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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Naomi Clarke & Christopher Megrath

Most streamed Christmas number one ever is only five years old

The Official Charts Company revealed the most the nation's most streamed Christmas number one is an Ed Sheeran track.

The data was created from a top 40 list from BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds of the most streamed hits since it began recording in 1952. Though they may not necessarily be festive-themed, the tracks include any song that was number one in the charts on December 25th.

The Official Charts Company calculated the top 40 songs have a combined streaming total of more than 2.25 billion audio plays, although only six of the 40 actually mention Christmas in the lyrics.

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Boney M.'s Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord rounds off the top 10 with Rage Against The Machine's Killing In The Name placing ninth.

The list returned to non-festive tracks as number eight went to the late Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You. In at seventh was Don't You Want Me? by The Human League.

Two of the most instantly recognisable Christmas songs include Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody and Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? which take the sith and fifth spots respectively.

Shakin' Stevens is the highest-placing festive song on the list as the top three stear clear from any holiday cheer with Merry Christmas Everyone coming in at number four.

Rockabye by Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie comes in third, just knocked out of the top two spot by a timeless anthem.

Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is the runner-up and is the only song to get the Christmas number one twice; once when it was first released in 1975 and again in 1991 following the death of the rock band's frontman Freddie Mercury.

Taking the top spot as the most streamed Christmas number one ever is none other than global superstar Ed Sheeran. The guitarist's romantic ballad, Perfect, landed the top spot during the 2017 festive period, fending off legendary competition.

Nothing from the first 10 years of the Official Charts, between 1952 and 1961, made the list, likely due to services such as Spotify and Apple Music becoming popular in the last 15 years.

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