In a festive chart battle that had pop fans on the edge of their seats, Kylie Minogue has claimed a monumental victory. The Australian pop icon has secured her first-ever UK Christmas Number One single with her track ‘XMAS,’ finally ending the two-year reign of Wham!’s perennial favourite, ‘Last Christmas’ .
The announcement caps off a dramatic week-long race and marks a historic achievement in Kylie’s storied career. Not only does ‘XMAS’ give Kylie her eighth UK Number One single, but it also makes her the first female solo artist in UK chart history to achieve Number One singles across four different decades—the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and now the 2020s .
The Final Tally: A Close-Fought Festive Race
The competition was incredibly tight, with modern streaming giants and timeless classics all vying for the top spot. The chart was a mix of new campaigns and beloved holiday staples.
Here is a look at the key contenders in the 2025 UK Christmas Singles Chart Top 5:
A Victory Decades in the Making
For Kylie, this triumph is the culmination of a 37-year chart journey that began with ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ in 1988 . The singer has been close to the Christmas summit before—her 1988 duet with Jason Donovan, ‘Especially For You,’ was the runner-up—but the top spot had always eluded her as a solo artist .
In an exclusive statement, an emotional Kylie shared: “It’s hard to put into words how special this feels. Being Christmas Number One really is the most wonderful gift!” .
The campaign for ‘XMAS’ was strategic and powerful. As an Amazon Music Original track, it was unavailable on major rivals like Spotify and Apple Music . Its success was driven by strong support on Amazon’s festive playlists, exclusive physical CD and vinyl releases, and a viral, YMCA-style dance routine that captured public imagination . According to the Official Charts Company, the campaign resulted in Kylie’s biggest week of UK sales and streams in 23 years .
Wham!’s Legacy: A Global Consolation
While Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ was denied a record third consecutive UK Christmas Number One, its legacy is untouchable. In a fitting consolation, the 1984 classic has simultaneously soared to Number One on the Billboard Global 200 chart for the very first time, proving its status as the world’s favourite festive song this season .
The song’s journey is legendary. Famously kept from the top spot in 1984 by Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’—on which a young George Michael also performed—it took 39 years to finally claim the UK Christmas Number One in 2023 . Its back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024 had already made it the first single ever to achieve consecutive Christmas Number One titles .
A New Chapter in Christmas Chart History
Kylie’s victory represents several firsts. She is only the third international female solo artist to ever clinch the UK Christmas Number One, joining Whitney Houston (1992) and Winifred Atwell (1954) . It is also the first time an Amazon Music Original song has reached the summit .
This year’s chart also highlighted the enduring power of the Christmas Number One to support charitable causes. The Together For Palestine single ‘Lullaby,’ featuring artists like Brian Eno and Celeste, entered at Number Five as the week’s best-selling track, raising urgent funds for humanitarian aid .
As the dust settles on this year’s festive chart battle, a new Christmas classic may have been crowned. Martin Talbot, Chief Executive of the Official Charts Company, suggested that ‘XMAS’ has “a genuine chance of becoming one of the nation’s favourite, recurrent, festive classics” . For now, Kylie Minogue can celebrate a hard-won, historic victory, proving that sometimes, the greatest Christmas gifts come after decades of patience.