Fairytale of New York is most- played song this festive period
The Pogues' classic Fairytale Of New York has been revealed a s t h e UK' s mos t - p l a y e d Christmas song of the 21st century, beating tracks by Wham! and Mariah Carey.
The 1988 duet with late singer Kirsty Maccoll, who was killed in a boating accident in 2000, has never been a number one. However, it has now topped the chart of the top 40 most- played Christmas tracks of the 21st century compiled by music licensing company PPL, from music usage data around the UK.
Carey's festive All I Want For Christmas Is You - which topped the charts for the first time earlier this month - is second on the list, while Last Christmas by Wham! takes third place.
Meanwhile, Wizzard's,
I
Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday and Chris Rea's Driving Home For Christmas take fourth and fifth place.
Steve Lillywhite, producer of Fairytale Of New York, said: "The term ' timeless classic' is reserved for very few records and, by definition, you need time to have passed to define this. I am very happy to have produced this timeless classic, although it's tinged with sadness as Kirsty is no longer with us, but what a way to remember her every Christmas."
The new chart is based on PPL dat a , c o mpile d f r o m musi c u s a g e a n d a i r p l ay information from radio stations and television channels, as well as public performance locations across the UK.
It was broadcast on Christmas Day on BB C R a di o 2 a n d wi l l b e ma d e a v a i l - a b l e o n t h e B B C S o u n d s app.