There are many memorable UK Christmas number one singles. They tickle our senses and catapult us back into a festive time and place. But how many UK Christmas number one albums can we recall?
The cold truth is that although a chart-topping album is good news for the artist and record company – after all Christmas sales considerably boost the coffers – it has simply not been afforded the same prestige as a Christmas number one single. Maybe the changing way music is sought and bought is altering this somewhat. Regardless, performers who have not hit the ultimate heights in the Christmas singles chart have made their festive presence felt in the album charts – including Elton John, Madonna, Rod Stewart and Take That.
Soundtracks dominated the early charts, The Beatles ruled the sixties, while compilations were trending in the eighties. However, from January 14th 1989, compilation albums were no longer included in the UK album charts. Let’s be honest, it was dull seeing record companies, rather than performers, going head-to-head with thrown-together collections.
The Beatles have had seven No.1 albums at Christmas, Robbie Williams has had four (he was also part of Take That’s “Progress” album) and Take That have had three – all in their second incarnation. Interestingly, only two Christmas albums have reached the top of the UK album charts at Christmas – one was a compilation in 1985 and the other was from Michael Buble in 2011. That was a remarkable 55-year wait for a solo artist or group to have an album full of Christmas songs sit at number one on Christmas Day. Sir Rod Stewart, aged 74, became the oldest male solo artist to have a number one album in the UK with his 2019 Christmas chart-topper…only to have that record taken from him in 2020 by another Sir, 78-year-old Paul McCartney.
1956 – Original Soundtrack
1957 – Original Soundtrack
1958 – Original Soundtrack
1959 – Original Soundtrack
1960 – Original Soundtrack
1961 – George Mitchell Minstrels
1962 – George Mitchell Minstrels
1963 – The Beatles
1964 – The Beatles
1965 – The Beatles
1966 – Original Soundtrack
1967 – The Beatles
1968 – The Beatles
1969 – The Beatles
1970 – Andy Williams
1971 – T. Rex
1972 – Various Artists
1973 – Elton John
1974 – Elton John
1975 – Queen
1976 – Glen Campbell
1977 – Various Artists
1978 – Original Soundtrack
1979 – Rod Stewart
1980 – ABBA
1981 – ABBA
1982 – John Lennon
1983 – Various Artists
1984 – Various Artists
1985 – Various Artists
1986 – Various Artists
1987 – Various Artists
1988 – Cliff Richard
1989 – Phil Collins
1990 – Madonna
1991 – Queen
1992 – Cher
1993 – Meat Loaf
1994 – The Beautiful South
1995 – Robson & Jerome
1996 – Spice Girls
1997 – Celine Dion
1998 – George Michael
1999 – Shania Twain
2000 – The Beatles
2001 – Robbie Williams
2002 – Robbie Williams
2003 – Dido
2004 – Robbie Williams
2005 – Eminem
2006 – Take That
2007 – Leona Lewis
2008 – Take That
2009 – Susan Boyle
2010 – Take That
2011 – Michael Buble
2012 – Emeli Sande
2013 – Robbie Williams
2014 – Ed Sheeran
2015 – Adele
2016 – Michael Ball & Alfie Boe
2017 – Eminem
2018 – Original Soundtrack
2019 – Sir Rod Stewart
2020 – Sir Paul McCartney
“The King and I”
“The King and I”
“South Pacific”
“South Pacific”
“South Pacific”
“Another Black and White Minstrel Show”
“The Black and White Minstrels”
“With The Beatles”
“Beatles For Sale”
“Rubber Soul”
“The Sound of Music”
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
“The Beatles”
“Abbey Road”
“Andy Williams’ Greatest Hits”
“Electric Warrior”
“20 All Time Hits of the 50’s”
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
“Elton John’s Greatest Hits”
“A Night at the Opera”
“Glen Campbell’s Twenty Golden Greats”
“Disco Fever”
“Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture”
“Greatest Hits, Vol. 1”
“Super Trouper”
“The Visitors”
“The John Lennon Collection”
“Now That’s What I Call Music”
“Hits 1”
“Now – The Christmas Album”
“Now That’s What I Call Music 8”
“Now That’s What I Call Music 10”
“Private Collection: 1979-1988”
“…But Seriously”
“The Immaculate Collection”
“Greatest Hits II”
“Greatest Hits: 1965-1992”
“Bat out of Hell II: Back Into Hell”
“Carry On up the Charts”
“Robson & Jerome”
“Spice”
“Let’s Talk About Love”
“Ladies and Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael”
“Come On Over”
“1”
“Sing When You’re Winning”
“Escapology”
“Life for Rent”
“Greatest Hits”
“Curtain Call: The Hits”
“Beautiful World”
“Spirit”
“The Circus”
“I Dreamed a Dream”
“Progress”
“Christmas”
“Our Version of Events”
“Swings Both Ways”
“X”
“25”
“Together”
“Revival”
“The Greatest Show”
“You’re in My Heart”
“McCartney III”