Retro Crimbo 2023: Playlist ~ the UK’s greatest ever Christmas Number 2 singles

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That’s right, the blog post directly preceding this one, which claimed to be this year’s Christmas playlist, was telling a tiny-weeny festive fib – because it wasn’t the only one. As a bit of a bonus, this one’s an awesome seasonal playlist, too.

Indeed, what better way to follow up a post celebrating the best ever UK Christmas Number 1 singles than with one chock-full of more merry-tasting treats – specifically, the finest tunes ever to hit Blighty’s Number 2 slot come Christmas Day?

And, although, none of these 17 ditties managed to make it to the top of the, er, Christmas tree in their original year of release, collectively they maybe make for a more diverse and even better combo of British chart classics than those listed here 48 short hours ago.

So, with just one more sleep to go until the big day, why not drift away into Crimbo dreamland by giving a listen to a few of the following tracks? You’re bound to be humming one, two, three, four or more of them tomorrow. Cue Bill Haley’s talking clock…!  

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CLICK on the track titles to hear them

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Bill Haley & The Comets ~ Rock Around The Clock (1955)¹

Lord Rockingham’s XI ~ Hoots Mon (1958)¹

The Beatles ~ She Loves You (1963)¹²

Petula Clark ~ Downtown (1964)

The Foundations ~ Build Me Up Buttercup (1968)

Kenny Rogers and The First Edition ~ Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town (1969)

Bachman-Turner Overdrive ~ You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet (1974)

Greg Lake ~ I Believe In Father Christmas (1975)

The Village People ~ Y.M.C.A. (1978)¹

ABBA ~ I Have A Dream (1979)

John Lennon ~ (Just Like) Starting Over (1980)¹

The Housemartins ~ Caravan Of Love (1986)¹

Kylie Minogue featuring Jason Donovan ~ Especially For You (1988)¹

Vanilla Ice ~ Ice Ice Baby (1990)¹

Mariah Carey ~ All I Want For Christmas (1994/ 2020)

Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars ~ Uptown Funk (2014)¹

The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl ~ Fairytale Of New York (1987)³

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¹ Managed to chart at Number 1 on the UK singles charts either in the run up to or after Christmas in the year of its release, but not actually over the yuletide itself 

² Along with the top-spot-hitting I Want To Hold Your Hand, this absolutely Fab-tastic Beatles hit ensured the latter secured both the UK Christmas Number 1 and 2 in 1963; a feat that’s been repeated three times since (by The Beatles again in 1967, George Michael in 1984, and Ed Sheeran and Elton John in 2021)

³ Following the terribly untimely loss of Kirsty MacColl just prior to Christmas 2000, The Pogues’ brilliantly bibulous frontman Shane MacGowan passed away in late November this year.

Rest in peace, indeed – and a very merry Christmas to everybody out there in Internetland…!

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