All the Best Christmas Songs

All The Best!..Christmas Songs

"All the best" is the way us Brits wish one another well during the Christmas season (and also at New Year!) so this hub is this Brit's way of wishing all the rest of you "All The Best" for the holidays.

I thought I would celebrate this seasonal, cheerful hub with some of the best Christmas songs over the past five decades and I think you will be as surprised as I am at how many of these songs were REAL hits, songs which are considered standards now, some of them could even be considered 'classics'.

Some amazing bands and singers have been at number one at Christmas in the UK over the last fifty years. I understand that it is not considered such a big deal in the USA but it is with considerable pride that a band or solo artiste takes the number one spot in the UK, as this hub will show.

Turn up your speakers or slot in your headphones and enjoy these Christmas blasts from the past.

1956 - Johnnie Ray - Just Walkin' In The Rain

Johnnie Ray was one of the pre-cursors to rock n roll, a man who wrote songs influences by jazz and the blues - he was considered, in the fifties and early sixties to be something of a maverick talent.

'Just Walkin' In The Rain' is one of his biggest hits and is still a popular song today (especially at social club karaoke nights).

Ray was deaf in one ear from a very young age and became profoundly deaf in the early sixties. He continues to work professionally though his popularity dwindles in the early sixties.

This is a great Christmas Number 1 though.

1957 - Harry Belafonte - Mary's Boy Child

I have included Harry Belafonte's 'Mary's Boy Child' because it reappears later on in our count up to the modern day Christmas number ones by a different artiste.

This is, arguably, the better version. HArry Belafonte was better known for his popularisation of calypso music in the United States and later in his career continued to sing his favourite types of music, occasionally moving into jazz and in this case, gospel. It is a lovely rendition and Belafonte has a great voice.

1958 - Conway Twitty - It's Only Make Believe

This will be my last foray into the 1950s UK Christmas Number Ones. I choose it because I really, really love this song - no matter who I hear singing it, even my old uncle at the Boxing Day bash at my mam's house. Conway Twitty didn't have many hits in the UK but he will always be immortalised with this song.

1961 - Danny Williams - Moon River

My Goodness, can we really believe this was a Christmas Number One? The need to become the UK Christmas Number One really starts to mean something in the sixites, starting with the classic 'Moon River' by Danny Williams. Moon River was the main song from the Audrey Hepburn movie, Breakfast At Tiffany's, the YouTube video I've used is a dedication to the movie through the song - home you enjoy it!

The sixties, being the sixties, will produce some absolutely belting Christmas Number Ones, including hits from The Beatles (an amazing four times), Elvis Presley and Tom Jones.

1962 - Elvis Presley - Return To Sender

Well Elvis begins the golden period of 60s Number Ones with this classic. Return To Sender was one of Elvis' biggest hits in the UK and his only Christmas Number One.

The video is from his movie, 'Girls, Girls, Girls' which was in cinemas in the UK at the time. The video has had over 3 million hits which tells you how popular Elvis still is, long after his death in 1977.

1963, 1964, 1965 - The Beatles, The Beatles, The Beatles

Just in case you thought they didn't completely dominate this decade - they did!

And people in the UK really liked to listen to the Beatles at Christmas.

In 1963, - 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' was the song everyone was singing along to at Christmas parties and it is still popular today. My mother still goes on about me singing it when I was a toddler - needless to say, I don't have any memory of this but I do like the song.

In 1964 - 'I Feel Fine' was the Christmas Number One and is one of my favourite Beatles songs.

1965 - 'Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out' was the Christmas Number One (a double A-side), it all got a bit more 'hippy' after that and their next Christmas Number One was in 1967 with 'Hello, Goodbye'.

It was difficult to pick which one to show so here is my favourite of the four featured - I'm sure you will have your own. I've included videos for 'I Feel Fine' and 'Hello, Goodbye' just to show the change in the Beatles' outfits!

1966 - Tom Jones - The Green, Green Grass Of Home

Tom Jones was responsible for breaking up the Beatles run of Christmas hits with one of his best songs, which is still one he covers in his famous Las Vegas live shows even now.

1973 - Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody

The 70s in the UK seen a string on Christmas Number Ones which actually referred to Christmas in their title.

This Slade song is one of THE most popular UK Christmas hits and is currently my mobile phone ringtone.

Slade were a proper 70s band, all bad hair cuts and unfeasibly high platform shoes.

The outfits in this video are a hoot! But the song is still great!

1981 - Human League - Don't You Want Me

Human League were one of the biggest bands of the 1980s, mainly because they cracked the USA with their technologically flavoured pop songs. This is their biggest hit and was mega-popular in clubs as well as a dance hit.

It represented a real sea-change in the UK music scene, lots of other bands were able to duplicate the Human League's success and the 80s is still remembered as a 'golden' decade for music. Even now, in the UK, 80s nostalgia tours are big news (making big money). It wasn't like the 60s, full of innovation, peace, love etc. The 80s was the 'me' decade in the UK so people nostagic for it remember it because they were younger and better off!

We need to also remember though, that the 80s Number Ones ended with 'Do They Know It's Christmas' by Band Aid - pop stars get political and save lives.

1996, 1997, 1998 - Spice Girls, Spice Girls, Spice Girls

Yes, the early 90s didn't produce any memorable hits at Christmas but that all changed with girl power.

1996 - 2 Become 1 was number one, a song now recognised as one of the best songs the Spice Girls ever released. If you doubt that, listen to the instrumental version - brilliant orchestration.

1997 - Too Much, the last Spice Girls Christmas Number One with Ginger Spice in the band.

1998 - Goodbye, a rather lovely ballad with a really good Christmas B-side 'Merry Christmas'

The Spice Girls were much-maligned after they split up but the UK was going through a musically stagnant time and The Spice Girls were like a breath of fresh air.

2003 - Mad World - Michael Andrews and Gary Jules

I have included this song because it was the last really good Christmas Number One until Alexandra Burke's Hallelujah cover in 2008. This decade is famous now in the UK for having the X-Factor winners having a number one after their victory.

This tradition was broken when Joe McElderry didn't make Number One becuase of a Facebook 'campaign' which saw Rage Against The Machine make the Number One spot instead of him, shame because Joe is from my hometown and his song 'The Climb' was really good. We wait to see if this year's winners, Little Mix (also including 2 girls from my hometown - which is now being referred to as the 'X-Factory') will make it to the top spot.

Happy Holidays Everyone!