Christmas Number 1 2017: Ed Sheeran, Eminem and Wham go head to head after 24 hours

It's shaping up to be a three-way battle for the 2017 Christmas Number 1.
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Ed Sheeran is leading a three-way battle with Eminem and Wham for the 2017 Christmas Number 1 after 24 hours, OfficialCharts.com can confirm.
 
Official Charts Company early sales reports (based on pre-orders and early sales data up to midnight last night), indicate that Ed Sheeran opens the week as front-runner in the biggest chart race of the year.  Ed’s latest single Perfect is currently just ahead of new entry from US rapper Eminem, River (2), which also features Ed. 
 
Wham's Last Christmas is riding on both of their tails at Number 3. Last Christmas is the best-selling song ever never to reach Number 1, and this year a campaign backed by bandmate Andrew Ridgeley has been launched to get the festive classic to the top one year after George Michael's death. 
Christmas hits by Wham!, Mariah Carey and The Pogues have also been proving incredibly popular on streaming services in 2017, so expect to see a streaming boost for these classics in the chart as the week progresses.

Elsewhere, AC/DC’s For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) opens at 22, following a fan campaign in remembrance of the late Malcolm Young. Michael Ball and Alfie Boe's all-star charity single You Bring Me Sunshine, featuring Jason Manford, Imelda Staunton Gareth Malone and more, is at 37, while Ralph McTell's Streets Of London - reworked with Annie Lennox and the Crisis Choir - is just outside at 41. Money raised from the single goes to Crisis. See the full list of Official Christmas Chart contenders.
 
But there is a long long way to go yet. The majority of streams still have to be counted, along with 6 days of sales, the race is still wide open at this stage. 
 
Whoever you're backing, this is the time to get behind your favourite contender. This year’s Official Christmas Number 1 race kicked off Friday, December 15 with the cut-off point for sales and streams to be counted toward the chart being midnight Thursday December 21. Look back at every Official Christmas Number 1
 
The Christmas Official Chart Top 40 will be counted down on The Official Chart on BBC Radio 1, Friday, 22 December from 4pm. The full Top 100 will be published on OfficialCharts.com at 5:45pm.
Ed Sheeran is leading a three-way battle with Eminem and Wham for the 2017 Christmas Number 1 after 24 hours, OfficialCharts.com can confirm.
 
Official Charts Company early sales reports (based on pre-orders and early sales data up to midnight last night), indicate that Ed Sheeran opens the week as front-runner in the biggest chart race of the year.  Ed’s latest single Perfect is currently just ahead of new entry from US rapper Eminem, River (2), which also features Ed. 
 
Wham's Last Christmas is riding on both of their tails at Number 3. Last Christmas is the best-selling song ever never to reach Number 1, and this year a campaign backed by bandmate Andrew Ridgeley has been launched to get the festive classic to the top one year after George Michael's death. 
Christmas hits by Wham!, Mariah Carey and The Pogues have also been proving incredibly popular on streaming services in 2017, so expect to see a streaming boost for these classics in the chart as the week progresses.

Elsewhere, AC/DC’s For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) opens at 22, following a fan campaign in remembrance of the late Malcolm Young. Michael Ball and Alfie Boe's all-star charity single You Bring Me Sunshine, featuring Jason Manford, Imelda Staunton Gareth Malone and more, is at 37, while Ralph McTell's Streets Of London - reworked with Annie Lennox and the Crisis Choir - is just outside at 41. Money raised from the single goes to Crisis. See the full list of Official Christmas Chart contenders.
 
But there is a long long way to go yet. The majority of streams still have to be counted, along with 6 days of sales, the race is still wide open at this stage. 
 
Whoever you're backing, this is the time to get behind your favourite contender. This year’s Official Christmas Number 1 race kicked off Friday, December 15 with the cut-off point for sales and streams to be counted toward the chart being midnight Thursday December 21. Look back at every Official Christmas Number 1
 
The Christmas Official Chart Top 40 will be counted down on The Official Chart on BBC Radio 1, Friday, 22 December from 4pm. The full Top 100 will be published on OfficialCharts.com at 5:45pm.

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AP

Adrian P

1

George Michael died on Christmas Day last year, 2016. Let's commemorate him by getting LAST CHRISTMAS by WHAM! to NUMBER ONE (it was originally Number 2 back in 1984 and George was a bit sad it didn't get to No. 1!) Andrew Ridgeley, Shirlie Kemp, Pepsi Demacque and Geri Horner and many others are all rooting for this, guys!!!

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My Name Is Stomp

0

I'll put my money on Perfect, but only because there's about 935 versions of it floating about.

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taz chars

1

perfect is far from perfect .....but is perfect to fall asleep

PS

PAUL STEVENS

0

It's obvious who it's gonna be, ill put money on it even. Wham - last Christmas
Because he died last Christmas day.

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

But remembering how indiverse the chart are, no Soundgarden songs got anywhere after Chris died

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Anthony

0

Merry Christmas! XD

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KingRichard22

0

Whoops.. Not so obvious then..

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Foxes

1

To be honest, I'd love for 'River' to get to #1, even if 'Perfect' may be more likely because of all the different versions of it. 'River' is a fantastic song. Though if 'Perfect' and 'River' hold the top 2 positions come Friday, it'll be Ed's 12th week at both #1 and #2 simultaneously this year.