Top of the Pops, 12th December 2024

Here we are at the last Top Of The Pops of the year and the chart is pretty much snowed in now - only the Wicked soundtrack, Chrystal, and the laudable anomaly of Gracie Abrams at number 1 are not in the festive category.

So, we've got oldies from Wham! and Brenda Lee, newies from Tom Grennan and Laufey, and a new version of an oldie from Mariah with full military support. Merry Christmas!

Debuts: Laufey

Chrystal - The Days

Up 12 to number 38

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo - What Is This Feeling

Up 1 to number 16

Wham! - Last Christmas

Up 6 to number 2

Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Up 14 to number 6

Tom Grennan - It Can't Be Christmas

Up 24 to number 25

Laufey - Winter Wonderland

Up 31 to number 24

Mariah Carey ft. the First Battalion Scots Guards Pipes and Drums - All I Want For Christmas Is You

Up 5 to number 5

Gracie Abrams - That's So True

Fifth week at number 1

PRESENTERS: Matt Edmonson dressed as Santa and Greg James dressed as an elf

Top of the Pops, 14th December 2023

We're almost full Christmas this week, so the last Top of the Pops before Christmas looks more like TOTP2, with archive performances from the likes of Brenda Lee and Bobby Helms making up the bulk of the show. King Ed Sheeran, Queen Mariah Carey and (with a non-festive hit!) Taylor Swift do come into the studio, though - three pretty big names I think you'll agree.

Debuts: None

Ed Sheeran - Merry Christmas

Up 10 to number 7

Taylor Swift - You're Losing Me

Highest New Entry - In at number 20

Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock

Up 11 to number 9

The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York

Up 14 to number 4

Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Up 8 to number 6

Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone

Up 15 to number 10

Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You

Up 4 to number 2

Wham! - Last Christmas

Up 4 to number 1

PRESENTERS: Olly Murs dressed as Father Christmas and Greg James dressed as an elf

Top of the Pops, 22nd December 2022

This close to Christmas, it's not that easy to find charting acts that are still extant. So thanks to Leona Lewis and Ariana Grande for dropping by for their annual festive performances. Earlier, it's a bit of a grime extravaganza as Headie One, Bugzy Malone and the Sidemen are clearly soundtracking their fair share of Christmas parties. And well done to SZA for three new entries this week, none of them obviously related to Christmas.

Wham! deservedly take over the holly-and-mistletoe crown from Mariah Carey.

Debuts: The Sidemen

SZA - Kill Bill / Nobody Gets Me

Highest New Entry - In at number 15 / In at number 27

Headie One - 50S

In at number 48

Bugzy Malone ft Teedee - Out Of Nowhere

Up 1 to number 27

Sidemen - Christmas Drillings

Up 17 to number 41

Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me

Up 2 to number 14

From The Vault: Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Up 1 to number 5

Leona Lewis - One More Sleep

Up 3 to number 31

Wham! - Last Christmas

Up 2 to number 1

PRESENTERS: Greg James dressed as Santa and Matt Edmondson dressed as an elf

Top of the Pops, 9th December 2021

This is the point where the charts really go Christmas crazy, so well done to GAYLE for almost making the very top with her decidedly un-Christmassy debut single. What a chart story that would have been, but number 2 is still a big deal and very well deserved. Congratulations also to Imagine Dragons and indeed Ed Sheeran for managing small chart climbs against the rising tide of sherry and trifle.

In festive news, we welcome new-for-this-year tracks from George Ezra and Olivia Dean, and invite self-appointed Mr Christmas Michael Buble to delight us with a medley of three of his American-style faves. It's Brenda Lee's turn in the From The Vault slot, and Adele hangs on to the top spot for now at least.

Debuts: Olivia Dean

Imagine Dragons ft JID - Enemy

Up 6 to number 34

GAYLE - ABCDEFU

Up 12 to number 2

Ed Sheeran - Overpass Graffiti

Up 1 to number 9

Olivia Dean - The Christmas Song

In at number 46

George Ezra - Come On Home For Christmas

In at number 36

From The Vault: Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Up 36 to number 22

Michael Buble - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas / Holly Jolly Christmas / The Christmas Sweater

Up 29 to number 20 / Back in at number 52 / In at number 74

Adele - Easy On Me

Seventh week at number 1

PRESENTER: Brian Harvey in the outfit from the Stay Another Day video

Top of the Pops, 17th December 2020

With Christmas just over a week away, it's necessary to invite the self-appointed Mr Christmas Michael Buble on to the show to perform two of his deathless swing-music anthems. Peppier Christmas fare comes from Leona Lewis, Justin Bieber and throwback footage of Brenda Lee. But the big story, of course, is Mariah Carey finally making it to the top after all these years.

Non-tinselly material comes from Kid Laroi, The Weeknd and especially Ariana Grande, whose hows-your-father anthem makes the perfect antidote for anyone who needs it.

Debuts: Kid Laroi.

Leona Lewis - One More Sleep

Up 8 to number 25

Kid Laroi - Without You

Back in at number 23

Justin Bieber - Mistletoe

Up 7 to number 36

Ariana Grande - 34 + 35

Up 1 to number 9

The Weeknd - Blinding Lights

Long Runner - Up 7 to number 39 after 54 weeks

From The Vault: Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Up 4 to number 15

Michael Buble - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas / Holly Jolly Christmas

Up 6 to number 7 / Up 7 to number 30

Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You

Up 1 to number 1

PRESENTER: Bruce Willis, in character as John McClane

Top of the Pops, 21st December 2017

You can barely move for Christmas debris in the chart this week. Even what you might call second string Christmas hits like this week's From The Vault spot by Brenda Lee are breaching the top twenty. On top of Miss Lee, we get vaguely contemporary Christmas tunes from Ariana Grande and Leona Lewis, who after a few mulled wines are also persuaded to guest on a charming exclusive version of the Clean Bandit song).

All that December fun still leaves room for a newie from Not3s and the unholy Craig David/Bastille alliance. And we have a surprise on the Ed Sheeran song at number 1. Is it Beyonce? No, even better: friends of the show Little Mix join in for a lovely duet.

(That's it until after New Year now as the real life TOTP takes over. Merry Christmas!)

Debuts:Not3s.

Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me

Up 31 to number 29

Craig David ft. Bastille - I Know You

Up 1 to number 25

NF - Let You Down

Up 2 to number 11

Not3s - My Lover

Up 8 to number 40

From The Vault: Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Up 27 to number 15

Leona Lewis - One More Sleep

High Climber - Up 39 to number 36

Clean Bandit ft. Leona Lewis and Ariana Grande - Symphony

Up 22 to number 44

Ed Sheeran ft. Little Mix - Perfect

Second week at number 1

PRESENTER: James Masterton