The UK December Number Ones
Every single that reached number one in the UK during December, the closest proxy in this data to the Christmas number one. The last entry in each year is the one that held the top over the holiday.
2025
“Last Christmas” : Wham! (London) · “XMAS” : Kylie Minogue (Melbourne)
2024
“Last Christmas” : Wham! (London)
2023
“Last Christmas” : Wham! (London)
2022
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” : Mariah Carey (New York) · “Last Christmas” : Wham! (London) · “Food Aid” : LadBaby (Nottingham)
2021
“Merry Christmas” : Ed Sheeran (Ipswich) · “Sausage Rolls for Everyone” : LadBaby (Nottingham)
2020
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” : Mariah Carey (New York) · “Don't Stop Me Eatin'” : LadBaby (Nottingham)
2019
“I Love Sausage Rolls” : LadBaby (Nottingham)
2018
“We Built This City” : LadBaby (Nottingham)
2017
“Perfect” : Ed Sheeran (Ipswich)
2015
“Love Yourself” : Justin Bieber (Kitchener-Waterloo) · “A Bridge over You” : Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir (London)
2014
“These Days” : Take That (Manchester) · “Uptown Funk” : Mark Ronson (London) · “Something I Need” : Ben Haenow (London)
2013
“Under Control” : Calvin Harris (Dumfries) · “Skyscraper” : Sam Bailey (London)
2012
“Troublemaker” : Olly Murs (London) · “The Power of Love” : Gabrielle Aplin (London) · “Impossible” : James Arthur (Middlesbrough) · “He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother” : The Justice Collective (Liverpool)
2011
“Wishing on a Star” : The X Factor Finalists 2011 (London) · “Dance with Me Tonight” : Olly Murs (London) · “Cannonball” : Little Mix (Newcastle) · “Wherever You Are” : Military Wives (London)
2010
“Heroes” : The X Factor Finalists 2010 (London) · “The Time (Dirty Bit)” : The Black Eyed Peas (Los Angeles) · “When We Collide” : Matt Cardle (London)
2009
“The Official BBC Children in Need Medley” : Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band (Manchester) · “Bad Romance” : Lady Gaga (New York) · “Killing in the Name” : Rage Against the Machine (Los Angeles)
2008
“Greatest Day” : Take That (Manchester) · “Run” : Leona Lewis (London) · “Hallelujah” : Alexandra Burke (London)
2007
“What a Wonderful World” : Eva Cassidy · “When You Believe” : Leon Jackson (Glasgow)
2006
“Patience” : Take That (Manchester) · “A Moment Like This” : Leona Lewis (London)
2005
“Stickwitu” : The Pussycat Dolls (Los Angeles) · “JCB Song” : Nizlopi (London) · “That's My Goal” : Shayne Ward (Manchester)
2004
“Do They Know It's Christmas” : Band Aid 20 (London)
2003
“Leave Right Now” : Will Young (London) · “Changes” : Ozzy · “Mad World” : Michael Andrews (Los Angeles)
2002
“If You're Not the One” : Daniel Bedingfield (London) · “Lose Yourself” : Eminem (Detroit) · “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word” : Blue (London) · “Sound of the Underground” : Girls Aloud (London)
2001
“Have You Ever” : S Club 7 (London) · “Gotta Get Thru This” : Daniel Bedingfield (London) · “Somethin' Stupid” : Robbie Williams (Stoke-on-Trent)
2000
“Independent Women” : Destiny's Child (Houston) · “Never Had a Dream Come True” : S Club 7 (London) · “Stan” : Eminem (Detroit) · “Can We Fix It?” : Bob the Builder (London)
1999
“The Millennium Prayer” : Cliff Richard (London) · “I Have a Dream” : Westlife (Sligo)
1998
“To You I Belong” : BWitched (Dublin) · “Goodbye” : Spice Girls (London)
1997
“Teletubbies say 'Eh-oh!'” : Teletubbies (London) · “Teletubbies say” : Teletubbies (London) · “Too Much” : Spice Girls (London)
1996
“I Feel You” : Peter Andre (Gold Coast) · “A Different Beat” : Boyzone (Dublin) · “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” : Dunblane (Glasgow) · “2 Become 1” : Spice Girls (London)
1995
“Earth Song” : Michael Jackson (Chicago)
1994
“Stay Another Day” : East 17 (London)
1992
“I Will Always Love You” : Whitney Houston (New York)
1991
“Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me” : George Michael (London) · “Bohemian Rhapsody” : Queen (London)
1990
“Ice Ice Baby” : Vanilla Ice (Dallas) · “Saviour's Day” : Cliff Richard (London)
1989
“Let's Party” : Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers (Sheffield) · “Do They Know It's Christmas?” : Band Aid II (London)
1988
“Mistletoe and Wine” : Cliff Richard (London)
1987
“Always on My Mind” : Pet Shop Boys (London)
1986
“The Final Countdown” : Europe (Stockholm) · “Caravan of Love” : The Housemartins (Hull) · “Reet Petite” : Jackie Wilson (Detroit)
1985
“Saving All My Love for You” : Whitney Houston (New York) · “Merry Christmas Everyone” : Shakin' Stevens (Cardiff)
1984
“I Should Have Known Better” : Jim Diamond (Glasgow) · “The Power of Love” : Frankie Goes to Hollywood (Liverpool) · “Do They Know It's Christmas?” : Band Aid (London)
1983
“Only You” : The Flying Pickets (London)
1982
“Beat Surrender” : The Jam (London) · “Save Your Love” : Renée and Renato
1981
“Begin the Beguine (Volver a Empezar)” : Julio Iglesias (Madrid) · “Don't You Want Me” : The Human League (Sheffield)
1980
“(Just Like) Starting Over” : John Lennon (Liverpool) · “There's No One Quite Like Grandma” : St Winifred's School Choir (Manchester)
1979
“Walking on the Moon” : The Police (London) · “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” : Pink Floyd (Cambridge)
1978
“Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?” : Rod Stewart (London) · “Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord” : Boney M. (Berlin)
1977
“Mull of Kintyre” : Wings (London)
1976
“Under the Moon of Love” : Showaddywaddy (Leicester) · “When a Child Is Born” : Johnny Mathis (San Francisco-San Jose)
1974
“You're the First, the Last, My Everything” : Barry White (Los Angeles) · “Lonely This Christmas” : Mud (London)
1973
“Merry Xmas Everybody” : Slade (Birmingham)
1972
“Long Haired Lover from Liverpool” : Little Jimmy Osmond (Salt Lake City-Provo)
1971
“Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)” : Benny Hill (Southampton)
1969
“Two Little Boys” : Rolf Harris (Perth)
1968
“Lily the Pink” : The Scaffold (Liverpool)
1967
“Hello, Goodbye” : The Beatles (Liverpool)
1966
“Green, Green Grass of Home” : Tom Jones (Cardiff)
1965
“Day Tripper” : The Beatles (Liverpool)
1964
“Little Red Rooster” : The Rolling Stones (London) · “I Feel Fine” : The Beatles (Liverpool)
1963
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” : The Beatles (Liverpool)
1962
“Return to Sender” : Elvis Presley (Memphis)
1961
“Tower of Strength” : Frankie Vaughan (Liverpool) · “Moon River” : Danny Williams (London)
1960
“I Love You” : The Shadows (London)
1959
“What Do You Want?” : Adam Faith (London) · “What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?” : Emile Ford & The Checkmates (London)
1958
“It's Only Make Believe” : Conway Twitty (Memphis)