Leona Lewis’ festive hit One More Sleep has been named the most played Christmas song released in the 21st century, according to new airplay data analysis from PPL.
The track, released in 2013, peaked at No.3 on the UK singles chart and has since become a seasonal favourite, re-entering the top 40 every year since 2017.
PPL, which licenses the use of recorded music on radio, TV and in public places, has compiled a chart of the most played Christmas tracks released in the 21st century using airplay data from radio and TV stations across the UK.
One More Sleep has accumulated the equivalent of 14 weeks of continuous airplay on radio and television since its release, compared to 11 weeks for Underneath The Tree.
Leona Lewis said: “It’s really special knowing that One More Sleep brings a little joy to people’s Christmases. The song and the whole album mean so much to me. It’s really beautiful that people connect to it and as an artist that’s all I could hope for.”
The chart highlights which ‘modern’ songs (released from 2001 onwards) have become part of the festive season, joining seasonal mainstays from the likes of Wham!, Wizzard and Mariah Carey. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey is the UK’s most played Christmas song on the chart when pre-21st century releases are factored in.
The Top 10 Most Played Christmas Tracks Released in the 21st Century
1 One More Sleep – Leona Lewis
2 Underneath The Tree – Kelly Clarkson
3 Warm This Winter – Gabriella Cilmi
4 Christmas Time – The Darkness
5 Christmas Lights – Coldplay
6 Merry Christmas – Ed Sheeran & Elton John
7 It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Michael Bublé
8 Somewhere Only We Know – Lily Allen
9 Santa Tell Me – Ariana Grande
10 This Christmas – Jess Glynne
The chart is based on analysis of UK radio and TV airplay data across every November and December since 2001.
Six of the top 10 tracks are by female artists, including Kelly Clarkson’s 2013 single Underneath The Tree in second place.
This chart shows the power of broadcast in helping usher in a new era of seasonal classics
Peter Leathem
Elsewhere, Gabriella Cilmi’s Warm This Winter (used for Co-op supermarket’s seasonal advert in 2008) and Lily Allen’s version of Somewhere Only We Know’ (featured in John Lewis’s 2013 Christmas advert), demonstrate the power of festive TV syncs.
British artists also feature heavily in the chart, making up six tracks in the top 10. Recent festive releases include Ed Sheeran and Elton John's 2021 single Merry Christmas and Jess Glynne's Amazon Original 2020 cover of Donny Hathaway's This Christmas.
Elsewhere, Coldplay’s Christmas Lights and The Darkness’ Christmas Time provide alternative takes on the holiday spirit.
With Band Aid 40 released this week, PPL can also reveal Band Aid 30 (released in 2014) is the 12th most played Christmas song of the century. The original Band Aid track ranks as the ninth most played Christmas track of the century when Christmas songs released pre-2001 are factored into the calculations.
Peter Leathem OBE, CEO of PPL, said: “Christmas songs hold a very special place in the nation’s psyche. With new festive tracks released each year, we decided to look at the success of those recorded this century. This chart shows the power of broadcast in helping usher in a new era of seasonal classics to match some of the most loved from years gone by.”
PHOTO: Mike Rosenthal
