Curse of the Christmas number one: Tragedy and turmoil behind festive chart toppers

The Christmas number one has long been a national ritual, a festive showdown that crowns a single each December. But a through-line runs through many winners: personal tragedy, legal entanglements and career downturns that have marred the festive twinkle attached to the season’s best-known songs.

1962: Elvis Presley – Return To Sender topped the early festive charts. Elvis, who went on to become one of the defining figures of rock, would later suffer serious health problems and die in 1977 at Graceland. While initial reports suggested drugs were not involved in his death, later accounts noted a combination of health issues alongside a history of weight gain and other conditions that affected his later years.

1971: Benny Hill – Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) topped the charts as a novelty hit born of his long-running TV persona. Hill’s fame faded as tastes shifted, and he died in 1992 at 68 from coronary thrombosis, with contemporaries noting the performer’s fear of spending and a lingering sense of being undervalued despite substantial wealth.

1975 and 1991: Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody. The song reached Christmas No. 1 in 1975 and again in 1991 after the death of Freddie Mercury, whose public revelation of being HIV-positive came shortly before his death from AIDS-related pneumonia. Mercury’s passing sent shockwaves through fans and the music world, and Queen later became one of the best-selling groups of all time, its trajectory bolstered by the 2018 biopic that won global acclaim.

1984: Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas? Band Aid brought together a constellation of 1980s superstars under Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. Geldof himself has faced a string of personal tragedies, including the death of his partner Paula Yates in 2000 from an accidental heroin overdose and the subsequent loss of his daughter Peaches in 2014. The family’s saga has often intersected with the broader narrative of fame and public scrutiny surrounding Band Aid’s enduring legacy.

1992: Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You. Houston’s festive ballad became one of the era’s defining tracks, but her career and personal life were marred by years of substance issues and a turbulent marriage to Bobby Brown. She died in 2012 at the Beverly Hilton, with the coroner attributing the death to an accidental drowning in a bath, with cocaine use cited as a contributing factor. Her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown also died years later in similarly tragic circumstances, underscoring the ongoing toll of fame.

1994: East 17 – Stay Another Day. The group’s Christmas single remains a signature moment of 1990s pop, yet East 17’s story has been marked by internal strife and lineup changes. Lead singer Tony Mortimer has spoken openly about personal tragedy inspiring the song, which he wrote about his brother’s suicide. Band member Brian Harvey faced a string of public incidents, including a stabbing in 2001 and a near-fatal car crash in 2005, highlighting the oft-hidden pressures within boy-band stardom.

1995: Michael Jackson – Earth Song. Jackson’s environmental anthem capped a career of towering success but arrived amid controversy, including allegations and scrutiny surrounding his personal life. He remained a global icon until his death in 2009, after years of legal battles, public investigations, and a highly scrutinized public image that shifted in the later part of his career. Earlier in the 1990s, Jackson had faced a highly publicized child-molestation allegation, which reverberated through his public reception and business deals.

2005: Shayne Ward – That’s My Goal. As the second winner of The X Factor, Ward kicked off a wave of festive chart-toppers from the show. His early success was followed by quieter years, a high-profile contract and then a gradual retreat from the commercial spotlight as he shifted toward acting and other projects. Ward later discussed the experience of being edited for television and the pressures of maintaining a media narrative around reality TV contestants.

2007: Leon Jackson – When You Believe. The Scot’s winner’s single topped the Christmas chart in 2007, but his subsequent releases failed to sustain momentum. Reports at the time suggested sales slowed quickly; he was dropped by his label in 2009. Jackson later pursued writing and other creative work as public attention faded.

2010: Matt Cardle – When We Collide. Cardle, the winner of The X Factor in 2010, saw his single stay at the top for several weeks. He later spoke about the intense scrutiny and pressures that come with reality TV fame and the music industry’s changes, including personal battles with prescription drug and alcohol dependence. He sought help and continued to build a stage career in musical theater and acting.

2014: Ben Haenow – Something I Need. Haenow’s Christmas No. 1 win capped a rapid ascent that year, but he later criticized how shows edit contestants for television narratives, arguing that the portrayal of contestants on live TV can distort reality and impact post-show careers.

2023: Wham! – Last Christmas. Although originally released in 1985, Last Christmas eventually reached Christmas No. 1 decades later after fan campaigns and enduring popularity. Its frontman, George Michael, remained a towering figure in pop, whose later years were clouded by personal and legal issues before his death on Christmas Day 2016. Michael’s life included a period of semi-retirement, a high-profile driving incident in 2006, and a 2008 caution for drug possession, all occurring before his passing and the subsequent reassessment of his legacy. The enduring popularity of Last Christmas has kept the song in the cultural conversation around festive music and chart history.