As the biggest chart race of the year rages on, the self-styled Queen of Christmas has made a stunning coup, shuffling up to Number 2 midweek with her modern festive classic (and former UK Number 1 single) All I Want For Christmas Is You.
This means Mariah is now in pole position to challenge the mighty WHAM! – who still remain the act to beat, with Last Christmas still in lead to take the UK’s Official Christmas Number 1 single for the second year in a row.
Mariah does trail WHAM! at the moment, but this is a big anniversary year for Mimi. All I Want For Christmas Is You and its parent album, Merry Christmas, celebrate their 30th anniversary this year (!), which also means that it’s now 30 years since All I Want For Christmas Is You was originally denied Christmas Number 1 in 1994 by East 17 and Stay Another Day.
Three decades later…could Mariah be getting the last laugh? Given that the festive original only reached Number 1 in the UK for the first time in 2020, Mariah has really played the long game in order to enter the definitive Christmas canon, and it has never been wise to count her out.
As for Tom – he’s still riding high with his Amazon Original, the soulful It Can’t Be Christmas, and standing strong in the Top 3. Despite Mariah overtaking him this morning – little over 200 chart units still separate the two, so it’s still very possible that he can make lost ground back up over the next few days.
Given that Tom (who will be looking for It Can’t Be Christmas to become his highest-ever charting single in the UK this week) has already committed to getting an actual tattoo done to commemorate this week’s Christmas Number 1 race, our homegrown hero will surely be hoping for a big mid-week surge. It’s still all to play for!
As the biggest chart race of the year continues to offer up surprises aplenty, keep your eyes peeled on Official Charts for more as the week unfolds!
When will the 2024 Christmas Number 1 be revealed?
This year’s Official Christmas Number 1 race 2024 kicks off Friday December 13 with sales and streams counting up until midnight (11.59pm) on Thursday, December 19. ?
Tune in to The Official Chart on BBC Radio 1 on Friday December 20 from 4pm to hear the Christmas Top 40 countdown and the exclusive reveal of the Official Christmas Number 1 2024.
