Ed Sheeran & Elton John heading for Number 1 with Merry Christmas

Could the A-List pair dethrone Adele's Easy On Me?

ed-sheeran-elton-john-merry-christmas-c-zakary-walters.jpg

Ed Sheeran & Elton John are heading straight for Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart with their brand new single, Merry Christmas.

With more than double the chart sales of its closest competition – reigning Number 1, Easy On Me by Adele – the pair are sleigh-riding into success on the Official Chart: First Look. If the song can hold on, it will mark Ed Sheeran’s 12th total Number 1 single, and third this year, and Elton John’s 9th and second this year.

14 total Christmas songs are currently sitting in the Top 20 after 48 hours, including George Ezra’s Come On Home For Christmas, soaring 31 places to Number 5. If he holds on, it will mark George’s first Top 5 single since his 2018 Number 1 smash Shotgun.

Other festive hits set to rise into the Top 10 this week include The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl’s Fairytale Of New York (6), Shakin’ Stevens’ Merry Christmas Everyone (7), Michael Buble’s It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas (8) and Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (9).

MORE: Vote for the UK's favourite Christmas Number 1

British singer Olivia Dean could land her first Top 20 hit, and indeed her first Top 40, with her Amazon Originals cover of Nat King Cole’s classic The Christmas Song. The track has already rocketed 29 places so far this week to Number 17.

The remaining hits jingling their way into the First Look are: Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas? (11), Elton John – Step Into Christmas (12), Kelly Clarkson – Underneath The Tree (14), Ariana Grande – Santa Tell Me (16) and Andy Williams – It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (19).

The Official Singles Chart Top 100 is revealed on OfficialCharts.com every Friday at 5.45pm. Follow the Top 40 countdown live on BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart show with Scott Mills.

Official Chart: First Look Top 20 - December 5, 2021

LW CURRENT TITLE ARTIST
NE 1 MERRY CHRISTMAS ED SHEERAN & ELTON JOHN
1 2 EASY ON ME ADELE
4 3 LAST CHRISTMAS WHAM
3 4 ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU MARIAH CAREY
36 5 COME ON HOME FOR CHRISTMAS GEORGE EZRA
16 6 FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK POGUES FT KIRSTY MACCOLL
17 7 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE SHAKIN' STEVENS
20 8 IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE MICHAEL BUBLE
22 9 ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE BRENDA LEE
2 10 ABCDEFU GAYLE
23 11 DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS BAND AID
30 12 STEP INTO CHRISTMAS ELTON JOHN
9 13 OVERPASS GRAFFITI ED SHEERAN
29 14 UNDERNEATH THE TREE KELLY CLARKSON
15 15 COLD HEART ELTON JOHN & DUA LIPA
31 16 SANTA TELL ME ARIANA GRANDE
46 17 THE CHRISTMAS SONG OLIVIA DEAN
7 18 FLOWERS (SAY MY NAME) ARRDEE
38 19 IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR ANDY WILLIAMS
11 20 COMING FOR YOU SWITCHOTR FT A1 & J1

©2021 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

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Hugh Oxburgh

1

Not impressed. A singles chart that doesn't have Abba riding high isn't worth a hill of beans,.

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Blank

0

Essentially Gayle is still #2 in the non-Christmas chart. It's just a battle of the Christmas records for the rest fo the years. Yet another top 10 week for Shaky :-)

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🧡 oliviasnoodles 🍜

0

the song at number 10 is exactly how i feel about the cocky pub singer.

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timmusicmaniac@yahoo.ca

1

Elton John & Ed Sheeran song is amazing and the Video is also fun to watch...Who could not predict that it was a sure fire song to hit no.1 ...Ed Sheeran has had 3 or 4 Top 10 songs already this year...and Elton is doing pretty good as well...Wish the ABBA song "Little things" could at least make the Top 10...i guess that ain't happening....Merry Christmas everybody....

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Aaron

0

Christmas tree farm not here 😥 easily one of the best Christmas songs :)

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Alfred Lock

0

It had to take the combined star power of Ed and Elton to dethrone Adele...But will Ladbaby pop up a 4th time???

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thierry henon

1

Love that song! I am not a fan anymore of ED but i got to say: he did write a beautiful Xmas song!! Love the video, the duet with Elton..If he can beat the overrated Adele to the Top: go for it ED!!

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🧡 oliviasnoodles 🍜

0

it was alright at first but i dont like it anymore. gayle for number 1!

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Sakgra

-1

if not Mariah i would prefer Wham at no1 and not boring Ed whos gonna stay until Easter.glad to see Kelly going well this year

NN

Nu No

0

At least it's a new recording and not a song 26 or 36 yo doing well because chart rules changed and streaming songs are part of the charts counting even more than real sales (that were the only thing that counted for over 60 years of UK charts). Thank god that in 2021 real sales are higher than in 2020.

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Sakgra

0

you are jocking right?

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Lawrence Colwell

5

No Sign of Abba Little Things then ☹ it is currently No 1 on Amazon's Movers and Shakers, surely it must be sitting just outside the top 20, the video has had over 1m streams.

LB

Lee Brown

5

Congratutations, 3 singles in the top 20 for Elton John 👍👍👍

R

Riley

4

Can we talk about for a minute how cold heart would be back in the top 5 if there were no Xmas songs!

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Piran

8

Loving the big climbs for Ariana & Kelly. :)

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afrog

2

ari 😍

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Piran

1

I knew you’d definitely make a comment on her big climb, haha. :)

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kittern

1

=yes Me Too

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Piran

7

Eight Christmas songs in the Top 10 already! :O

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afrog

1

just need kermit's christmas songs here :)

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Piran

1

Speaking of frog songs, you know what’s coming on Friday? :)

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🧡 oliviasnoodles 🍜

0

oh for crying out loud~

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Piran

0

Hey, I really don’t expect it to be big at all with the Christmas songs taking over here! :P

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afrog

1

crazy frog crazy frog crazy frog :DDD

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Piran

1

I still haven’t heard it yet! :P

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Piran

7

Not at all surprised by the #1, but I didn’t think Wham! would be above Mariah! :O

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afrog

1

pleasant surprise, love both but imo Wham! slightly better :D

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Piran

1

Hmm, I agree on loving both, but Mariah’s stands out to me just a tiny bit more. :)

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afrog

0