‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ by Mariah Carey is the best festive feel-good song ever made, according to a poll.
The 1994 classic beat a string of other Christmas smash hits including ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day’ by Wizard and Slade’s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ to claim top spot.
It also outstripped ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham! and ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ by Band Aid.
Other songs to make the definitive Christmas top 40 include ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The year’ by Andy Williams which just pipped tub-thumping classic, Fairytale of New York – The Pogues featuring Kirsty McColl to sixth spot.
‘Driving Home For Christmas’ by Chris Rea, Shakin’ Stevens’ ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town by Bruce Springsteen complete the top ten.
The study, conducted to coincide with the launch of Co-op’s new Christmas advert which features a new rendition of Britpop classic, Blur’s Tender, also probed the role Christmas songs play in boosting our moods amid what is often the busiest, and most expensive time of the year.
According to the stats 49 per cent of the nation say that Christmas truly begins when they start to hear Christmas songs on the radio or in stores.
A Co-op spokesperson said of the findings: “Our research released today shows how music is a huge factor to our Christmas celebrations and something that can bring people together over the festive period.
‘’All of our favourite Christmas activities like wrapping presents, cooking the family meal and putting up the tree, all seem to be enhanced by holiday tunes, lifting our spirits.
‘’It’s interesting to see that for the majority of people, the 80’s have proven to be the golden era for Christmas hits, with the nation clearly feeling a little underwhelmed with recent releases.”
The study of 2021 adults also shows we listen to Christmas songs throughout all of our Christmas activities.
As a nation, we chose ‘Christmas Classics’ as our favourite type of Christmas music with 35% of us agreeing.
Women overwhelmingly agreed with 41 per cent saying ‘Christmas Classics’ are their favourite type of Christmas music.
It also emerged 65 per cent of the nation say that they find themselves singing along to Christmas songs involduring the festive period… involuntarily, with wrapping presents and putting the tree up the most popular occasions.
The study also found the majority of us feel getting together with family is the most exciting part of Christmas, with turkey, roast potatoes and pigs in blankets the best edible elements.
THE ALL-TIME TOP FESTIVE 40
1. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey 49.6 per cent
2. Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day – Wizard 49.3 per cent
3. Merry Xmas Everybody – Slade 47.8 per cent
4. Last Christmas – Wham! 47.5 per cent
5. Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid 44.3 per cent
6. It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The year – Andy Williams 42.4 per cent
7. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues featuring Kirsty McColl 42 per cent
8. Driving Home For Christmas – Chris Rea 38.2 per cent
9. Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens 35.8 per cent
10. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town – Bruce Springsteen 33.9 per cent
11. Lonely This Christmas – Elvis Presley 28.6 per cent
12. Blue Christmas – Elvis 28.5 per cent
13. Stay Another Day – East 17 28.5 per cent
14. When A Child Is Born – Johnny Mathis 28.4 per cent
15. Santa Baby – Kylie Minogue 27.8 per cent
16. Baby Its Cold Outside – Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews 27.2 per cent
17. Mistletoe and Wine – Cliff Richard 27.1 per cent
18. Wonderful Christmastime – Paul McCartney 27 per cent
19. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John and Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir 26.4 per cent
20. Stop The Cavalry – Jona Lewie 23.5 per cent
21. Walking In The Air – Peter Auty and The Sinfonia Of London 22 per cent
22. Step Into Christmas – Elton John 21.5 per cent
23. Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) – The Darkness 19.9 per cent
24. I Believe in Father Christmas – Greg Lake 19.9 per cent
25. The Power Of Love – Frankie Goes To Hollywood 18 per cent
26. Saviour’s Day – Cliff Richard 17.2 per cent
27. Please Come Home For Christmas – Bon Jovi 15.8 per cent
28. A Spaceman Came Travelling – Chris de Burgh 15.3 per cent
29. Jingle Bells – Basshunter 14.6 per cent
30. If Every Day Was Like Christmas – Elvis Presley 12.7 per cent
31. It Won’t Seem Like Christmas Without You – Elvis Presley 11.6 per cent
32. Mistletoe – Justin Bieber 11.2 per cent
33. Christmas Is All Around – Billy Mack 10.9 per cent
34. The Millennium Prayer – Cliff Richard 10 per cent
35. All Alone On Christmas – Darlene Love 8.5 per cent
36. Underneath The Tree – Kelly Clark 8.3 per cent
37. Proper Crimbo – Bo Selecta 8.2 per cent
38. Pretty Paper – Roy Orbison 7.8 per cent
39. Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses 7.6 per cent
40. Winter World of Love – Engelbert Humperdinck 7.4 per cent
ENDS
