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Post by rubcale on Dec 20, 2017 12:32:09 GMT 1
Much as I love Cliff don't get Mistletoe And Wine at all.
Saviour's Day was a far better Christmas song for me but even it isn't a patch on Little Town imo a brilliant contemporary Christmas record.
It had the misfortune to be at #11 the week before Christmas but in those days the BMRB didn't produce a chart Christmas week so it cost Cliff another top 10 hit - word is it would have been close to the top 5 that week.
2 Become 1 my favourite Spice Girl track.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 22, 2017 8:51:14 GMT 1
19. I Believe In Father Christmas - Greg Lake This 1975 Christmas #2 hit was Greg's protest song about the commercialisation of Christmas, so it's ironic that it went on to become one of the songs that you hear every year. You can understand why though as it is a classic. Sadly Lake died just before Christmas last year aged just 69.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 22, 2017 8:55:51 GMT 1
18. A Winter's Tale - David Essex A song about winter rather than Christmas, but the fact that it is seasonal means that it returns every December as part of the Christmas radio playlists. In fact it didn't climb to its peak of number 2 until January of 2003, after the Christmas rush had finished.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 22, 2017 9:00:46 GMT 1
17. Hallelujah - Alexandra Burke Not a Christmas song, but it enters the iTunes chart every December and I play it every Christmas so I've decided to include it. Obviously it was originally by Leonard Cohen and the most popular version is by Jeff Buckley, but this is the only time I've genuinely loved an X-Factor's winners song (although Leona's wasn't too bad) and been glad it got to number 1. People will say her version is a travesty to the original... but I really couldn't give a toss.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 22, 2017 9:15:23 GMT 1
16. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Perry Como Written in 1951 and a hit for Perry Como that same year, although his wasn't the original it is the best version (in my opinion) by an absolute country mile. Sadly it is Buble's lifeless version that seems to chart the highest each year now, which is a real shame.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 11:39:29 GMT 1
15. Stay Another Day - East 17 A song about Tony Mortimer's brother committing suicide has become one of the most popular Christmas songs of all-time, due to the use of a few bells towards the end of the track. I've never considered this to be a Christmas song really, but I do love it all the same. Released at the end of 1994, it was the Christmas chart topper in what could probably be considered as one of the golden years of Christmas charts. Certainly the song it kept off the top spot has only grown in popularity year after year!
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 11:42:48 GMT 1
14. Silent Night - Eva Cassidy Written in 1818, this is the highest Christmas Carol in my countdown and it has been recorded by so many artists that it is hard to pick a favourite. Eva Cassidy's version is great, as is this haunting rendition by Sinead O'Connor:
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 11:46:04 GMT 1
13. Boots - The Killers The fifth (and best) of the Killers seasonal festive singles. this was released in 2010 and scandalously only reached #53. I actually think this is the best song they have ever written!
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 11:52:47 GMT 1
12. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday - Wizzard Roy Wood must have made enough from this classic to buy a nice retirement village somewhere very exotic. Originally peaking at #4 in 1973, behind Slade, Gary Glitter and the New Seekers, it has re-entered the top 40 no less than ten times - including each of the last 7 years!
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 11:56:15 GMT 1
11. Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens Good old Shaky! This was the Christmas number 1 of 1985 in the official chart - and we should find out soon if it has done the same in the Haven Retro Chart.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 12:01:08 GMT 1
10. The Perfect Year - Dina Carroll This gorgeous new years eve themed ballad was Dina's 1993 Christmas hit, reaching #5. It's taken from the Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical 'Sunset Boulevard'.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 12:03:51 GMT 1
9. All Alone On Christmas - Darlene Love Darlene's third and highest festive song on this countdown, this was released in 1992 as the theme to Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, which I could watch year after year! Unbelievably it only got as high as #31.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 12:08:40 GMT 1
8. It Must Have Been Love (Christmas For The Broken Hearted) - Roxette If I leave you with this classic summer hit from 1990 (albeit under a different name, with the word Christmas substituted for Winter's), then you may be able to work out what the seven remaining tracks are. We may all know it now as the theme to the brilliant 'Pretty Woman', but it did start out in 1987 as a Christmas song so it does definitely belong here.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 16:39:02 GMT 1
7. Mary's Boy Child-Oh My Lord - Boney M Mary's Boy Child was originally a million seller for singer Harry Belafonte (who I didn't realise was still alive) in 1956. Both versions are great, and very different so it was almost tempting to include it twice in the countdown, but I decided not to bend the rules for it.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 16:46:21 GMT 1
6. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey Co-written by Mariah herself, this just keeps on gaining in popularity since it was first released in 1994, where it peaked at #2 behind East 17's 'Stay Another Day'. I love it, but the top five is so strong that it just peaks outside.
This is the carpool karaoke version:
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 16:53:08 GMT 1
5. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid The original is still the best by far, but I actually don't mind the second one which was #1 in 1989. Band Aids 20 and 30 I didn't care much for though.
As I haven't heard it in years, here is Band Aid II:
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 16:56:26 GMT 1
4. Last Christmas - Wham! Unlike what happened in 1984, Wham! finish one place above Band Aid, and this song has taken on a whole different meaning since George Michael's death on Christmas day last year.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2017 17:02:07 GMT 1
Anyway, I've done a list of the songs that I love to hear the most at this time of the year - meaning there will be one or two which aren't exactly Christmas Songs Based on this criteria my number one is ...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2017 17:02:56 GMT 1
"Fairytale Of New York" at # 1 ?
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Post by Whitneyfan on Dec 23, 2017 18:02:39 GMT 1
This is the last thing I have to clean up before Christmas so I might as well get it done!
3. When A Child Is Born - Johnny Mathis The Christmas number 1 from 1976 apparantly wasn't specifically written about the birth of Christ, but it has certainly taken on that meaning since. I think this is a song which divides opinion between great and naff - I'm in the great camp!
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