In light of the tragic news of Shane MacGowan's passing, Fairytale of New York, featuring Kirsty MacColl, has returned to the Top 40 at Number 18. It is expected to climb considerably higher the following week, maybe reaching its first-ever position at Number 1 in the UK.
Shane MacGowan, the wild, rabble-rousing lead vocalist and composer of The Pogues, who brought punk passion and energy to traditional Irish music, passed away on Thursday, according to his family. He was 65.
Due to his songwriting and charisma, MacGowan became a legendary figure in modern Irish culture. Some of his works, such as the poignant Christmas ballad "Fairytale of New York," have become classics and, in the words of Irish President Michael D. Higgins, "will be listened to every Christmas for the next century or more."
According to Martin Talbot, CEO of Official Charts:
"The terribly sad news about Shane MacGowan's death will hit hard all lovers of his music, as well as the fans of Fairytale Of New York, which is consistently one of the UK public's favourite Christmas songs - and which has become a festive staple since the advent of the digital era made it available to download and stream.
READ ALSO: Shane MacGowan Cause of Death: The Pogues Singer's Health Issues Explored Following His Death
"As usual, it was already heading back into the Official Singles Chart Top 40 this week and, while it is currently too early to give an indication of the scale of the streaming surge, we would very much expect it to rise back into the Top 20 over the coming days, perhaps even higher. It is a genuine contender for this year's Christmas Number 1 - a chart position which this classic has never previously reached. What a fitting tribute to Shane that would be."
For the third week running, Jack Harlow's "Lover On Me" has been the top song on the Official Singles Chart in the UK.
Lovin On Me, the "beginning of a new era" for the Louisville rapper, even surpasses its own performance week after week, landing its highest seven-day totals to date (55,000 UK chart units).
Today, Noah Kahan's Stick Season reached a new high of Number 2, continuing its incredible rise. Normally, we might have a reasonable competitor for the Number 1 single of the following week, but since it's already December,...
The Official Chart has officially welcomed Christmas! Currently, Christmas songs make up almost half of the Official Singles Chart, with 16 festive songs topping the Top 40 this week.
Naturally, these are headed by the two most durable and well-liked holiday successes (both were once Number 1s): Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You, which jumps 10 places to Number 6, and Wham!'s Last Christmas, which moves up nine spots to Number 5.
Given their potential to increase as the month goes on, Wham! and Mariah are currently the front-runners for this year's Official Christmas Number 1. Learn all there is to know about the Official Christmas Number 1 race of this year by clicking this link.
Olivia Rodrigo's "Can't Catch Me Now," from "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes," is just outside the Top 10, reaching a new high this week at Number 12.
Brenda Lee's Rockin Around the Christmas Tree (age 14), Michael Bublé's It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (16), Ed Sheeran and Elton John's former number-one song Merry Christmas (17), Bobby Helms' Jingle Bell Rock (20), and Ariana Grande's Santa Tell Me (age 22) are among the songs that will be added to the celebrations this week.
Today marks the UK Top 40 debuts of two of this year's new Amazon Music Originals: Jorja Smith's East 17 cover Stay Another Day (38), which earns her sixth Top 40 success overall, and Sam Ryder's You're Christmas to Me, which becomes his third Top 40 song (23).
Additional Christmas hits that have joined the dominance are "Merry Christmas Everyone" by Shakin' Stevens (number 25), "Underneath the Tree" by Kelly Clarkson (number 27), "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams (number 29), "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid (number 35), "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" by Dean Martin (number 36), and "Snowman" by Sia (number 40).
READ MORE: Shane MacGowan Health Update: Singer on Breathing Apparatus Amid Viral Encephalitis Battle
