In the wake of the death of frontman Shane MacGowan, The Pogues are vying for the number one spot on the UK charts alongside Wham! and Mariah Carey with their gritty festive classic Fairytale of New York. Despite being an ever-present fixture of the holiday season, the track has never before claimed the top spot since it was first released in 1987. As of this week, Last Christmas by Wham! is on track to steal the number one spot next Friday, with Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You giving the track tough competition.
Among the contenders, however, The Pogues have climbed a remarkable 15 places in the charts over the past seven days, putting them firmly in the running for this year’s coveted festive number one spot, which is set to be announced on 22nd December. Despite Fairytale of New York peaking at number two in the UK charts when it was first released – beaten to the coveted Christmas number one slot by the Pet Shop Boys’ Always on My Mind – the track has remained a favorite for decades, proving an evergreen favorite among holiday listeners.
MacGowan passed away at the age of 65 on Thursday, and his wife Victoria Mary Clarke has expressed a desire to see her late husband’s final hit at the top of the UK charts. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Clarke said: “It would be nice, wouldn’t it? It should be the Christmas number one, it absolutely should. I’m very much in favor of that.” Fairytale of New York was co-written by MacGowan with fellow Pogues founder Jem Finer and was later re-recorded to have the late Kirsty MacColl duet with MacGowan, leading to the best-known version of the track.
Despite never having reached number one, Fairytale of New York has remained a firm favorite among holiday music fans and has returned to the top 40 charts every year since 2005. As the world continues to mourn the loss of MacGowan, his final hit remains an anthem for holiday cheer and is set to bring plenty of cheer to fans around the world with its unexpected surge in the UK charts
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