Amazingly, Paul McCartney has had eight Christmas Number Ones as a member of The Beatles, Wings and three Band Aid incarnations. The only act to have four Christmas number ones are The Beatles - with three consecutive number ones starting in 1963. And in 1963 and 1967, they were the only act ever to have both the Christmas number one and number two songs (George Michael achieved this feat with two acts - Band Aid and Wham! in 1984).
Cliff Richard has also had four Christmas number ones - two as a solo act, and with The Shadows and Band Aid II. The Spice Girls matched The Beatles’ three consecutive Xmas Number Ones, from 1996 to 1998. And Spice Girl Mel C gained her fourth Christmas number one as a member of The Justice Collective in 2012. Queen are the only artists to take the same song to the Christmas Number One spot twice with 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in 1975 and 1991. And finally, 'Mary's Boy Child' is the only song to be Christmas number one for two different artists - Harry Belafonte (1957) and Boney M. (1978) (although three generations of Band Aid had Xmas number one hits with 'Do They Know It's Christmas?').
| Year | Artist | Christmas Number One Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Al Martino | Here in My Heart |
| 1953 | Frankie Laine | Answer Me |
| 1954 | Winifred Atwell | Let's Have Another Party |
| 1955 | Dickie Valentine | Christmas Alphabet |
| 1956 | Johnnie Ray | Just Walkin' in the Rain |
| 1957 | Harry Belafonte | Mary's Boy Child |
| 1958 | Conway Twitty | It's Only Make Believe |
| 1959 | Emile Ford and The Checkmates | What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? |
| 1960 | Cliff Richard and The Shadows | I Love You |
| 1961 | Danny Williams | Moon River |
| 1962 | Elvis Presley | Return to Sender |
| 1963 | The Beatles | I Want to Hold Your Hand |
| 1964 | The Beatles | I Feel Fine |
| 1965 | The Beatles | Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out |
| 1966 | Tom Jones | Green, Green Grass of Home |
| 1967 | The Beatles | Hello, Goodbye |
| 1968 | The Scaffold | Lily the Pink |
| 1969 | Rolf Harris | Two Little Boys |
| 1970 | Dave Edmunds | I Hear You Knocking |
| 1971 | Benny Hill | Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) |
| 1972 | Jimmy Osmond | Long Haired Lover from Liverpool |
| 1973 | Slade | Merry Xmas Everybody |
| 1974 | Mud | Lonely This Christmas |
| 1975 | Queen | Bohemian Rhapsody |
| 1976 | Johnny Mathis | When a Child Is Born (Soleado) |
| 1977 | Wings | Mull of Kintyre |
| 1978 | Boney M. | Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord |
| 1979 | Pink Floyd | Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) |
| Year | Artist | Christmas Number One Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | St Winifred's School Choir | There's No One Quite Like Grandma |
| 1981 | The Human League | Don't You Want Me |
| 1982 | Renée and Renato | Save Your Love |
| 1983 | The Flying Pickets | Only You |
| 1984 | Band Aid | Do They Know It's Christmas? |
| 1985 | Shakin' Stevens | Merry Christmas Everyone |
| 1986 | Jackie Wilson | Reet Petite |
| 1987 | Pet Shop Boys | Always on My Mind |
| 1988 | Cliff Richard | Mistletoe and Wine |
| 1989 | Band Aid II | Do They Know It's Christmas? |
| 1990 | Cliff Richard | Saviour's Day |
| 1991 | Queen | Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are the Days of Our Lives |
| 1992 | Whitney Houston | I Will Always Love You |
| 1993 | Mr Blobby | Mr Blobby |
| 1994 | East 17 | Stay Another Day |
| 1995 | Michael Jackson | Earth Song |
| 1996 | Spice Girls | 2 Become 1 |
| 1997 | Spice Girls | Too Much |
| 1998 | Spice Girls | Goodbye |
| 1999 | Westlife | Seasons in the Sun |
| 2000 | Bob the Builder | Can We Fix It? |
| 2001 | Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman | Somethin' Stupid |
| 2002 | Girls Aloud | Sound of the Underground |
| 2003 | Michael Andrews and Gary Jules | Mad World |
| 2004 | Band Aid 20 | Do They Know It's Christmas? |
| 2005 | Shayne Ward | That's My Goal |
| 2006 | Leona Lewis | A Moment Like This |
| 2007 | Leon Jackson | When You Believe |
| 2008 | Alexandra Burke | Hallelujah |
| 2009 | Rage Against the Machine | Killing in the Name |
| 2010 | Matt Cardle | When We Collide |
| 2011 | Military Wives with Gareth Malone | Wherever You Are |
| 2012 | The Justice Collective | He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother |
| 2013 | Sam Bailey | Skyscraper |
| 2014 | Ben Haenow | Something I Need |
| 2015 | Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir | A Bridge over You |
| 2016 | Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie | Rockabye |
| 2017 | Ed Sheeran | Perfect |
| 2018 | LadBaby | We Built This City |
| 2019 | LadBaby | I Love Sausage Rolls |
| 2020 | LadBaby | Don't Stop Me Eatin' |