Your guide to Christmas number ones

The UK's Christmas number one will be announced this week - here's everything you need to know

The Christmas number one is the single that tops the charts in the week Christmas Day lands in

The Official Charts Company surveys 8,000 retailers and digital services each day to count physical sales, digital downloads and audio and video streams. They combine these each Friday for the Official Charts, which are unveiled by BBC Radio One.

The first Christmas number one was in 1952

Al Martino's Here in my Heart topped the festive charts in 1952 - the year the Official Charts Company launched - to become not only the first Christmas number one, but the first-ever official number one of any kind.

They don't have to be Christmassy

In fact, most festive number ones don't mention Christmas. Only eight since 1952 have "Christmas" or "Xmas" in the title, and the vast majority don't touch on the festive season at all. Some rely on social media to reach the top - such as Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine, which beat X Factor winner Joe McElderry in 2009 - or on novelty value, such as Mr Blobby.

Streaming has been factored in since 2014

The emerging dominance of streaming means it has had to be factored into the charts, while still remaining different from purchasing a single or album. A hundred premium streams (with a subscription), or 600 ad-funded streams, counts as one "purchase".

They don't have to be by UK artists

Since 1952, 30% of Christmas number ones have come from artists born outside the UK. Some of the UK's most popular Christmas songs have been by bands and artists from overseas, although many have never made it to the top spot, like Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas, which reached number two for Christmas week in 2020.

The Christmas number one for 2023 was Last Christmas by Wham!

It was the first time the festive classic topped the chart, beating 'You're Christmas to Me' by Sam Ryder.

The Christmas number one for 2022 was Food Aid by LadBaby

It was their record fifth consecutive number one, continuing their famous sausage roll theme. They partnered up with "Money Saving Expert" Martin Lewis to raise money for the Trussell Trust, which runs a network of food banks.