WHAM! pull ahead in Christmas Number 1 race - can Sam Ryder, Mariah Carey or The Pogues catch up?
WHAM! have pulled ahead in the race for 2023's Official Christmas Number 1 - but with The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl issuing a brand-new Fairytale of New York vinyl release and hype building around fellow contenders Sam Ryder and Mariah Carey, it's still too early to count anyone out.
WHAM! (aka Andrew Ridgeley and the late, great George Michael) were caught in a tight scuffle with the UK's 2022 Eurovision entrant Sam Ryder in the last Official Christmas Number 1 single First Look update, where just UK 42 chart units stood between Last Christmas at Number 1 and Sam's Amazon Music Original You're Christmas to Me at Number 2.
MORE: Every Official Christmas Number 1 single ever
But as the race has since developed, Official Charts can confirm that WHAM! have successfully widened the gap against their closest competition.
Today, The Pogues release a very special limited-edition physical run of their single Fairytale of New York with Kirsty MacColl, in memory of their late singer, Shane MacGowan.
With all proceeds going to the Irish charity Dublin Simon Community, the release comes alongside some passionate fan campaigning to get Fairytale of New York to Christmas Number 1 for the first time ever has been endorsed by Shane MacGowan's widow, Victoria Mary Clarke.
Expect to see the impact of that special physical release tomorrow, when The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl will surely rise; Fairytale of New York currently stands at Number 5.
MORE: The Official biggest Christmas Number 1 songs ever revealed
Gleefully hitting the Christmas promo trail this week, Sam Ryder is certainly still in the running to knock WHAM! off Number 1. His Amazon Music Original, You're Christmas To Me, remains at Number 2 in today's update.
Having already hit the campaign trail on his Amazon Music Originals 'Sam-ta Grotto' bus this week, Sam will be headlining a special, fan-exclusive gig tonight in Shoreditch, London; employing refreshing marketing tactics to raise awareness of his Christmas Number 1 bid, a reflection of the kind of promo that helped Sidemen reach a surprise peak of Number 3 last year with Christmas Drillings.
WATCH: Sam Ryder brings Official Charts aboard his You're Christmas To Me promo bus
And, of course, we must mention Mariah Carey, the self-styled Queen of Christmas is still very much in with a punt, keeping steady at Number 3 with All I Want for Christmas is You, while Ed Sheeran & Elton John could enter the conversation as the week rolls on; Merry Christmas is currently expected to rise two to Number 4, but given both artists' popularity on streaming, it could go even further.
When will 2023's Official Christmas Number 1 single be announced?
The Official Christmas Number 1 race 2023 kicked off Friday December 15, the final cut-off for sales and streams to count is midnight (11.59pm) on Thursday, December 21. So whoever you're backing, get behind your favourites before then.
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 Official Charts mailing list and opt in to Breaking News alerts, we'll keep you tipped on the Christmas Number 1 race and music's biggest breaking stories as they happen!
Keep up with all our Christmas Number 1 news and features here and join the conversation over on social media now using the hashtag #XmasNo1. Follow @OfficialCharts on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Article images: Getty
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