London, December 08, 2025
Wham!’s “Last Christmas” has made history by securing the UK Christmas number one spot for two consecutive years, 2023 and 2024, casting a long shadow over the festive music charts as contenders vie for the 2025 title. This remarkable feat underscores the difficulty that new songs face when competing against entrenched holiday classics.
Wham!’s Unprecedented Dominance
In a historic achievement, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” became the first song ever to claim the Christmas number one position two years in a row. Its continued dominance in 2023 and 2024 highlights how iconic holiday songs maintain extraordinary cultural relevance, appealing across generations during the festive season.
Challenges for New Entrants
Securing the Christmas number one spot is notoriously difficult for fresh releases. Established classics benefit from decades of listener familiarity, steady airplay, and viral cultural phenomena that reinforce their popularity. Among these is the online game “Whamageddon,” which paradoxically both celebrates and challenges listeners to avoid hearing “Last Christmas” during December, ironically tightening its grip on the Christmas charts.
Key 2025 Contenders
The 2025 Christmas number one race includes notable competitors poised to break through. La Voix’s “The Magic Of Christmas” aims to capture holiday audiences with a fresh voice. K-pop group HUNTR/X has released a multi-track festive offering to appeal to a diverse global fanbase. Meanwhile, Mariah Carey’s perennial hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” remains a formidable contender despite never having secured the Christmas number one spot itself, illustrating the unusual dynamics of holiday chart success.
Cultural and Commercial Significance
The Christmas number one serves as a prominent barometer of both commercial success and cultural impact in the United Kingdom’s music industry. Beyond sales and streams, it reflects seasonal listening habits deeply embedded in popular culture. New songs attempting to displace time-honored classics must overcome both commercial momentum and entrenched listener preferences, which favor emotionally resonant and nostalgically charged tracks.
While innovation and new music continue to emerge each holiday season, the enduring power of classics like “Last Christmas” suggests that capturing the Christmas number one title requires more than musical quality alone—it demands cultural resonance and sustained public engagement. As the 2025 race progresses, the music industry watches closely to see if the pattern of classic dominance continues or if a new anthem will emerge to define the festive period.