Band Aid 40 Ultimate Mix powers Do They Know It’s Christmas? into the lead for Number 1

Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas leads the race for Number 1 following the release of its 2024 Ultimate Mix.

Released to mark Band Aid’s 40th anniversary, the new version was produced by Trevor Horn and features vocalists from the 1984 original, 2004’s Band Aid 20, and 2014’s Band Aid 30. All three versions have topped the Official Singles Chart, as did 1989’s Band Aid II.

Artists who prominently feature on the track include the likes of George Michael, Chris Martin, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Dido, One Direction, Rita Ora, Sinead O’Connor, and of course Bono, who contributed to all three previous incarnations that contribute to the Ultimate Mix.

Do They Know It’s Christmas’ surge for Number 1 follows its release on physical formats this past Friday (November 29th), with proceeds benefitting The Band Aid Trust. The CD and vinyl variants also feature the original, 20th and 30th anniversary editions, and 1985’s Live Aid version from Wembley Stadium.

Just 1,000 chart units behind and looking to earn a fifth straight week at Number 1 is Gracie Abrams with That’s So True (2), followed closely by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars with APT (3).

In addition to Band Aid, as December gets underway three more festive favourites make the First Look Top 10. WHAM!’s Last Christmas may make its first Top 5 appearance of 2024 at Number 5, Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You climbs three places over the weekend to Number 7, and Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree leaps eleven places to Number 9 midweek.

Looking to hold space in the Top 10 for a second week is Defying Gravity by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, poised to lift one place to Number 6. The track is taken from the Wicked soundtrack, which set a hat-trick of UK chart records last Friday.

Reigning king of the Official Albums Chart, Kendrick Lamar, stays put in the First Look Top 10 with SZA collaboration Luther (8).

Tom Grennan’s Amazon original It Can’t Be Christmas shoots up 38 places to make its Top 40 midweek debut (11), while other Xmas staples rising into the Top 20 include Ed Sheeran & Elton John’s Merry Christmas (15), Kelly Clarkson’s Underneath The Tree (19), and Ariana Grande’s Santa Tell Me (20).

Finally, Ma Meilleure Ennemie by Belgian artist Stromae featuring Pomme scales three places to Number 18. The track is featured on the soundtrack to Season 2 of Netflix adult animation Arcane: League Of Legends, which debuted at Number 2 on last Friday’s Official Compilations Chart.