The Pogues to release Fairytale of New York vinyl during Christmas Number 1 race

It's been announced that the Pogues will be released a very special, limitied edition vinyl release of Fairytale of New York featuring Kirsty MacColl next week. 

The new release of the modern festive classic will certainly see its chances for success as 2023's Christmas Number 1 single heavily increased. The release comes as the music world mourns the death of The Pogue's frontman Shane MacGowan, who died November 30 aged 65 on November 30 2023.

All proceeds from the sales will go to Dublin Simon Community, a charity supported by the late MacGowan and his widow, Victoria Mary Clarke.

The 7-inch vinyl single comes with an A-side of Fairytale of New York, also featuring Irish singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, while the B-side is comprised of an instrumental version of the song.

With a new physical release expected to drop December 19, this puts The Pogues in direct competition for the most important Number 1 of the year. 

The lead contenders so far, Wham! with Last Christmas, also announced yesterday that their 1984 classic would be issued on CD for the first time ever, in a bid to secure Last Christmas its first-ever stint at Number 1.

Fairytale of New York will also be looking to claim Christmas Number 1 for the first time ever this year. The track originally peaked at Number 2, but has become a reliable Top 10 Christmas chart mainstay over the last decade. The vinyl drop also comes after intense fan campaigning to get Fairytale of New York to Christmas Number 1 started in earnest as a tribute to MacGowan by fans of the band.

When will 2023's Official Christmas Number 1 single be announced?

The Official Christmas Number 1 race 2023 kicks off Friday December 15 with sales and streams counting up until midnight (11.59pm) on Thursday, December 21.

Tune in to The Official Chart on BBC Radio 1 on Friday December 22 from 4pm to hear the Christmas Top 40 countdown and the exclusive reveal of the Official Christmas Number 1 2023.

The full Top 100 Official Christmas Singles Chart and Albums Chart will be published on OfficialCharts.com from 5.45pm.

Join the conversation now using the hashtag #XmasNo1. Follow @OfficialCharts on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.  To be the first to hear who's leading the race to Christmas Number 1, join the Official Charts mailing list and opt in to Breaking News alerts. And keep up with all our Christmas Number 1 news and features here.

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