Kylie Minogue has achieved her first UK Christmas number one single with 'Xmas', marking her eighth number one overall. The track, released exclusively on Amazon Music, prevented Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' from securing a third consecutive Christmas chart-topper, dropping it to number two. The charity single 'Lullaby' from the Together for Palestine campaign reached number five.
Minogue's achievement makes her the first woman to secure UK number one singles in four different decades, and her first number one in 22 years since 'Slow' in 2003. She is also a rare Australian Christmas chart-topper, following Nicole Kidman's 2001 duet with Robbie Williams. The success of 'Xmas' was bolstered by CD and vinyl sales, despite limited streaming availability due to its Amazon Music exclusivity.
Amazon Music has invested heavily in Christmas exclusives, with previous efforts by Tom Grennan and Sam Ryder reaching high chart positions. Alex Nutton of Amazon Music highlighted the company's goal to create lasting holiday favourites. The Together for Palestine single, featuring artists like Brian Eno and Neneh Cherry, topped pure sales but lacked streaming numbers. Proceeds from the song support Palestinian causes via Choose Love.
The Christmas chart is dominated by seasonal classics, with Mariah Carey, Brenda Lee, and the Pogues in the top ten. In the album chart, Pink Floyd's 50th anniversary reissue of 'Wish You Were Here' reached number one, breaking the record for the longest gap between an album's first and most recent number one appearances.
