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THE POGUES’ FAIRYTALE of New York has missed out on the UK Christmas number one, with Wham! securing the top spot with Last Christmas, 39 years after the track was released.
Fairytale of New York, the classic duet between the late Shane MacGowan and the late Kirsty MacColl, was originally released in 1987.
It was kept off the top spot by Always On My Mind by the Pet Shop Boys – although it did take the number one slot in Ireland.
Fans had launched a campaign to get the song back to the top of the charts following the death of the band’s frontman Shane MacGowan on 30 November.
But the song has come in at number six on the latest edition of the UK’s Official Singles Chart, which will cover the week of Christmas, with Last Christmas landing the coveted number one spot.
Last Christmas was first released in December 1984 by pop duo George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, but was famously beaten to the top spot by Band Aid’s charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas?.
The festive track has now made history as the longest ever journey to make it to the top spot in time for Christmas Day, according to the Official Charts Company.
Andrew Ridgeley said: “Last Christmas has finally ascended to the much-cherished and sought-after Official Christmas number one, which was always the main goal.
“George would be beside himself (that) after all of these years, (we’ve) finally obtained Christmas number one. Yog (Michael) said that he wrote Last Christmas with the intention of writing a Christmas number one.
“It’s mission accomplished.”
Ridgeley said it was a “huge disappointment” for the pair not to reach the top spot in 1984 as they believed it was “nailed on”.
“Had it not been for Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?, it probably would’ve been number one,” the 60-year-old said.
“Thwarted for many years subsequent to that – the perennial bridesmaid – over recent years it seems it’s become part of the fabric of Christmas for a lot of people.
“Christmas number one has been a long-held ambition for Yog (Michael) and I, and for the fans, too. It’ll mean a lot to Wham!’s legacy – it’s the crowning glory.”
Ridgeley said the song was “conceived as a Christmas number one” as Michael had “lofty ambitions for himself as a songwriter”, before the band split in 1986.
Michael, who had an extensive solo career with singles including Careless Whisper, died on Christmas Day in 2016 aged 53.
“Our fans will have a real sense of achievement and pride in the fact it’s become Christmas number one,” Ridgeley added.
Last Christmas is now the UK’s third biggest song of all time with a combined lifetime total of 5.34 million chart units, the Official Charts Company said.
Sam Ryder, who placed second at the 2022 Eurovision competition, has landed the second spot on the Christmas singles chart with his new song You’re Christmas To Me, joining his 2022 Eurovision entry Space Man, which also placed second.
While Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You cemented its place at number three.
With reporting from Press Association
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The song is too cerebral for mainstream commercialism to make a number one. Looking back Shane McGowan was better off not making the No 1 slot
@Sean Treacy: The song brings in about €600,000 every year. I think that’s pretty much mainstream commercialism.
@John Fagan: no. It’s enough people on the ground that thankfully appreciate the artistic value of the song
@Sean Treacy: it’s about as mainstream as you can get for a Christmas song
@Sean Treacy: I presume you’re a troll. If not, you’re a cabbage
Shane will always be No. 1 in my house at Christmas.
And what about the IRISH number 1?
1st cliff Richards now wham beat the Pogues out of no.1 spot…UK, ya haven’t a clue!
@damien leen: 1st was Pet Shop Boys with an Elvis cover
@Eoghan Ryan: Elvis didn’t wright that song nor was he the first to release it. He did, like the Pet Shop Boys cover it though. Willy Nelson’s was my favourite version.
@brian o’leary: anyone who has seen it live gets them especially. theres no use in comparing that pet shop boys cover to the rest. Its absolutely fantastic in its own right and was an awesome surprise xmas no 1 in a different way to the Gary Jules’ track, a xmas no 1 cover of Mad world in the uk in 2003. Ps loved the Elvis scene in Blade runner 2049. GOWGEOUS
Makes me feel old. 39 years! Anyway, congrats Wham
Did ye hear 8 thousand children died last month in Gaza.
@Stanley darsh: ‘at the wake of the medusa, no one shed a tear’
@Stanley darsh: last 75 days, not the last month. Some 300 people are reported as dying since the beginning of the conflict.
@Paul Fahey: yeah . Cant.be believeing the large numbers
I hear only 10 Palestinians have died since the flighting started
@Dick Brett: Lol. Back in the days when we had a sense of humour. I like telling my son about those days.
@Louis Jacob: Did he laugh?
Read the lyrics of Last Christmas, only reference to Christmas is the name of the song. Nothing about the season. Last Christmas I gave you my heart, doesn’t actually mean it’s about Christmas, just a reference to the time of year. Another reason those brits don’t have a clue!
@oriain1981: fagg0ts are a traditional Christmas dish in some households?
@brian o’leary: although they can be cheap and lousy if the incorrect ingredients are used.
@Peter: whether you like it or not McGowan and MaColl were Brits, odd that.
It could be argued that George Michael did reach No. 1 for Christmas 1984 as he performed on “Do They Know It’s Christmas”. I still have the original vinyl of the song that I received as a Christmas present that year.
Wham, a good song. But it’s vanilla, which suits this generation.
McGowan was creatively bankrupt by 1990. Such a shame he was surrounded by enablers.
@Jimmy Wallace: well so could anyone.
Wow, we can actually comment
,
If the odds were better I would of bet a lot on Fairytale of NY getting to number 1. Glad they weren’t!
If you’re gonna finish behind a great pop song at Christmas then there’s no better tune. Shane & George have left us far too soon
Aload of balls that number1
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