The biggest chart race of the year has current UK chart toppers WHAM! take the lead for Christmas Number 1 with Last Christmas (1), but there are only 42 chart sections between George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley's classic and Britain's Eurovision 2022 hero Sam Ryder, whose new Amazon Music Original You 're Christmas To Me jumps eight (2) places midweek.
Perennial holiday kings WHAM! are looking to secure their first Christmas Number 1 with Last Christmas, and are throwing everything at it this year, from a limited edition Last Christmas vinyl, a first CD release of the song and download promotion too. They are in it to win it.
Sam Ryder is also out in force on the campaign trail with a promotional tour bus on the road in London and Manchester this weekend, as well as high profile appearances behind him including Radio 1 Live Lounge and The One Show. So it's no surprise that You're Christmas To Me has gained some serious momentum over the weekend. As it stands, Sam Ryder is firmly on course for a shot at his first Number 1 single this week – a Christmas Number 1, no less. Could a “Samageddon” be in the cards?
But this is the most important chart race of the year, so you can never count anyone out! Mariah Carey starts at No.3 midweek with All I Want For Christmas Is You, while Ed Sheeran and Elton John's Merry Christmas moves to No.4.
A must watch though, The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl, who are at number 5 on tonight's Official Chart First Look with Fairytale of New York.
With public support for a long-awaited Pogues Christmas Number 1 as a tribute to the late Shane MacGowan, as well as a new limited edition charity vinyl release of the single due out on Tuesday, we could easily see a back half week . Fairytale Of New York is definitely one to watch as the week progresses.
Other contenders to watch out for as the race unfolds. Noah Kahan's Stick Season (6) and Jorja Smith's Stay Another Day (7), another Amazon Music Original climbed 13 places in the chart from Friday, proving the show's popularity with UK audiences.
Another top contender, UK collective Creator Universe TikTok took the week's best-selling single so far with their cover of Wizzard's I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, in aid of foodbank charity The Trussell Trust (11) and is just on the cusp of a Top 10 debut.
As it stands, the TikTok creative team are just 33 chart points behind a Top 10 placed on the Official Chart, with former number 1 holder Jack Harlow and Lovin' On Me just ahead of them at Number 10. They will they must accelerate sales to match their rivals' streaming capacity.
Further down, Cher's Play A Christmas Song DJ (26) is looking to break into the Top 40 for the first time, it will be her first UK Top 40 entry in 10 years and her 34th overall.
Post-punk duo Sleaford Mods may have claimed four consecutive UK Top 10 albums, but they're on course to enter the Official Singles Chart for the first time this week thanks to their Pet Shop Boys cover of West End Girls (78).
The final cutoff for sales and streams to be counted for the Christmas 1 2023 number is 11:59 p.m. Thursday, December 21. The winner will be revealed on BBC Radio 1's The Official Chart from 4pm on Friday 22nd December. The full Official Christmas Singles and Albums Chart Top 100 will be published on officialcharts.com at 5.45pm.