What Was Every Christmas Number One Song In The 1990s?
Pressing Play
Ten Christmas Number Ones in the 1990s. Ten. That’s the tally. Say it again if you like. Ten. It doesn’t grow in stature. It sits there, glitter glued to cheap cardboard, daring you to judge it.
Each one bought in a fog of Baileys breath and queue rage. Money down, charts counted, crown bestowed. A cardiganed Cliff on Saviour’s Day. Queen’s frostbitten double bill. Whitney’s avalanche. A pink foam menace called Mr Blobby. East 17 in fur trimmed penance. Michael Jackson sermonising. Then the reign of Spice, three consecutive yuletides wrapped in 2 Become 1, Too Much, Goodbye. Westlife closing the decade with borrowed hymns and tidy hair.
Sales only. No downloads. No streaming. No algorithm giving you a nudge while you baste a turkey. Just tills, receipts, and the British urge to make the nation hear what the nation just bought.
This is the year’s last stamp in the passport. The ledger closed in tinsel and gravy. Here it is, December by December. Here is the list:
Christmas Number Ones
1990 — “Saviour’s Day” — Cliff Richard
1991 — “Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are the Days of Our Lives” — Queen
1992 — “I Will Always Love You” — Whitney Houston
1993 — “Mr Blobby” — Mr Blobby
1994 — “Stay Another Day” — East 17
1995 — “Earth Song” — Michael Jackson
1996 — “2 Become 1” — Spice Girls
1997 — “Too Much” — Spice Girls
1998 — “Goodbye” — Spice Girls
1999 — “I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun” — Westlife
