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UK Charts Christmas #1

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  • 27-01-2016 9:29am
    #1
    corblimey
    Registered Users Posts: 4,475 ✭✭✭


    It's a long shot, but I'm wondering if anyone has any insight into how the Christmas #1 is chosen in the UK. Generally, it seems to be the song that's at number one on the 25th, simple. But taking 2012 for example, the "official" number one is He Aint' Heavy by the Justice Collective. However, according to every source I can find, this didn't go to number one until the 29th, and James Arthur was number one on the 25th. But the JC it is.

    Also, in 2011, official number one is the Military Wives, but this went to the top on New Years Eve! Is there any rhyme or reason to it, or just a general feeling by the UK Chart company that one is more 'worthy' than the other?


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    #2
    noby
    Registered Users Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭noby


    It sounds like every source you can find us wrong.

    The charts are done on a weekly basis. This used to be Monday to Sunday, so who ever was #1 on the Sunday before Christmas was the Christmas #1. They changed this to Friday last year. It is based on sales, streaming and downloads, but they don't just give #1 to a charity single on a whim.

    In 2012 JC came straight in to #1 Christmas week, and had dropped again a week later.

    Have a look at officialcharts.com


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    #3
    corblimey
    Registered Users Posts: 4,475 ✭✭✭corblimey


    So on the week (Sun-Sat pre 2015) in which the 25th falls, the Christmas number one is the number one at the end of that week?

    That works for the 2 examples I gave, and I think it makes sense for most years - it's easier to discern when the number one is number one for some time, rather than these days of XFactor winners hopping in for a week and hopping out again.


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    #4
    corblimey
    Registered Users Posts: 4,475 ✭✭✭corblimey


    So on the week (Sun-Sat pre 2015) in which the 25th falls, the Christmas number one is the number one at the end of that week?

    That works for the 2 examples I gave, and I think it makes sense for most years - it's easier to discern when the number one is number one for some time, rather than these days of XFactor winners hopping in for a week and hopping out again.


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    #5
    noby
    Registered Users Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭noby


    corblimey wrote: »
    So on the week (Sun-Sat pre 2015) in which the 25th falls, the Christmas number one is the number one at the end of that week?

    No. If that was the case, if, say, Christmas day feel on a Monday they wouldn't announce the Christmas #1 until the following Sunday.
    In that example the Christmas #1 would be announced the on Christmas eve, the Sunday.

    So, these days the #1 on that last Friday before Christmas is Christmas #1.
    This year Christmas day fell on a Friday, so they counted all sales etc. up to midnight on Thursday, then announced the #1 on Friday lunch time (Christmas day).


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    #6
    Anesthetize
    Registered Users Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭Anesthetize


    I'm under the impression that Sony, Universal and Warners decide among themselves.


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    #7
    corblimey
    Registered Users Posts: 4,475 ✭✭✭corblimey


    Thanks noby, your posts gave me some clues as to what I was doing wrong. Now I just have to figure out wtf was going on in 1960 and 61 when the Christmas number was awarded to songs that didn't make number one until the new year. But that's for another day.


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    #8
    noby
    Registered Users Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭noby


    corblimey wrote: »
    Thanks noby, your posts gave me some clues as to what I was doing wrong. Now I just have to figure out wtf was going on in 1960 and 61 when the Christmas number was awarded to songs that didn't make number one until the new year. But that's for another day.

    Yeah, I'm not sure to be honest. The charts were only eight years old, so maybe they were still tweaking the format?


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