LadBaby break The Beatles’ chart record as they score fifth Christmas Number One
LadBaby have broken a UK chart record previously held by The Beatles as they score their fifth Christmas Number One on the Official UK Singles Chart.
The duo – comprised of Mark and Roxanne Hoyle – equalled the Fab Four’s record of four Christmas Number Ones last year and have now surpassed it with ‘Food Aid’.
LadBaby previously hit the top spot in 2018 with ‘We Built This City’, in 2019 with ‘I Love Sausage Rolls’, in 2020 with ‘Don’t Stop Me Eatin’’, and last year with the Ed Sheeran and Elton John collaboration ‘Sausage Rolls For Everyone’.
The new track, which features money-saving expert Martin Lewis, sold more than 65,000 chart units since its release on December 16, making it the fastest-selling single of 2022. The song is a reinterpretation of Band Aid’s own 1984 Christmas Number One single ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, and profits will be split between the Band Aid Trust and food bank charity The Trussell Trust.
“I can’t quite believe it! We’re Number One! The charity has made it five years in a row. How have we done this again?” LadBaby told OfficialCharts.com. “We want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us for the last five years. A massive apology to The Beatles, and to all The Beatles’ fans… I’m sorry! The charity wins. The Trussell Trust gets Christmas Number One again!
“Thank you to all the people who have downloaded, all the people who believed in us and brought a bit of Christmas magic. We love you all. Yes mate!”
Martin Talbot, chief executive of the Official Charts Company added: “It only seems yesterday that LadBaby turned up with their first festive campaign four years ago, so it feels slightly surreal to be sending hearty congratulations on their fifth successive Official Christmas Number One. Securing one Christmas Number One is a huge achievement in itself – to do it five times in successive years is unprecedented and frankly incredible.
“The success of Mark, Roxanne and their family is more than just a chart feat too. The work they have done to raise profile and funds for food banks generally and The Trussell Trust, in particular, has been immense over the past five years, especially at a time which continues to be so difficult for so many people in the UK.”
LadBaby beat competition from the likes of Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’, which landed at Number Two, and YouTube supergroup Sidemen, who made a late bid for the top spot with their track ‘Christmas Drillings’. The latter release climbed 38 places on the chart this week to Number Three.
The Top Five is rounded out by Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ at Number Four and Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s ‘Merry Christmas’ at Number Five.
Meanwhile, The Kunts finished at Number Seven with their latest political bid for Number One, ‘Fuck The Tories’. Speaking to NME about the single, the band said it was “easier” to capture the mood of the nation without Boris Johnson as their prime target.
“Without Boris’s smoke and mirrors, it’s really been laid bare who is responsible for the terrible state the country is in,” frontman ‘Kunt’ said. “It’s the same people who backed him and made excuses for him throughout all his lies, cover-ups and corruption.
“Now, without his sociopathic charisma fronting the operation, you look at the rest of them and realise what a vile, heartless, clueless bunch of cunts we are left with for the next two years.”
The post LadBaby break The Beatles’ chart record as they score fifth Christmas Number One appeared first on NME.
Rhian Daly
NME
