The Top10 2012 Christmas Number 1 contenders revealed!

In exactly a month from today (December 23), we’ll be counting down the Official Christmas Singles Chart and revealing who’s scored this year’s Christmas Number 1.

With record sales at an annual high over the Christmas period, the Christmas Number 1 single has been THE chart topper every artist has wanted to get since the Official Singles Chart began in 1952. And this year is no exception. Let’s have a look at the Top 10 2012 contenders…

Make sure you're following Official Charts on Twitter and Facebook to find out first!

Carly Rae Jepsen – This Kiss

She’s Canada’s biggest export since Bryan Adams, and like his smash hit (Everything I Do) I Do It For You was the nation’s (not so) guilty pleasure of 1991, Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe is the track we’ve all been boogying to in our bedrooms this year. Carly releases her new single, This Kiss, on December 10, the week before the Official Christmas Singles Chart sales period begins.

Conor Maynard – Animal

It’s been quite a year for Conor Maynard. The 20 year old from Brighton won MTV’s prestigious Brand New For 2012 poll back in January, had a Number 2 single in April, and a Number 1 album in August. His upcoming single, the Justin Timberlake-tinged Animal, isn’t remotely festive, but his legions of Mayniacs will no doubt give it their best shot at making it the Official 2012 Christmas Number 1 when it’s released on December 16.

Gabrielle Aplin – The Power Of Love

Gabrielle Aplin, the voice behind this year's heart-warming John Lewis Christmas TV advert, is currently riding high in the Official Singles Chart with her cover of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s 1984 hit The Power Of Love. But will the British public be spurred on to buy her single in the week leading up to Christmas? Or will it suffer a similar fate to the original, which lost out to Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? for the 1984 Christmas Number 1?

Girls Aloud - Beautiful Cause You Love Me

Girls Aloud were the Official Christmas Number 1 of 2002 with their debut single, Sound Of The Underground. Ten years on and the recently reunited girl group are hoping to do it all again! Their new track, Beautiful Cause You Love Me, is out on December 16.

The Justice Collective - He Ain’t Heavy… He’s My Brother

Featuring Paul McCartney, Melanie C, Robbie Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Holly Johnson, Paloma Faith, Andy Brown (Lawson), Mick Jones (The Clash), Dave McCabe (The Zutons), Paul Heaton (Beautiful South), John Power (Cast), Shane McGowan (The Pogues), Beverley Knight and Gerry Marsden (Gerry And The Pacemakers), among others, The Justice Collective’s cover of The Hollies’ 1969 hit He Ain’t Heavy… He’s My Brother is the bookies’ favourite for the 2012 Christmas Number 1. All proceeds will go towards the legal costs of a fresh inquest into the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy, which led to the deaths of 96 people.

The Killers – Here With Me

Taken from their latest album, Battle Born, the Las Vegas rockers’ new balladtastic single, Here With Me, was co-written by Travis frontman Fran Healy. Despite having four Number 1 albums on the Official Albums Chart, The Killers are yet to score an Official Number 1 single. Will Christmas 2012 change all that?

Kylie Minogue – On A Night Like This

Celebrating her 25th year in music this year, Kylie Minogue is set to release a new version of her 2000 Number 2 single, On A Night Like This, on December 16. The track is taken from her new album, The Abbey Road Sessions, which features re-recorded versions of 16 of her classic tracks. Kylie’s last Christmas Number 1 attempt was in 1988 when Especially For You, her duet with Jason Donovan, lost out to Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe And Wine.

The Pogues FT Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York

Originally released in 1987, Fairytale Of New York is widely regarded as one of the greatest Christmas singles never to have reached Number 1; so much so that this heartfelt tale of Christmas excess has re-entered the Official Christmas Singles Chart Top 20 every year for the past seven years. With a special 25th anniversary re-release planned for this December, will 2012 be the year that this ‘lost Christmas Number 1’ finally claims the festive top spot?

Robbie Williams - Different

After achieving an Official Singles Chart and Official Albums Chart double this year with Candy and Take The Crown, Robbie Williams is very much back on top. But can the cheeky chappie from Stoke repeat the performance of his 2001 Christmas Number 1, Something Stupid with Nicole Kidman, with his new single, Different?

X Factor - TBC

Having dominated the Official Christmas Singles Chart for five of the last seven years, this year’s X Factor winner is a definite contender for the 2012 Christmas Number 1. However, with the live final set to take place on Sunday, December 9, and the winner’s single set to be released digitally after the show airs on ITV 1, either Christopher Maloney, Jahmene Douglas, James Arthur, Rylan Clark or Union J will need a strong second week sale to stand a chance of taking the festive top spot.

Other Possible Contenders

With Rod Stewart and Christina Perri having just released Christmas albums (Merry Christmas, Baby and A Very Merry Perri Christmas, respectively) and Michael Buble’s album, Christmas, having just been re-issued, you can’t bet against one of these heavy hitters’ festive ditties for the Christmas Number 1.

Nor should you rule out the novelty, such as a track from Blink 182’s forthcoming Dogs Eating Dogs EP or internet sensation Muhammad Shahid Nazir’s £1 Fish…

Check out our Official Christmas Number 1 playlist below, featuring some of this year’s contenders: