The 10 best Christmas songs of all time...
... in my opinion
by our Christmas correspondent Alfi Shipp

As Christmas approaches I felt it appropriate to conduct a personal countdown of the best Christmas songs of all time. So here goes…

10. Slade- Merry Christmas Everybody.
One of the ones you hear constantly on the radio in the build up to Christmas, but never get sick of. Slade’s yearly income is probably generated from the regular re-charting of this song.

9. Frank Sinatra- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
Such a smooth, easy listening, relaxing Christmas classic, the one your Nan always insists is put on.

8. Spike Jones- All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.
Written by a school teacher, after realising that most of his students had at least one of their front teeth missing when he asked what they wanted for Christmas. A humorous one that you rarely hear, which is probably for the best as I’ve just listened to it 3 times in a row and don’t want to hear it again. It’s still at number 8 though, despite sounding like a young Herbert the pervert from Family Guy.

7. Bing Crosby- White Christmas.
Although it’s not gonna happen this year, we can still dream. Although it nearly did last year, but by the time Christmas day came around it was just that shitty sludgy brown stuff. A timeless classic.

6. Wizzard- I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.
Although once a year is enough, this song is an undeniable classic. Oh and the video is hilarious.

5. Elvis- Blue Christmas.
Despite being attempted by many an artist (including Cambridge’s very own Ill Murray), the king’s version is the best of them all. His voice is perfect for the song, which is why his version was the one that made the song famous.

4. Wham! - Last Christmas.
Let’s be honest, we all say we don’t, but we all secretly love this one. George Michael at his best pre- Snappy Snaps. It’s just so catchy and gets stuck in your head for weeks in the build up to Christmas. Either the original, or the Manic's version.

3. Band Aid 1984- Do they Know It’s Christmas.
The original Band Aid contained a list of artists as long as Santa’s naughty list (some of them probably on both), including Bono, Paul Weller, Bob Geldof, Boy George, George Michael, Paul McCartney and even Pete Burns, along with many others. Written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the song has been re-recorded and released by many other Band Aid collectives, but has never bettered the 1984 version.

2. The Darkness- Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End).
It’s everything you want from a Christmas song, is it not? It’s cheesey, has a shitty cliché video, and to top it all off the lyrics include ‘Bell End’ and ‘Ring in Piece’. In the words of trusty friend Wikipedia: “The song is a take on the usual structure of Christmas songs. It features the usual mention of festivities, Santa Claus and bells, delivered with Justin Hawkins' trademark falsettos.” The track was just beaten to the 2003 Christmas number one spot by Gary Jules’ cover of Mad World, which isn’t even a fucking Christmas song!!?

1. The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl- Fairytale Of New York.
Could it be anything else? A Christmas song about a drunken Irish immigrant on a fucking massive bender in New York on Christmas Eve, which results in an argument between a couple, which then results in the best Christmas song ever made. Simple.