Christmas Number 1 2024: WHAM!'s Last Christmas makes Official Chart history again!

Andrew Ridgeley celebrates another history-making moment for WHAM! - and what George Michael would think of their second Christmas Number 1.

By George Griffiths | 20 December 2024

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Last Christmas you gave them Christmas Number 1…and this year, WHAM! have repeated the trick, landing the Christmas Number 1 2024, making Official Chart history in the process.  

Today, Official Charts can confirm Last Christmas becomes the first song in chart history to ever clinch two consecutive Christmas Number 1 victories, marking its 40th anniversary as the most-streamed and physically purchased song of the week. 

Originally conceived by the late, great George Michael as a contender for 1984’s Official Christmas Number 1, Last Christmas was originally blocked from the festive top spot by Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? but finally claimed the coveted festive chart crown in 2023, completing the longest ever journey to Christmas Number 1 of 39 years. 

Now enshrined as the UK’s favourite Christmas song, Last Christmas held off fierce competition from Gracie Abrams and Mariah Carey, as well as a bravura attempt by Tom Grennan to shake up the festive chart race. 

Last Christmas secures Christmas Number 1 through both digital any physical domination, with 12.6 million streams, and the best seller of the week physically too, thanks to a suite of limited edition 40th anniversary collectibles, including zoetrope vinyl, picture disc and CD.   

Speaking exclusively to Official Charts, WHAM!’s Andrew Ridgeley says:  

“37 years to get to Number 1, 39 years to Christmas Number 1, and then like London buses they all come along at once! I’m especially pleased for George, he would have been utterly delighted, his fabulous Christmas composition has become such a classic, almost as much a part of Christmas as mince pies, turkey and pigs in blankets.” 
 
“It’s testament to a really wonderful Christmas song that in a lot of people’s minds evokes and represents Christmas as we would all wish it to be. I’d like to thank everyone who has listened to, downloaded, bought, streamed Last Christmas and been a part of history. Thanks so much and Merry Christmas!”   

Pictured: WHAM's Christmas Number 1 awards for Last Christmas in 2023 and 2024.

WHAM! now enter a rare Official Charts club, as one of only a few acts to achieve the Official Christmas Number 1 multiple times. Their peers now include; Queen (2), Cliff Richard (2), Spice Girls (3), The Beatles (4) and the current record-holders, LadBaby (5). How’s that for esteemed company? 

On WHAM! joining the likes of Queen and The Beatles with multiple festive chart-toppers to their name, Andrew observes: 

“Artists of that calibre and songwriters, of which George was one, transcend the ages and decades and endure because of their quality. I think that’s the reason why Last Christmas has endured.” 

Gracie Abrams’ former chart-topper That’s So True finishes the week at Number 2, following a last-minute surge ahead of the Christmas competition, confirming her place as one of this year’s biggest breakout acts. That’s So True previously topped the Official Singles Chart for five consecutive weeks.  

Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey may be celebrating 30 years of All I Want For Christmas Is You this year, but she has to settle for a finish of Number 3, holding steady week-on-week. 

This week, all eyes have also been on Tom Grennan and his bold attempt to snatch Christmas Number 1 with his soulful Amazon Original It Can’t Be Christmas. The Bedford singer-songwriter committed to a Christmas Number 1 2024 tattoo, hoping to insert his name into the design at the end of the week.  

Speaking to Official Charts ahead of today’s announcement, Tom discussed his Christmas Number 1 tattoo: 

“Whatever happens, I’m getting somebody’s name tattooed on my leg. If it’s WHAM!, then great, because WHAM! are unreal. But if it’s me, even better! And if it’s Mariah... great too! 

But honestly the tattoo thing I think is just a way for me to remember this time" 

However, despite a brave effort, Tom just misses out, ending the week with a new personal best instead at Number 4, his highest-ever charting solo single in the UK. 

Tom concludes: “To everybody that has supported me, wherever you are, thank you for supporting me, you are always gonna be part of my family and a part of my Christmas dream. So thank you from the bottom of my heart, it’s been amazing, and I love you all.” 

WHAM!’s Andrew Ridgeley responds to rival Tom Grennan's result: 

“I wish Tom every success in the future, the business relies on up-and-coming talent. He’s gonna have his work cut out writing something like Last Christmas, everyone will, but at some point someone will, I’m sure of it.” 

Martin Talbot, Chief Executive, Official Charts comments: 

“Many, many congratulations to Andrew Ridgeley and Team WHAM! on achieving an incredible piece of Official Chart history this week. It is incredible to think that four years ago Last Christmas was the biggest-selling single never to hit Number 1 – then it finally hit the top in January 2021, finally became a Christmas Number 1 in December 2023 and is now the first repeat Christmas Number 1 in history, with nine weeks at the summit (in five separate runs) to its name. It is surely, undeniably, established now as the British Nation’s all-time favourite Christmas song. 

“Also, of course, we should all take our caps off to Sabrina Carpenter too, whose Short N’ Sweet album tops off what has been an incredible year for her to become the Official Christmas Number 1 album.” 

Pictured: WHAM's Andrew Ridgeley with his Christmas Number 1 2024 award from Official Charts for Last Christmas.

BLACKPINK idol ROSÉ and Bruno Mars round out the Christmas Top 5 with dance floor smash APT. 

Marking herself out as one to watch for 2025, a huge congratulations are also in order for Lola Young, who manages to cut through the festive noise to earn her first-ever UK Top 10 single with Messy (7). The indie-pop tune has blown up over social media in the last few weeks and stands strong as one of three non-Christmas tracks present in the Top 10 today. 

Talking to Official Charts about her first Top 10, Lola Young says: 

“This feeling is insane, my first Top 10 single and it feels so surreal. I’m beyond grateful for the love, and to everyone who’s been listening and resonating with Messy... you are enough! Big love to all of you!” 

She’s dominated the Official Chart in 2024 – and Sabrina Carpenter couldn’t let the year go without squeezing in another hit! A Nonsense Christmas rises into the Top 20 for the first time ever (16), thanks to the Netflix special of the same name.  

This year alone, Sabrina has chalked up six UK Top 40 singles, including her trio of chart-toppers, Espresso, Please Please Please and Taste. 

Further down, Icelandic-Chinese jazz auteur Laufey maintains her Top 20 placing for a second week with Christmas Magic (19), another Amazon Original which is also featured in the festive blockbuster Red One, starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans.  

Overall, there are 29 Christmas tracks present in the UK Top 40 this week. Those rising from last week include; Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? (12), Shakin’ Steven’ Merry Christmas Everyone (14), Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime (18) and José Feliciano’s Feliz Navidad (21).  

British multi-hyphenate KSI can’t help but cause a commotion, even at Christmas. Brand-new track Dirty is this week’s highest new entry (31) and scores the singer, rapper and social media superstar his 20th UK Top 40 hit. 

More Christmas songs present in the Top 40 today are; The Ronettes’ Sleigh Ride (22), Chris Rea’s Driving Home For Christmas (25), Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (28), John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s Plastic Band’s Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (29), Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody (30), Ed Sheeran & Elton John’s Merry Christmas (33) and Leona Lewis’s One More Sleep (36). 

Finally, Sir Starmer & Granny Harmer’s protest track Freezing This Christmas climbs into the Top 40 after a passionate grassroots campaign (37), scoring the best-selling and most-downloaded single of the week, topping the Official Download Chart and Official Singles Sales Chart.