If you’re reading this anywhere else in the world other than Great Britain, you may be confused by the whole “Christmas Number One” thing in the UK. What’s this about Rage Against the Machine and why is the Empire in such a tizzy? Let me explain.
Every year, Britain goes off their nut betting on which song will finish at the top of the singles charts on the last chart issued before Christmas. The whole “Christmas Number One” thing has been an obsession for decades, dating back to 1952 when Al Martino released “Here in My Heart.” (Go ask your grandmother.)
Over the years, the Christmas Number One went to the Beatles (four times), “Bohemian Rhapsody” (in 1978 and 1991), Pink Floyd (“Another Brick in the Wall Part 2,” 1979) and Band-Aid (1984 and 2004). There have been blots, too: Mr. Blobby (1993) and Bob the Builder (2000). (A full list of Christmas number ones can be found here.)
In reality, though, it’s all just a clever way to get people into the record stores. As people rush to the shops to push their favourites to the top, bookies take bets on who will finish first. Meanwhile, the record business reaps a huge windfall.
Naturally, there was much corruption and manipulation involved until electronic tabulation of record sales took over from estimates in the 90s. You can still screw with things a little, but there has to be actual cash transactions that are recorded by independent third party software.
Still, it was all in good fun—until Simon Cowell came along.
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