Kylie beats Wham! to UK Christmas number one – she'll do a jigsaw to celebrate

Kylie beats Wham! to UK Christmas number one – she'll do a jigsaw to celebrate

Kylie Minogue has claimed the coveted Christmas number one spot for 2025, unseating Wham!’s perennial hit “Last Christmas,” which had topped the charts in both 2023 and 2024. Her festive single, titled “XMAS,” is an upbeat celebration of holiday cheer, painting vivid images of presents beneath the tree and romantic moments shared out in the snow. This milestone arrives a remarkable 37 years after Kylie first reached number one in the UK with “I Should Be So Lucky” back in 1988, making her the first female artist to secure chart-topping singles across four different decades.

In reflecting on her achievement, Kylie expressed the special nature of the moment, saying, “It’s hard to put into words how special this feels.” She shared that she would be spending Christmas relaxing with her family in Australia, indulging in a jigsaw puzzle tradition. The track “XMAS” is featured on a newly expanded edition of her 2015 album, *Kylie Christmas*, and was released exclusively via Amazon. While this exclusive platform placement may have offered some advantage—given the song’s prominent positioning on Amazon Music’s Christmas playlist—it also meant that the track was unavailable on other major streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.

The success of “XMAS” was not just rooted in streaming, however. The combination of robust plays on Amazon and YouTube, alongside limited edition vinyl and CD singles, played a significant role in pushing Kylie to the top of the festive chart. Martin Talbot, head of the Official Charts Company, noted the strategic effort behind the release: “Kylie really, really targeted this particular race. Her record label pulled out all the stops,” adding that a superstar of her calibre would always be a strong contender. According to the official data, her Christmas campaign secured her biggest sales week in over two decades, since 2002’s *Love At First Sight*.

Despite Kylie’s eventual victory, the competition was intense throughout the week, with only slim differences in sales between the leading contenders. At one point, the top five singles were separated by a margin of just 10,000 copies. Classics from Mariah Carey and Brenda Lee remained strong competitors, as fans continued to enjoy their seasonal favorites. Kylie herself has long been familiar with the Christmas chart race. In 1988, her duet with Jason Donovan, “Especially For You,” came close but ultimately finished second to Cliff Richard’s “Mistletoe and Wine.” Following her recent success, the pop icon plans for a low-key holiday, dedicating time to watch the Boxing Day cricket Test match between Australia and England and to work on jigsaw puzzles with family—a pastime that has become an annual festive ritual for her

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