Nothing helps you get in the festive spirit quite like Christmas music.
Maybe that's why in December, the charts at one point seemed like a bigger deal than at other times of the year. But despite all the festive hymns, carols, songs and covers there are, the honour of Christmas number one hasn't always gone to an actual Christmas song.
The official UK singles chart was first published in 1952, with the Irish chart not appearing until a decade later in 1962. From songs by children's figures to celebrity charity ensembles to reality show winners, the annual spot has been occupied by any and every genre of music across both charts. Though the number one Christmas spot has often been occupied by the same song in both regions over the years, there has also been some variation.
