[Latina]

Actually I did - I remembered looking it up a couple of months ago. Plus I'm a bit of a chart geek.

[Latina]

From memory and without checking, this is as far as I go...

1992 - Whitney Houston
1993 - Mr Blobby
1994 - East 17
1995 - Michael Jackson
1996 - Spice Girls
1997 - Spice Girls
1998 - Spice Girls
1999 - Westlife
2000 - Bob the Builder
2001 - Robbie & Nicole
2002 - Girls Aloud
2003 - Gary Jules
2004 - Band Aid 20
2005 - X Factor
2006 - X Factor
2007 - X Factor
2008 - X Factor

EDIT: I'm correct! I should really have specified the X Factor winners though. ...Or should I?

[CassieJackson]

I know I didn't, I thought it was Gary Jules - Mad World.

I had Mad World down as my answer too.

[Latina]

Stream of consciousness alert... I remembered vividly Andrews/Jules beating The Darkness (and Justin not being happy about it), and 2003 had been the year of The Darkness, and Band Aid 20 was of course 20 years after the orighinal Band Aid (1984), so I guess that's how the thought process went for me.

Going back the decade, 2002 was the year of Popstars the Rivals (which I watched at the time) and that whole show was a precursor to the X Factor in the sense that it essentially engineering the Xmas Number One for that year (won by Girls Aloud), and 2001 was the year of Moulin Rouge when Nicole Kidman had a huge "comeback". 2000 was when Westlife very deliberately tried to do a Spice Girls and start a consecutive run of Xmas Number Ones, but were beaten by Bob the Builder and never attempted it again.

[Yudster]

... I remembered vividly Andrews/Jules beating The Darkness (and Justin not being happy about it),

I wasn't happy about it either. A terrible, miserable, depressing cover of what had originally been a good song, or a proper, festive Christmas song? I was annoyed in large measure.

[Latina]

I felt the same at the time, but nowadays with the #2 being more significant than the #1 it doesn't seem so bad. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_ ... _in_the_UK

I must say it's frustrating that 'Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)' is getting lots of airplay on Radio 2 at the moment but none whatsoever on Radio 1.

[MK Chris]

I know I didn't, I thought it was Gary Jules - Mad World.

I had Mad World down as my answer too.

Me three.

... I remembered vividly Andrews/Jules beating The Darkness (and Justin not being happy about it),

I wasn't happy about it either. A terrible, miserable, depressing cover of what had originally been a good song, or a proper, festive Christmas song? I was annoyed in large measure.

I liked that cover! I liked that it sounded like Michael Stipe sang it and I liked that it was melancholic, but I also liked the original. I did not like that dreadful Freddie Mercury wannabe or any of his songs.

[Latina]

I know I didn't, I thought it was Gary Jules - Mad World.

I had Mad World down as my answer too.

Me three.

Perhaps people are forgetting Band Aid 20 because it was another mass campaign thing, albeit a charity one rather than a reality TV one? You could say that 'Mad World' is the most recent Christmas chart-topper that reached number one without any mass media influence. There have only been 3 this decade (or 2 if you don't allow Bob the Builder).

[Latina]

I liked that cover! I liked that it sounded like Michael Stipe sang it and I liked that it was melancholic, but I also liked the original. I did not like that dreadful Freddie Mercury wannabe or any of his songs.

I must admit I've warmed to it since. It's become one of those non-Christmassy-songs-that-now-sounds-Christmassy for me.

But I happen to love that Darkness song, especially the build-up at the end. It's the only truly festive pop song of the 2000s of any significance I can think of, while the 90s had several, and the 70s and 80s loads.

[MK Chris]

Proper Crimbo was better and it was a novelty record.

[Munki Bhoy]

Proper Crimbo was better and it was a novelty record.

I bought that on Monday. I appear to be in a Christmas mood this week as I've also bought Never Gonna Snow (me and 743 others apparently), Pogues & Kirsty McColl (I thought I had it already but apparently not) and Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power of Love. Not really a Christmas song, but then it's still brilliant and was nearly a Christmas number one, if not for Band Aid - the original one.

And in case anyone cares (I know my first thought when I read Latina's post was "I wonder what 1991 was"), the full list is here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ch ... ingles_(UK)

[chrysostom]

Proper Crimbo was better and it was a novelty record.

i liked this record a lot, it was fun, non offensive and i still remember how it goes without looking it up

[Latina]

Proper Crimbo was better and it was a novelty record.

Oh, I forgot about that. Love it! I actually can't remember what year it was... *goes to check*

[Latina]

Proper Crimbo was better and it was a novelty record.

I bought that on Monday. I appear to be in a Christmas mood this week as I've also bought Never Gonna Snow (me and 743 others apparently), Pogues & Kirsty McColl (I thought I had it already but apparently not) and Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power of Love. Not really a Christmas song, but then it's still brilliant and was nearly a Christmas number one, if not for Band Aid - the original one.

And in case anyone cares (I know my first thought when I read Latina's post was "I wonder what 1991 was"), the full list is here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ch ... ingles_(UK)

'The Power Of Love' could be considered a Christmas song because of the video and artwork, I suppose. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_ ... ywood_song)

I really want to hear this:

The 12" mix of the song featured actor Chris Barrie's aping DJ Mike Read's banning of the single "Relax".

Wham! were kept off #1 by Band Aid as well. Great year!

[MK Chris]

* me, Simon Cowell's lost the plot:

I think we were getting to a point where [the Christmas chart] was all becoming like The Millennium Prayer, and I just didn't like that song.

I think we all have this belief that the Christmas number one was just amazing, a real special occasion, but actually when you look at them over recent years, it was Bob the Builder one year, Mr Blobby…there's a tradition of quite horrible songs.

I think I've done everyone a favour.

Shows like Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor have actually got people more interested in music again, and are sending more people into record stores. We haven't seen this kind of uplift in years.

True, Mr Blobby and Bob the Builder weren't great songs, but to suggest that X-Factor has reinvogorated the Christmas chart and that "shows like Britain's Got Talent and X-Factor" (oh look, both his shows) have got people into music again is totally beyond the pale.

Also, I'm considering a special Christmas Golden Hour Game, but I'm not sure because everyone will obviously vote for Fairytale of New York.

[Console]

I won't - I don't like that song.

[Latina]

Also, I'm considering a special Christmas Golden Hour Game, but I'm not sure because everyone will obviously vote for Fairytale of New York.

I was going to suggest that - you should!

Simon Cowell has a tendency to make really bad arguments. He decides which point he wants to make that day and then picks out one (poor) example to "prove" it. Millennium Prayer wasn't number one at Christmas anyway.

Also, from what I remember, Mr Blobby and Bob the Builder were both part of close Xmas Number One battles (with Take That and Westlife respectively); two years in which the Christmas charts were a lot more interesting than they ever had been recently. Finally we have something like it again thanks to this campaign, and Simon criticises it because it's undermining his apparent God-given right to the #1. Unbelievable.

Also, he ought to be careful criticising novelty records...

Subsequently, Cowell signed up a number of acts to S-Records that made a mark in the pop music world, including Curiosity Killed the Cat, Sonia Evans, Five, Westlife, Robson & Jerome, and Ultimate Kaos. He also released several novelty recordings featuring the likes of wrestlers of the World Wrestling Federation, Teletubbies,[10] Zig and Zag and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, that were huge successes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Cowe ... nal_career

[Yudster]

... I remembered vividly Andrews/Jules beating The Darkness (and Justin not being happy about it),

I wasn't happy about it either. A terrible, miserable, depressing cover of what had originally been a good song, or a proper, festive Christmas song? I was annoyed in large measure.

I liked that cover! I liked that it sounded like Michael Stipe sang it and I liked that it was melancholic.......

Melancholic? Why would you want that at Christmas? And it was beyond melancholic, it was music-to-slit-your-wrists-by.

[Munki Bhoy]

The irony being that Cowell's Tellytubbies missed out on Christmas number one thanks to the Spice Girls one year.

He's right though, more people are buying music thanks to X-Factor. Unfortunately for him, it's because we're all so sick of X-Factor that people have decided they'd rather have something else. X-Factor is the pantomime villain in what must be the first battle for Christmas number one since Mad World (since X-Factor and Band Aid pretty much skooshed it every year since then).

And to be honest, that's what I miss about Christmas number one. Not which song makes it, but the build up. The race to get there. Once a year, the singles chart is exciting. The foregone conclusion of the last few years is just boring. And if RATM does or doesn't make it this year, at least it's served the purpose of bringing that race back.

Incidentally, there's a list of Christmas Number Twos on Wikipedia too. There's some brilliant songs didn't make it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_ ... _in_the_UK

[Lactating Man Nips]

Why don't people just send money directly to Cowell or Sony and they both declare who recieved the most on Christmas Day. The winner then pops some shampoo live over their new yacht as everyone gets that empty sinking feeling of anticlimax. People can then use up their remaining text credits in deciding the nation's favourite colour.

I heard that McElderry song today. Lo behold after an interminable monopoly over primetime TV they eventually found someone whose vocals still have to be reigned in by autotune during production (listen for that slight warble). *!!

[Latina]

Moyles played 'Killing In The Name' this morning. Looks like it's been sort-of-playlisted this week.

[English Bob]

Hahahaha! Rage Against the Machine performed Killing in the Name live on Radio 5 Live this morning. They apparently asked them not to swear. Guess what happened?

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rliEdnbwCOA

Song starts at about 4 minutes, swearing begins at about 8 minutes 45 seconds

The best bit is hearing the woman on the show frantically saying 'Get rid of it!'


Also, Zane played Killing in the Name on his show earlier in the week, with sound clips of Simon Cowell's moaning over the top of it

Found it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUr6usnZUYA

[Zoot]

Hahahaha! Rage Against the Machine performed Killing in the Name live on Radio 5 Live this morning. They apparently asked them not to swear. Guess what happened?

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rliEdnbwCOA

Song starts at about 4 minutes, swearing begins at about 8 minutes 45 seconds

The best bit is hearing the woman on the show frantically saying 'Get rid of it!'


Also, Zane played Killing in the Name on his show earlier in the week, with sound clips of Simon Cowell's moaning over the top of it

Found it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUr6usnZUYA

Ha, so the radio station asked them not to swear during the line "* you i wont do what you tell me"?
What the hell did they expect?

[chrysostom]

'oh, you know that line where you swear aggresively opposing the system - actively promoting a lifestyle of questioning authority and rebellion? we'd like you to cut that out please.'

idiots. hope they get a massive telling off for agreeing to have rage live on the show.

[Latina]

There is a clean version though. They were probably asked to perform that one instead, and they really should have refused instead of going ahead with the unclean version against their word.

Glad it happened though - more publicity.