The countdown for 2023's Christmas number one has officially begun. And The Pogues' Fairytale Of New York could be heading for number one this Christmas 2023, after the death of music icon Shane MacGowan. The band's frontman and chief songwriter passed away on 30th November, at the age of 65.
Meanwhile, LadBaby, made up of Roxanne and Mark Hoyle, have already announced they won’t be releasing a Christmas single this year, breaking their five-year run of festive number one tracks.
It won't be long before we find out who takes home the title, but in the meantime, Buzz Bingo has surveyed over 2,000 UK residents to find out what their favourite Christmas karaoke songs are.
What are the UK's top Christmas karaoke songs?
40% of respondents chose Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ as the season's sing-along anthem. This was closely followed by ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday’ and the festive duet of ‘Fairytale of New York’.
The UK’s top 5 Christmas sing-along songs
Last Christmas - Wham!, 40% of respondents
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday - Wizzard, 32% of respondents
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues, 29% of respondents
All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey, 27% of respondents
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Michael Buble, 18% of respondents
Top 10 karaoke songs in the UK
The UK’s favourite karaoke song is ABBA's iconic anthem, "Dancing Queen," claiming an impressive 32% of votes. Following closely are the boogielicious “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor and "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees, ensuring a disco-infused night of entertainment.
The UK’s karaoke capital
Belfast is the ultimate destination for karaoke lovers across the UK. According to the survey, an impressive 73% of respondents expressed their love for belting out tunes in Northern Ireland's capital, making it the undisputed karaoke city. Glasgow follows closely, capturing the songful spirit of the Scottish city's karaoke scene, while London and Manchester share a tie for the third karaoke capital.
Interestingly, Edinburgh residents are the most reluctant to perform karaoke, even their favourite songs. But on a night out with friends, it seems they could be convinced to take to the mic.
The study also revealed that the top 10 karaoke capitals of the UK are:
Belfast
Glasgow
London
Manchester
Newcastle
Southampton
Bristol
Norwich
Sheffield
Birmingham
Top sing-along songs by region
The disco anthem ‘Dancing Queen’ is the karaoke classic that unites the UK, it was the top song selected by all UK regions including our karaoke capitals Belfast (42%), Glasgow (32%), London (30%), and Manchester (33%). The only exception was Birmingham, where one in five (21%) of Midlanders thought that Gloria Gaynor’s, ‘I Will Survive’ was a marginally better selection for karaoke night.
In the regions less inclined to sing at karaoke, we asked what catchy songs get them singing along.
When it came to singing in the car or the shower, in Northern Ireland, 29% of the region said Kylie Minogue’s ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head' was their bathroom belter. Both Scotland (23%) and Wales (20%) agreed that Sweet Caroline was their favourite song to sing while they drive. In Cardiff (17%), Edinburgh (24%), and Manchester (18%) ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was the most popular song to sing in the shower or while driving.
The notorious Northern number ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis was a more popular song to sing in the shower in Leeds according to 20% of respondents, surprisingly beating the 17% of Mancunians who chose this in their top three.
