The Most Unexpected UK Christmas Number One Songs of All Time- From Mr Blobby to Rage Against the Machine

The Most Unexpected UK Christmas Number One Songs of All Time- From Mr Blobby to Rage Against the Machine

17 December, 2025Alex Leptos

It’s December in the UK and that means many things. Freezing cold weather, the countdown to Christmas but more importantly: the battle for the Christmas Number One. An annual national obsession helmed this year by the likes of classic “traditional” choices Wham! and The Pogues as well as Kylie Minogue making a bid with her festive collection. Not every winner, however, has been what you might call “traditional.” From TV characters to protest anthems and reissued classics, here are some of the most unexpected festive chart-toppers from over the years.

 

Mr Blobby - “Mr Blobby” (1993)

Oh, Mr Blobby- a symbol of 90s childhood joy... and terror. The divisive squishy pink TV character from Noel’s House Party stormed the charts in 1993 with a song performed by the big polka dot weirdo himself simply titled “Mr Blobby.” Co-written by David Rogers and Paul Shaw, it went straight to No.1 and not only that- ended up selling hundreds of thousands of copies despite often being labelled as one of the worst songs of all time.

 

Rage Against the Machine - “Killing in the Name” (2009)

From its inception in 2004 through to its 2018 end, the X Factor was responsible for 9 UK Christmas number ones- nabbing the top spot for its first four years on television. That streak was broken however in 2009, where the UK charts were upended by an online campaign to push back and get Rage Against the Machine’s 1992 protest anthem “Killing in the Name” to the top. The campaign was successful, and “Killing in the Name” cemented its place as king of the festive season.

 

Bob the Builder - “Can We Fix It?” (2000)

Apparently, we can! The beloved children’s animation Bob the Builder, voiced by Neil Morrissey, released its iconic theme as a single in December 2000. Not only did it top the Christmas charts- it became the biggest-selling single in the UK that year, outselling Westlife’s bid for No.1 and dominating festive sales. Kids, parents and nostalgia-hungry adults snapped it up. Just like Mr Blobby and a repeated slew of silly or comedic songs prove: people just love the fun, the wacky and the unserious.

 

LadBaby - “I Love Sausage Rolls” And Others (2018–2021)

Speaking of unserious but this one’s for a good cause: we’re gonna have to mention LadBaby. Starting in 2018, YouTuber Mark Hoyle (to use his legal name) kicked off a modern Christmas tradition of novelty food-themed parodies of well-known hits raising money for charity. His first festive chart-topper, “We Built This City (On Sausage Rolls),” was followed by “I Love Sausage Rolls,” “Don’t Stop Me Eatin’,” and “Sausage Rolls for Everyone.” They were raising money for the Trussell Trust and other food-aid causes, and the public loved them enough to send them to No.1 five years in a row.

 

Jackie Wilson - “Reet Petite” (1986)

Long before novelty hits dominated the Christmas race, a soulful twist on a 1957 R&B classic took the festive crown. Jackie Wilson’s “Reet Petite” originally charted in the ‘50s, but a claymation video shown on BBC’s Arena sparked renewed interest almost three decades later. The song climbed up the charts and became the UK Christmas Number One in 1986, 29 years after its original release- and just two years after Wilson’s death.

It has been consistently proven that the UK Christmas Number One is one of the country’s most delightfully unpredictable traditions. Turns out that festive music success isn’t just about bells and carols but sometimes it’s about fun, passion and the British public’s odd tastes.

 

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