List of UK singles chart Christmas number ones

This trend began when Popstars: The Rivals contestants released the top three singles on the Christmas chart.

[13] Rage Against the Machine's 1992 single "Killing in the Name" outsold Joe McElderry in 2009 following a successful Facebook campaign against this trend.

[15] In 2011, the Military Wives and Gareth Malone, both involved with the reality television show The Choir, outsold X Factor winners Little Mix and a host of social network campaigns for various novelty acts.

[16][17] In 2012, a supergroup cover of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", supporting charities associated with the Hillsborough disaster, reached the number one ahead of The X Factor's James Arthur.

[24][25][26][27] More recently, non-traditional acts have been successful with novelty songs released for charity; most notably, YouTuber LadBaby achieved number one every year between 2018 and 2022, each time raising money for the Trussell Trust,[28][29] before voluntarily ending their streak by not releasing a Christmas single in 2023.

Cliff Richard has spent four Christmases at number one; two as a solo act, one with The Shadows and one as part of Band Aid II.

is the second-bestselling single in UK history (behind "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John), while "Bohemian Rhapsody" is third.

A black and white photograph of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of the group Wham!
Wham! 's " Last Christmas ", originally released in 1984, was the 2024 Christmas number one.
Publicity photograph of Al Martino from 1952
Al Martino was the first person to reach Christmas number one, in 1952.
The Beatles had four Christmas number ones during the 1960s, three of which were consecutive.
Slade reached number one with a Christmas-themed song in 1973.
Bob Geldof , creator of charity supergroup Band Aid who, with " Do They Know It's Christmas? ", were Christmas number one in three incarnations.
" Bohemian Rhapsody ", by Queen , reached the number one slot twice, in 1975 and 1991.
Cliff Richard , who reached the number one slot at Christmas three times (four times with the inclusion of Band Aid II ).
The Spice Girls had three consecutive Christmas number ones in the 1990s.
Girls Aloud 's " Sound of the Underground " reached number one in 2002, edging out their fellow Popstars: The Rivals contestants One True Voice 's " Sacred Trust ".
Rage Against the Machine 's record " Killing in the Name " achieved the Christmas number one in 2009, 17 years after the song's original release.