Clean Bandit continued their recent domination of the UK singles’ chart to clinch the prized number one spot at Christmas. Their non-too-seasonal track “Rockabye” benefited from strong streaming numbers to edge out the likes of Rag’n’Bone Man (“Human”), despite a strong (expected) surge from Little Mix’s latest song “Touch”.
Even mariah carey was held off
With several hotly-tipped artists failing to make the impression expected, the Cambridge-formed group maintained their lofty position in their ninth week on the chart. Not even the annual festive interest in Mariah Carey’s chirpy “All I Want For Christmas Is You” could dent the esteemed position of electronic Music’s finest as the end of 2016 approaches.
With seven weeks in all at number one, the year has seen them flourish in the music industry.
Familiar theme to hit track
Clean Bandit’s continued success with the dance hit about a single mother’s struggle to keep supporting her family is hardly typical Christmas fare, yet reflects a sign of the times. Perhaps the underlying message is more in keeping with what Christmas is all about than we might initially grasp. Love, devotion to your family and an unfaltering wish for better times ahead will be familiar themes for many households up and down the country.
Old classics featured again
Previous Christmas hits featured further down the listings, with the ever-popular “Fairytale of New York” lifting the Pogues (featuring the much-missed Kirsty MacColl) into the top twenty, just ahead of Wham’s “Last Christmas”. Shakin’ Stevens was once again left wishing his fans their annual dose of “Merry Christmas Everyone” as he gate-crashed the top-25.
Jo Cox’s memory
The initial hopes that a charity version of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – dedicated to the enduring memory of former Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox – might break into the top positions proved to be unfounded. While a place outside the top 100 was a little disappointing from a fund-raising viewpoint, friends and family will have no doubt been touched as they come to terms with their sad loss.
