The Twelve Songs of Christmas: Britain's Love Affair with the Xmas No. 1
Bob Stanley
Oct 2026 · White Rabbit · Narrated by Orlando Wells
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Audiobook
5 hr 51 min
Unabridged
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Eligible
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About this audiobook
A nostalgic journey through Britain's obsession with the Christmas number one, told through twelve iconic chart-toppers
Twelve songs, seventy-five years and a nation's chart obsession
Every December, Britain waits for the one chart result that still matters: the Christmas number one. In an age when the singles chart has lost much of its cultural power, the festive top spot remains fiercely contested by pop stars, novelty acts, charity campaigns and the occasional underdog.
The Twelve Songs of Christmas tells the story of this uniquely British obsession through a dozen chart-toppers, beginning in 1950 with Gene Autry's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and leading up to Wham! with "Last Christmas", which - thirty-nine years after its release - finally claimed the crown in 2023.
Along the way are the Beatles' sixties dominance, Slade and Wizzard's glittering seventies takeover, Band Aid's global phenomenon, the Spice Girls' hat-trick and the reality-TV era of Christmas chart battles.
Stuffed with brilliant stories, forgotten classics and seasonal nostalgia, The Twelve Songs of Christmas explores how the Christmas number one became one of Britain's most enduring musical traditions - and is the perfect festive gift for Christmas enthusiasts and music lovers alike.
Twelve songs, seventy-five years and a nation's chart obsession
Every December, Britain waits for the one chart result that still matters: the Christmas number one. In an age when the singles chart has lost much of its cultural power, the festive top spot remains fiercely contested by pop stars, novelty acts, charity campaigns and the occasional underdog.
The Twelve Songs of Christmas tells the story of this uniquely British obsession through a dozen chart-toppers, beginning in 1950 with Gene Autry's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and leading up to Wham! with "Last Christmas", which - thirty-nine years after its release - finally claimed the crown in 2023.
Along the way are the Beatles' sixties dominance, Slade and Wizzard's glittering seventies takeover, Band Aid's global phenomenon, the Spice Girls' hat-trick and the reality-TV era of Christmas chart battles.
Stuffed with brilliant stories, forgotten classics and seasonal nostalgia, The Twelve Songs of Christmas explores how the Christmas number one became one of Britain's most enduring musical traditions - and is the perfect festive gift for Christmas enthusiasts and music lovers alike.
A nostalgic journey through Britain's obsession with the Christmas number one, told through twelve iconic chart-toppers
Twelve songs, seventy-five years and a nation's chart obsession
Every December, Britain waits for the one chart result that still matters: the Christmas number one. In an age w...
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About the author
BOB STANLEY is a writer, musician, DJ and film producer. Since founding influential pop group Saint Etienne, Bob has enjoyed a parallel career as a music journalist, contributing to publications including the Times, Smash Hits, NME, the Guardian and the Face. A former artist-in-residence at the Southbank Centre and winner of the British Library Eccles Award, he has curated several film seasons for the Barbican. He is the author of Yeah Yeah Yeah, which was the Sunday Times Pop Music Book of the Year and a Rough Trade Book of the Year; Let's Do It: The Birth of Pop; and The Bee Gees: Children of the World. The Open University awarded him an honorary degree for contributions to popular culture in 2023. He lives in West Yorkshire.
BOB STANLEY is a writer, musician, DJ and film producer. Since founding influential pop group Saint Etienne, Bob has enjoyed a parallel career as a music journalist, contributing to publications including the Times, Smash Hits, NME, the Guardian and the Face. A former artist-in-residence at the S...
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