Leona Lewis's beloved festive anthem, 'One More Sleep', has been officially named the most streamed British Christmas song of the 21st century. The track, first released in 2013, has now accumulated a staggering over 190 million streams in the UK alone, according to data from the Official Charts Company.
A Modern Festive Champion
The song, which originally reached number three on the UK singles chart, has outperformed a host of contemporary holiday favourites to claim the top spot. Martin Talbot, Chief Executive of the Official Charts Company, celebrated the achievement, noting that the Christmas classics list has long been dominated by hits from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.
"It is great to see modern classics joining the festive hall of fame," Talbot said. "Leona Lewis’s ‘One More Sleep’ is the runaway leader as the biggest new British Christmas cracker of them all. Congratulations Leona."
The Top Five Festive Streams
The ranking reveals the nation's streaming habits for modern Christmas music. Securing second place is Coldplay's poignant 'Christmas Lights'. In third is Lily Allen's cover of Keane's 'Somewhere Only We Know', which gained massive popularity after featuring in a 2013 John Lewis Christmas advertisement.
The collaborative single 'Merry Christmas' by Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John took fourth place. Alexandra Burke's powerful rendition of 'Hallelujah' completed the top five. Interestingly, Burke's 2008 X Factor winning single holds the title of the biggest 21st-century Christmas song overall when combining streaming data with traditional physical sales.
Completing the Top Ten
The rest of the top ten showcases a diverse mix of festive styles, from rock anthems to soulful covers. The list is as follows:
- 6. The Darkness – ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)’
- 7. Sam Smith – ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’
- 8. Jess Glynne – ‘This Christmas’
- 9. George Ezra – ‘Come On Home For Christmas’
- 10. Sam Ryder – ‘You’re Christmas To Me’
This announcement follows the recent reveal of contenders for this year's coveted Christmas number one single, a list that includes global superstar Taylor Swift and a song from the new Paddington musical. Lewis herself is no stranger to Christmas chart success, having secured the festive top spot back in 2006 with her X Factor winner's single, 'A Moment Like This'.
