To think the Christmas Number One has gone tacky and downhill?

[SoniaFouler]

I just saw that LadBaby has had its 4th Christmas number one single. Based on what? Tik tok and streaming views on YouTube? I haven’t heard the song and not going to bother but does anyone else think music these days is just low effort, cheap and bland? What about real Christmas number ones, like Spice Girls 2 Become 1 for example.

Also saw that they had a rivalry to get to number one with a band called “The Kunts”. Really? I have no problem with the word cunt but I also don’t think this fits in with the whole Christmas theme. Can you imagine a child saying “who reached number one, mummy?” And she replies “it was The Kunts darling”??

Christmas number one has been for a long time now music for people who don't actually like music.

I can understand people wanting to donate to a food bank - not sure why you have to buy a novelty song to do that though.

YABU as Christmas number one has been tacky for decades!

@Georgieporgiepuddinandpie

I cannot and I mean cannot ABIDE Ladbaby and their ridiculous videos. Yak yak yak

You took the words out of my mouth.

A lot of music produced these days is utterly shite.
Very few real artists that can really sing or play an instrument.
All auto tuned utter shite that you couldn't remember within 2 mins of hearing it.

@Teacupsandtoast

You do know that all the money from the downloads of the Ladbaby songs goes to the Trussell Trust foodbank charity? They've raised a HUGE amount and supported so many families - who cares if the songs are a bit rubbish?

They're currently selling the jumper, hat and stocking from the music video for £28, £8 and £8 (on sale) and none of that money will be going to charity. They also have a regular range of merch.

Remember when they did the sausage roll flavoured Walkers crisps for the Trussell Trust? 5p per bag went to charity, 20p went to them. (according to wiki).

Call me old fashioned but which xmas songs usually get the most airplay during the festive season?
Slade Wizzard, Shaking Stevens, George Michael, Band Aid.
There hasn't been a decent new Christmas hit since the mid 80s!!

@Georgeskitchen

Call me old fashioned but which xmas songs usually get the most airplay during the festive season? Slade Wizzard, Shaking Stevens, George Michael, Band Aid. There hasn't been a decent new Christmas hit since the mid 80s!!

Absobloodylutely. The 80s were brilliant for all music. Now it a sounds the same.

Thankfully a pp mentioned Mr Blobby as a previous #1 song. I recall at the time I had just returned permanently to the UK after several years abroad. Once I realized that Mr Blobby was the #1 song I did seriously question if I'd made the right decision.....

They are raising money for charity so I can't get too worked up a out it. Better than lining Simon Cowell's pockets every year.

It's not the same now, not like when we used to gather round the radio with our cassette recorders every Sunday evening when people had to actually go out and buy the records. Christmas no. ones were still bad though

The songs are light hearted Christmas fun. They've had four number ones in a row for a reason. People are buying the singles not just watching on tiktok. You can buy on Amazon and Apple music. They don't receive any ££ for these sales, everything goes to the Trussel Trust foodbank. They've been horrendously trolled this year, people forget they're doing it to raise money for charity. Me personally I love their songs and babe purchased every year. Christmas is about giving and being charitable after all.

The Xmas number one doesn't have the same meaning anymore.
Bloody x factor killed it.

I prefer the old Christmas songs they put on rotation in the shops. My favourite is Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Rea.

I’m not a fan of charity singles. I’m dubious as to how much actually makes it to the charity after everyone has had their cut. I think the Ladbaby song is a pile of poo and I haven’t even heard it, have heard previous ones they’ve done so would be surprised if this was any better.

Think some people get stuck on the ‘charidee’ angle and get sucked in. I’m sure the charity would get a higher percentage if people just donated direct. Just because it’s for charity doesn’t make it worth buying or being number 1.

There’s a weird bit of British culture (I am British) that celebrates mediocre and this is an example.

The charts are dead. They mean nothing these days. They were my everything growing up!
A kid streaming Drake on a tinny phone down the park 50 times does not constitute a best selling song in my book, but it does in chart world.

'100% of all profits going to the Trussell Trust.'

At a first glance, looks transparent. But what are their profits exactly? I mean, something could cost £1 to make and sell for £10. You'd be forgiven for thinking £9 is the profit which goes to charity.

But not if I factor in my time/ resources etc as a cost and I decide I charge £8 an hour for my efforts. Charity then get £1.

So it's not as clear cut as it may appear

The X Factor ruined xmas number ones

@OldHip

Ok I have just looked up the list of Xmas number ones and the following are the only decent songs during the last 50 years:

1. Rockabye
2. Stay Another Day
3. Don't You Want Me
4. Another Brick In The Wall
5. Merry Christmas Everybody
6. Long Haired Lover From Liverpool*

*Hated/slated at the time, arguably due a rehabilitation

Just from the 70s and 80s:

Lonely This Chirstmas, Bohemian Rhapsody, Mull of Kintyre, Mary's Boy Child, Only You by the Flying Pickets, Do They Know it's Christmas, Merry Christmas Everyone, Always On My Mind

A lot of those are at least proper Christmas songs.

@SoniaFouler

“I doubt you spat your tea out”

No darling it’s a a figure of speech.

Give me strength.

Oh @User135644 the 'ba da da da opening from Only You gets me every time. 'All I ever knew, only you' 🥰

can understand people wanting to donate to a food bank - not sure why you have to buy a novelty song to do that though.

Disclaimer: I am not 'related' to Ladbaby, in spite of my username....!!

I agree with PPs that it's annoying that 'being in aid of charity' gets it a free pass - even if the charities don't actually see a very big percentage of the sale price.

Also the fact that these causes have to rely on charity at all. Every time I see the WaterAid appeals, it always makes me think that we and other wealthy countries were so desperate to spend millions, if not billions, funding Covid vaccines, which has the relatively small potential of seriously harming the people in these countries; but when it comes to ensuring they have clean water (much less a basic anti-starvation amount of food), we really don't seem to care at all about these 'boring' everyday deaths.

This is not to slate WaterAid or food banks in the least for the great work they do - but they shouldn't need to do it in the first place.

In theory, the Christmas Number One should be a completely 'free' choice, with people choosing their favourite, without feeling that they 'should' choose the charity one. Supposing millions of people did choose their actual favourites for musical reasons, split between 10 different options, but also all downloaded the charity one (maybe not even bothering to listen to it) as a 'little extra' - it's still a hijacking, however worthy.

Suppose 30 children give their teacher a token present at Christmas, but each child only gives their parent(s) one or two presents each - statistically, that would suggest that all of the 'sample selection' of children love their teacher far more than any of them do any of their individual parents.

Imagine if you regularly entered a serious painting competition with your finest, painstaking work - maybe you're an artist as your full-time job - where the exposure of winning would really help your continued livelihood, along with other skilled adults; but every time, a 4yo child with a sweet face entered with a blurry splodge, but was trying to draw attention to their pet good cause. Every year, they leapfrog all of the serious contenders with a wholesale pity vote. Why can't they feature/support the child's cause and efforts as a side effort, without taking away from the people who should seriously stand a chance of winning?

Yes, I know a lot of rubbish has historically got through - and I have no great love of Simon Cowell (although it did also begin the career of a hitherto unknown, as well as making him a packet) - but it just seems more honest that people should choose a rubbish song because they decide that they like it (or even just enjoy the kitsch value) rather than feeling that they should choose it - and if they don't, they're 'obviously' a nasty person who doesn't care about feeding the poor.

What’s this now? The Spice Girls are real music?

I suggest you do some google searching

That will tell you ladbaby do ate every single penny of profit to The Trussell Fund , you know food banks for those not as fortunate as the rest of us

Shame on you for moaning about them

Donate

@Teacupsandtoast

You do know that all the money from the downloads of the Ladbaby songs goes to the Trussell Trust foodbank charity? They've raised a HUGE amount and supported so many families - who cares if the songs are a bit rubbish?

No it doesn't. If you read the small print on their website, its 100% of the profit, not 100% of money donated. They spin it for marketing so that they're donating massive amounts to charity, but I imagine their "costs" see them net quite a bit of money from the venture

I think it’s great that Elton John and Ed Sheeran have written a new Christmas song - I don’t think we get many anymore. I am a bit cynical that they hedged their bets for number one by teaming up with Ladbaby but then on the other hand they are up for a bit of silliness and both songs are for charity so why not.

Both songs mention bereavement at Christmas which I think is a good thing but I actually thing the sausage rolls songs lyrics handle it better. The sausage roll lyrics are fun and relatable for a family having Christmas together. I really like both versions having listened to them and danced to them in the kitchen before Christmas lunch yesterday.

Better than X factor for Christmas number one. I think we remember with rose coloured classes - Bohemian Rhapsody was good but not Christmassy and we had that three times. Loads of Christmas number ones were novelty or not very Christmassy.