29th December 17: The Real Christmas Charts

The last issue of the year and it looks so different to all the others of 2017. But let's start from the beginning.

At the very top this week reflects completely the year. Still at #1 Ed Sheeran stands. He serves with the best sold single of the year as Shape Of You invaded the charts at January and still sells well. The #1 song this current week of course is Perfect which is as popular due to the duet version with Beyoncé.
In 2017 Ed Sheeran spent 19 weeks at #1. This is the best performance for an recording artist since the beginning of the weekly charts. So far this mark was held by Boney M. which in 1978 managed to occupy 18 weeks at the top position.
To mention dueting partner Beyonce as well: With a span of more than ten years she is the artist with longest #1 career of 2017.

As this list reflects all sales from 22nd to 28th of December this is the survey definitely showing which hits people like on Christmas most. The list is fully crapped with seasonal tunes which perform better than in any other year–a situation similarly seen on the British charts. So there is a lot to tell about Christmas carols this year. Here we are:

#3 All I Want For Christmas Is You Mariah Carey: In 2016 the song reached its all time peak at #5. In 2017 the song performs even better as it climbs two further places to #3 23 years and 24 days after it charted for the very first time. So it even beats the result of Last Christmas that had an exactly 11 days shorter way to its all time peak.
And here is:

#4 Last Christmas Wham!: the ultimate Christmas pop song for more than a decade. It reached its peak at #4 in 2007–well the list reflecting its success was issued on January 4th 2008. Back than it had 72 chart weeks under his belt. Ten years later it eclipses its own feat. Meanwhile it collected 128 weeks–only one week short of the record held by Sky And Sand by Paul & Fritz Kalkbrenner which also is the song that had a longer run to reach its peak.

#8 Driving Home For Christmas Chris Rea: jumping 22–8 in its 48th chart week the song now is the most succesfull single by Chris Rea of all times. Even better it is the very first appearance inside the German top 10 for the British singer. Starting his chart career in Germany in August 1984 it took him 33 years to become a real top 10 act. The song itself had a 31 years run to its so far peak. It charted first in December 2002–so its chart career "only" spans a period of 15 years so far.

#10 Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming) Melanie Thornton: this is one of the younger Christmas classics. Released in 2001 it peaked back than at #4 and recharted every season performing not lower than #41. This season it dips the top10 for the very first time since its initial chart run. It is the 107th chart week and the second most listed song right behind Last Christmas.

#12 Hallelujah Pentatonix: Last year's #1 Christmas song still is popular in 2017 too. It ranks now as the fifth best sold Christmas tune which is quite a good result. Hallelujah still is the one and only singles chart entry of the a capella project.

#14 Merry Christmas Everyone Shakin' Stevens: Recorded in 1985 the song reaches its peak at #14 after 32 years although it only spent eight weeks on the charts–four weeks this year alone. The popularity of this song is a quite new occurance as it reappeared in December 2015 for the first time after its first chart entry. Now it becomes Shakin' Stevens' twentieth top20 hit.

#15 Happy Xmas (War Is Over) John Lennon & Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band (with The Harlem Community Quire): The song peaks at #15 almost 45 years after it first appeared on the German charts. It is far and away the Christmas song spanning the longest time period with its chart appearances. For this feat there were 19 chart weeks taken.
Two years ago the song reached its all time peak at #40 so far.

#18 Thank God It's Christmas Queen: In its tenth chart week the Queen's Christmas song reaches the top20. So far its best performance was #48 reached in 2016. When it first entered the list in 1984 it peaked at #57.

#22 Santa Tell Me Ariana Grande: Recorded in 2014 the song this year has its first chart run. By jumping 99–22 it takes the biggest leap inside the charts in 2017–and doubtlessly one of the biggest in chart history. Santa Tell Me is Ariana Grande's 11th chart hit.

#24 FelÍz Navidad José Felícíano: 10 years ago the song for the very first time achieved the charts. Since then it re-appeared every season reaching its peak so far in its 36th chart week.

#27 Wonderful Christmastime Paul McCartney: In only its fifth chart week and second season the 1979 recorded song reaches its so far peak at #27.

#29 Do They Know It's Christmas Band Aid: In 1984 Midge Ure and Bob Geldof started the Band Aid project and somehow initiated the tradition of big promoted charity singles. Back then the single was a huge hit occupying #1 for two weeks. In 2017 the song reaches its highest position since 33 years at #29. All versions later recorded only had short seasonal impact and never outsold the original. The 2014 incarnation performs now at #56.

#30 It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas Michael Bublé: Christmas song time is Michael Bublé time. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas might become a long time classic and the signature song for the Canadian singer. In its fourth season and seventh chart week the song achieves #30.

#36 Christmas Time Bryan Adams: Most Christmas songs are sweet pop or 1950s/60s inspired tunes. There are only a very view rock Christmas carols. Christmas Time is one of them. Recorded in 1985 it charted for a single week on January 13th 1986 at #67. 2015 and 2016 the song re-appeared for single weeks too both years reaching higher positions. This year it is listed for two consecutive weeks for the very first time. #36 marks an all time peak.

#38 Jingle Bell Rock Daryl Hall John Oates: Originally the song was recorded by Bobby Helms in 1957 and became a standard tune on several Christmas editions. Two weeks ago the song charted for the very first time in Germany–in a recording from 1983 at #92. This week the recording re-enters at #38 and now ranks as the most popular version of that song. The version by Bobby Helms clings on at #81 only spending its second chart week.

#43 Underneath The Tree Kelly Clarkson: In 2013 Kelly Clarkson recorded a Christmas album Wrapped In Red. This year two songs from the collection can made it as single tracks into the list. Whilst Underneath the tree is the highest really new song on the list. These are Kelly's 18th and 19th chart hit.

#45 White Christmas Michael Bublé duet with Shania Twain: The most famous version by Bing Crosby recorded in 1941 had four chart runs between 2007 and 2011 and peaked at #53. The recording by Michael Bublé sets new limits by jumping in its second chart week 94–45.

#48 My Only Wish (This Year) Britney Spears: season three, chart week five–the song for the first time reaches the upper half of the list.

Recorded in 2017:
#51 Santa's Coming For Us SiA: This is the best performing Christmas song recorded in 2017
#55 You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Gwen Stefani featuring Blake Shelton
#64 Christmas Eve Kelly Clarkson

Further Christmas songs:
#52 Christmas Lights Coldplay: 2010 recorded; season four; highest performance since its initial release
#57 The Best Side Of Life Sarah Connor: recorded 2006; first appearance since 2009
#65 Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree Brenda Lee: recorded in 1958; second season and second chart week; all-time peak. The singer now exactly matches the time span of hits as Udo Jürgens does: 57 years and 150 days. It means both held the record of longest lasting chart career.
#71 The Power Of Love Frankie Goes To Hollywood: absent for one season the song is back in its 29th chart week (including the chart run due to a remix in 1993); sixth chart run; highest position since January 2010
#92 It's The Most Winderful Time Of The Year Andy Williams: second season; performs lower than 2016; stretches the chart appearance of Andy Williams to 54 and a half year–three years short off Brenda Lee
#96 Merry XMas Everybody Slade: third chart run, appeared in 2008 last time
#98 In der Weihnachtsbäckerei Rolf Zuckowski und seine Freunde: fifth season, missed an appaerance 2016, now it is back in its sixth chart week
#100 Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town Bruce Springsteen: same place as one year ago; the original by Frank Sinatra appears completely newly at #85

First time in charts although recorded years before:
#59 Merry Christmas Happy Holidays *NSync: recorded in 1998, gives the band a 15th chart entry after 15 years of absence from the charts
#62 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Sam Smith: recorded 2014, chart entry number 10
#66 I'll Be Home Meghan Trainor: released 2014; lowest performing chart hit for the singer
#75 Please Come Home For Christmas Eagles: after an absence of more than 22 years USAmerican band Eagles is back; recorded in 1978 and is only the fifth chart hit for the band
#76 All I Want For Christmas Is New Years Day HURTS: recorded in 2010–the year when the band started its career; it is now the tenth chart entry and ends an almost four years absence
#78 Santa Baby Eartha Kitt with Henri René and his Orchestra: recorded in 1953; only the third chart entry for the singer; a chart come back after 33 years – it is the longest break ended in 2017.
#85 Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town Frank Sinatra: recorded in 1948 it is the first chart appearance; Frank Sinatra was absent for 24 years; this is chart entry no. six. Bruce Springsteen's take on this tune already charted a year ago.
#91 Step Into Christmas Elton John: recorded in 1973, it is the artist's 51st chart entry and ends an almost 14 years long absence from the list

Et voilá–there a 33 Christmas songs inside the list! What a feat.

More statistics: There are only 56 tracks involving Europeans. The last time this rate dropped below 60% was in July 2016.

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