33 years of christmas number ones in the uk

every year the bookies make millions on christmas number one bets - up until 1973, only two christmas themed 45s made it to number one during the festive season - dickie valentine's 'christmas alphabet' in 1955 and harry belafonte's 'mary's boy child' in 1957 - and then along came slade with the song that defined christmas for my generation just as bing crosby's 'white christmas' had done for the previous few decades - and so began the relentless battles for that coveted annual top billing on the pre-queen's speech christmas day edition of the late great 'top of the pops'

1973 Merry Xmas Everybody- Slade
1974 Lonely This Christmas - Mud
1975 Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
1976 When a Child is Born - Jonny Mathis
1977 Mull of Kintyre - Wings
1978 Mary's Boy Child - Bony M
1979 Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd
1980 Just Like Starting Over - John Lennon
1981 Don't You Want Me - Human League
1982 Save Your Love For Me - Rene And Renata
1983 Only You - The Flying Pickets
1984 Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
1985 Saving All My Love For You - Whitney Houston
1986 Caravan of Love - The Housemartins
1987 Always on my mind - The Pet Shop Boys
1988 Mistletoe and Wine - Cliff Richard
1989 Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid II
1990 Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
1991 Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are The Days of Our Lives - Queen
1992 I will always love you - Whitney Houston
1993 Mr Blobby - Mr Blobby
1994 Stay Another Day - East 17
1995 Earth Song - Michael Jackson
1996 2 Become 1 - The Spice Girls
1997 Too Much - The Spice Girls
1998 Goodbye - The Spice Girls
1999 Seasons In The Sun/I have a Dream - Westlife
2000 Bob The Builder - Can We Fix It?
2001 Robbie Williams & Nichole Kidman - Somethin' Stupid
2002 Girls Aloud - Sound Of The Underground
2003 Michael Andrews/Gary Jules - Mad World
2004 Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid 20
2005 That's My Goal - Shayne Ward

the spice girls share their hat trick record with the beatles who held the christmas number one spot three years in a row from 1963-5 with 'i want to hold your hand', 'i feel fine' and 'daytripper/we can work it out'