h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: UK Christmas Singles of the 1970s - A87955348
Author: summerbayexile - U208939

Well, the muse has struck again! I am a Christmas fanatic as you may surmise looking at my previous entries, but music is my first Christmas love. This entry covers the Christmas records of the 1970s and its sister entry Christmas records of the 1980s will be along very soon. Any feedback will, as ever, be gratefully received.

This is great - thank you!

I know a few of these songs, of course, but learned a lot from this Entry I appreciate your analysis of why some faded away while others became perennials - fascinating.

I especially like the fact that Bohemian Rhapsody is part of this - that’s my kind of Christmas Number One

I'm looking forward to reading about the 1980s!
I did have a couple of thoughts of things for you to possibly mention – you don't actually mention Boney M, the name of the act who released 'Mary's Boy Child/O My Lord', which seems a bit of an omission. Also, did you know that in 2000 Roy Wood and Mike Batt and the Wombles teamed up to release the silly but classic 'I Wish It Could Be A Wombling Merry Christmas Every Day' by alternating between a line of lyrics from both songs. Sounds crazy but it works brilliantly!

Some of these songs mentioned are among the most successful songs of all time – I've got a book at home listing the 60 or 70 hits that have sold over a million records and some of these are listed – I can take a look later and get back to you tomorrow saying which ones they are as it may well be worth mentioning. Including the fact that 'White Christmas' is the 's best selling song (although in the UK 'White Christmas' is officially only the 116th best-selling song of all time as the chart only officially started in 1952; copies of 'White Christmas' sold before then do not count.)

Incidentally John Lennon's number four hit 'Happy Xmas (War is Over)' was his second-highest UK success of his solo career when he was alive – only 'Give Peace a Chance' climbed higher, to number two. In fact he was the only Beatle not to have a solo UK number one in the 1970s. 'Imagine' originally stalled at number 6. Lennon didn't have a number 1 hit in the UK until immediately after his death, when his song '(Just Like) Starting Over' leapt up from 8 to 1, the first of three number ones in a row.

I was also undecided whether it would help if there were subheaders for each year or not to break up the text, I wonder what other people think?

Oh and Sasha, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is one of the few songs to be Christmas number one twice (1975 and double-A-side again in 1991) – but uniquely by the same artist.

<BB<

Hi Bluebottle,

Will definitely look at the Boney M section, thanks. I mention the Lennon stuff in my 1980s entry so I will make sure I include everything. I was also unsure about headings as I tried it on Word and it didn't seem to work very well, but I'm happy to reconsider. As for the Wombling Merry Christmas Everyday, I'm sorry I can't stand it!! That said, it is worth mentioning. Thanks for that. I'll set to work on this after I have finished the 80s entry.

SBE

I thought of yet another one – 'Gaudette' by Steeleye Span!
The Latin Christmas carol that goes 'Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus Ex Maria virgine, gaudete!' and is one of the very small number of Latin songs to chart in the UK. It was #14 both the week before and after Christmas 1973.

http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14919/steeleye-span/

<BB<

Great spot BB, much obliged to you! I will attend to that omission now.

SBE

It also led me to Mike Oldfield's instrumental version of In Dulce Jubilo!! Two for one!

Did you know that 1973 is the only year in which the Christmas number one and two has 'Christmas/Xmas' in the title?

I did wonder about those two songs – if both 'Merry Xmas Everybody' and 'I Wish it could be Christmas Everyday' were re-recorded in the early 1980s, when do the music videos seen to accompany those songs date from? (Is a difference between the Christmas songs of the 70s and 80s the number of accompanying music videos?)

<BB<

The 80s video for Slade is often shown although the 70s one is still in evidence on some shows. For Wizzard? Ah, you'll have to read Christmas singles of the 80s!

Tweaks and additions finished. It's ready to go now!

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Many thanks, anonymous scout! I am really pleased to see this one go off on the next stage of its journey. It was a bit of a labour of love!! Hopefully its sister article will join it soon and they will hit the front page together. Thank you so much to everyone who helped to knock it into shape. Very obliged to all.

SBE

Congratulations!

Thanks Sasha

SBE