1960s

11/13/20 • 43 min

For episode 2, we travel back for the Christmas number ones of the 1960s.

It was the decade of the Beatles’ takeover of the festive charts, plus a couple of oddities and rock and roll favourites.

It proved to be the decade that showed that the festive chart was something the biggest artists around battled out for, with big hits for Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley and Tom Jones.

Full Christmas number ones (look away if you don’t want ‘spoilers’!):

1960: Cliff Richard & The Shadows – ‘I Love You’
1961: Danny Williams – ‘Moon River’
1962: Elvis Presley – ‘Return to Sender’
1963: The Beatles – ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’
1964: The Beatles – ‘I Feel Fine’
1965: The Beatles – ‘Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out’
1966: Tom Jones – ‘The Green Green Grass of Home’
1967: The Beatles – ‘Hello Goodbye’
1968: The Scaffold – ‘Lily the Pink’
1969: Rolf Harris – ‘Two Little Boys’

For episode 2, we travel back for the Christmas number ones of the 1960s.

It was the decade of the Beatles’ takeover of the festive charts, plus a couple of oddities and rock and roll favourites.

It proved to be the decade that showed that the festive chart was something the biggest artists around battled out for, with big hits for Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley and Tom Jones.

Full Christmas number ones (look away if you don’t want ‘spoilers’!):

1960: Cliff Richard & The Shadows – ‘I Love You’
1961: Danny Williams – ‘Moon River’
1962: Elvis Presley – ‘Return to Sender’
1963: The Beatles – ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’
1964: The Beatles – ‘I Feel Fine’
1965: The Beatles – ‘Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out’
1966: Tom Jones – ‘The Green Green Grass of Home’
1967: The Beatles – ‘Hello Goodbye’
1968: The Scaffold – ‘Lily the Pink’
1969: Rolf Harris – ‘Two Little Boys’

Previous Episode

1950s

1 Recommendations

For episode 1, we go back to where it all began: 1952.

We first take a look at what came before the UK Singles Chart began, and the Christmas standards we still hear today such as Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Let It Snow’.

While the Christmas number one concept didn’t exist for a while yet, the 1950s was the decade of mellow ballads, piano party tunes, and the emergence of rock and roll.

Full Christmas number ones (look away if you don’t want ‘spoilers’!):

1952: Al Martino – ‘Here In My Heart’
1953: Frankie Laine – ‘Answer Me’
1954: Winifred Atwell – ‘Let’s Have Another Party’
1955: Dickie Valentine – ‘Christmas Alphabet’
1956: Johnnie Ray – ‘Just Walkin’ in the Rain’
1957: Harry Belafonte – ‘Mary’s Boy Child’
1958: Conway Twitty – ‘It’s Only Make Believe’
1959: Emile Ford and the Checkmates – ‘What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes At For?’

Next Episode

1970s

Episode 3 looks back at the golden era of the Christmas number one: the 1970s.

Arguably the decade where the UK’s fascination with the festive chart toppers truly began, it was the decade of glam rock, novelty fun and Christmas anthems.

Slade, Mud, Wizzard, Johnny Mathis and Boney M would show how to make a great Christmas song that can stand the test of time, and the charts become flooded with festive hits: some classic, some... not so classic.

Benny Hill and Little Jimmy Osmond bring novelty to the top, and there are truly huge chart hits for Queen and Wings.

Full Christmas number ones (look away if you don’t want ‘spoilers’!):