve Wright said in response to the list: “Who would have thought we’d be crowning Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ the most streamed Christmas number one? It’s brilliant, but I was sure ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ would take the title.”
The list equates to a combined streaming total of more than 2.25billion audio plays, however, only six of the Top 40 songs mention Christmas in lyrics.
On Christmas Day this year, Radio 2 will broadcast the Top 40 songs.
Meanwhile, Sheeran has joined others in sharing their Spotify Wrapped 2022 stats.