In Ireland, Christmas number ones are singles that are top of the Irish Singles Chart in the week in which Christmas Day falls.
The Irish Singles Chart was first published in 1962, and the first artist to top the chart at Christmas was Elvis Presley with "Return to Sender". The following year, Brendan Bowyer became the first Irish artist to claim top spot at Christmas with "No More". 2020 winner Dermot Kennedy ("Giants") is the first Irish national to achieve the feat since Mario Rosenstock in 2005.
The supergroup Band Aid, created by Irishman Bob Geldof, is the only act to have been number one at Christmas three times, each time with "Do They Know It's Christmas?". Four more acts have held top spot twice: The Beatles, Queen (both times with "Bohemian Rhapsody"), the Spice Girls and Eminem. Many acts that have topped the Irish Singles Chart at Christmas have also topped the UK Singles Chart at the same time.
From 2006 to 2013, every winner of the Irish Christmas number one came from the winning contestant of that year's series of the British reality contest The X Factor . Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars broke this streak in 2014 with their single "Uptown Funk". [1] [2] Irish bands such as The Rubberbandits ("Horse Outside" in 2010) [3] and The Saw Doctors ("Downtown" in 2011) [4] have contested for the honor during this time frame, but both fell well short.
"Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!. Written and produced by George Michael, it was released on December 3, 1984 via CBS Records internationally and as a double A-side via Epic Records with "Everything She Wants" in several European countries. The song has been covered by many artists since its original release, most notably by Whigfield, Crazy Frog, Billie Piper, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande.
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-selling singles in the United Kingdom, based upon physical sales, paid-for downloads and streaming. The Official Chart, broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and MTV, is the UK music industry's recognised official measure of singles and albums popularity because it is the most comprehensive research panel of its kind, today surveying over 15,000 retailers and digital services daily, capturing 99.9% of all singles consumed in Britain across the week, and over 98% of albums. To be eligible for the chart, a single is currently defined by the Official Charts Company (OCC) as either a 'single bundle' having no more than four tracks and not lasting longer than 25 minutes or one digital audio track not longer than 15 minutes with a minimum sale price of 40 pence. The rules have changed many times as technology has developed, the most notable being the inclusion of digital downloads in 2005 and streaming in July 2014.
"That's My Goal" is the debut single by British singer Shayne Ward, the winner of the second series of The X Factor. It was released as his winner's single on 21 December 2005. Ward was the first X Factor winner to release an original song as his winner's single; all other winners released a cover version of another song, until Matt Terry's "When Christmas Comes Around" in 2016. "That's My Goal" was later included on Ward's debut studio album, Shayne Ward (2006).
The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically each day from retailers' EPOS systems. All major record shops, digital retailers and streaming services contribute to the chart, accounting for over 95% of the market. A new chart is compiled and officially released to the public by the Irish Recorded Music Association on Friday at noon. Each chart is dated with the "week-ending" date of the previous Thursday. The singles chart was first published on 1 October 1962, and covered the top ten singles of the previous week by record label shipments.
"Leave Right Now" is a song by British singer-songwriter Will Young. It was written by Eg White and produced by Stephen Lipson for Young's second studio album, Friday's Child (2003). A song about unrequited love, it was released as the album's first single, becoming another number-one hit on the Irish and the UK Singles Chart.
"Cannonball" is a song written and performed by Irish folk singer Damien Rice. It was released on 1 February 2002, as the second single from his debut album O. It was later re-released in 2003, 2004 and 2011.
The Rubberbandits are an Irish comedy hip-hop duo from Limerick city. They consist of Blindboy Boatclub and Mr Chrome. During performances and interviews, they conceal their identities with masks made from plastic shopping bags. They are often accompanied by DJ Willie O'DJ, a silent masked caricature of local politician Willie O'Dea. The group describe themselves as artists, and have dubbed their movement as "Gas Cuntism".
"Horse Outside" is a song by Irish comedy group The Rubberbandits. It was released on 8 December 2010, after its accompanying music video was aired on RTÉ Television programme Republic of Telly. The video gained almost 2.5 million views in ten days on YouTube and by November 2023 over 22 million views. It was targeted to become the Irish Christmas number one single of 2010, ultimately finishing second.
"Something I Need" is a song recorded by American pop rock band OneRepublic. It was released on August 25, 2013, through Mosley Music and Interscope Records as the third single from their third studio album, Native (2013). The song was written and produced by Ryan Tedder and Benny Blanco. It peaked at number six in Australia, where it has been certified 3× Platinum, and number four in New Zealand, where it has been certified Gold.
"One More Sleep" is a song recorded by British singer Leona Lewis for her first Christmas album and fourth studio album, Christmas, with Love (2013). It was written by Lewis in collaboration with Richard "Biff" Stannard, Iain James, Jez Ashurst and Bradford Ellis, and produced by Richard "Biff" Stannard. It was released in the United States on 5 November, in Ireland and the United Kingdom on 29 November and many parts of Europe on 2 December. "One More Sleep" is recognised as one of the biggest recent Christmas songs in the UK according to the Official Charts Company. The song is certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). "One More Sleep" is also one of the most-streamed Christmas songs in the UK, with over 93 million streams as of 2021.
"Power Over Me" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter and musician Dermot Kennedy. It was released as a single on 16 October 2018 as the second single from his debut studio album Without Fear. The song also features on his compilation album Dermot Kennedy. The song peaked at number 11 on the Irish Singles Chart.
The discography of Dermot Kennedy, an Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His debut compilation album, Dermot Kennedy, was released in January 2019. The album peaked at number four on the Irish Albums Chart. His debut studio album, Without Fear, was released in October 2019. The album peaked at number one on the Irish Albums Chart. The album includes the singles "Moments Passed", "Power Over Me", "Lost" and "Outnumbered".
Dermot Kennedy is the debut compilation album by the Irish singer-songwriter and musician Dermot Kennedy. It was released on 4 January 2019. The album peaked at number 4 on the Irish Albums Chart.
Without Fear is the debut studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy, released on 4 October 2019 by Riggins Recording, Interscope Records and Island Records. It has spawned four singles, including "Power Over Me" and "Outnumbered".
"Outnumbered" is a song by Irish singer Dermot Kennedy from his debut studio album Without Fear, serving as the album's ninth track. The song was written by Kennedy alongside Jay Mooncie, Scott Harris and the song's producer Stephen Kozmeniuk. Riggins Recording, Interscope Records and Island Records released the song as the lead single from Without Fear on 14 June 2019.
"Giants" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter and musician Dermot Kennedy. It was released as a digital download on 24 June 2020 by Riggins, Interscope and Island. The track peaked at Number 12 in the UK Chart and was the lead single from Dermot Kennedy's Number 1 Album 'Without Fear' and his only single on vinyl - released on a blue 7" in 2020. The song peaked at number one on the Irish Singles Chart. The song was written by Stephen Kozmeniuk, Scott Harris and Dermot Kennedy.
Sonder is the second studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy, released on 18 November 2022 through Riggins Recording, Interscope Records and Island Records. Originally scheduled to be released on 23 September 2022, its release was delayed twice: first to 4 November, then 18 November, with the latter due to the UK postal strike. The album was preceded by the singles "Better Days", "Something to Someone" and "Kiss Me", with "Innocence and Sadness" and "Dreamer" also released prior to the album. Kennedy will tour Europe, the UK and North America in 2023 in support of the record.