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Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody (official TOTP video, 1973) + Oasis cover for the Royle Family sitcom Xmas special, 2000)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Xmas_Everybody
"Merry Xmas Everybody" (stylised as "Merry Xmaƨ Everybody" ) is a song by the British rock band Slade, released as a non-album single on 7 December 1973. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and it was produced by Chas Chandler. It was the band's sixth and final number-one single in the UK. Earning the UK Christmas number one slot in December 1973, the song beat another Christmas-themed song, Wizzard's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", which reached fourth place. It remained in the charts for nine weeks until February 1974.[1]
Released at the peak of the band's popularity, "Merry Xmas Everybody" sold more than half a million copies upon its first release. It is Slade's last number-one single and by far their best-selling single. It has been re-released during every decade since 1973 and has been covered by numerous artists. The single was certified double platinum by British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in December 2021.[2] Since 2007 and the advent of downloads counting towards the UK Singles Chart, it has re-entered the charts each December. As of December 2012, it had sold 1.32 million copies in the UK.
-snip-
"Merry Xmas Everybody" is played regularly at UK nightclubs and on TV or radio stations and in many supermarkets around Christmas. It is included on numerous Christmas-themed compilation albums and several of Slade's subsequent compilation albums.[9][20] Despite the song's popularity it became the band's last number-one hit.[20] The song charted in every year in the early half of the 1980s, and again in 1998 and every year since 2006.[36] Peter Buckley describes the song in The Rough Guide To Rock as "arguably the best Christmas single ever".[37] This opinion was reflected in a 2007 poll carried out by MSN Music, where it was voted the UK's most popular Christmas song.[38] But even so, the song is virtually never played in the United States, having not been released as a single there in 1973.[39] In the United States this song does, however, get played on Muzak.[citation needed]
-snip-
In 2000, British rock band Oasis recorded an acoustic version for The Royle Family Christmas Special. It was later released on the 2002 various artists compilation NME in Association with War Child Presents 1 Love.[83][84]
Released at the peak of the band's popularity, "Merry Xmas Everybody" sold more than half a million copies upon its first release. It is Slade's last number-one single and by far their best-selling single. It has been re-released during every decade since 1973 and has been covered by numerous artists. The single was certified double platinum by British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in December 2021.[2] Since 2007 and the advent of downloads counting towards the UK Singles Chart, it has re-entered the charts each December. As of December 2012, it had sold 1.32 million copies in the UK.
-snip-
"Merry Xmas Everybody" is played regularly at UK nightclubs and on TV or radio stations and in many supermarkets around Christmas. It is included on numerous Christmas-themed compilation albums and several of Slade's subsequent compilation albums.[9][20] Despite the song's popularity it became the band's last number-one hit.[20] The song charted in every year in the early half of the 1980s, and again in 1998 and every year since 2006.[36] Peter Buckley describes the song in The Rough Guide To Rock as "arguably the best Christmas single ever".[37] This opinion was reflected in a 2007 poll carried out by MSN Music, where it was voted the UK's most popular Christmas song.[38] But even so, the song is virtually never played in the United States, having not been released as a single there in 1973.[39] In the United States this song does, however, get played on Muzak.[citation needed]
-snip-
In 2000, British rock band Oasis recorded an acoustic version for The Royle Family Christmas Special. It was later released on the 2002 various artists compilation NME in Association with War Child Presents 1 Love.[83][84]
The Royle Family sitcom - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royle_Family - also used Oasis's Half The World Away - https://www.democraticunderground.com/1034150041 - as the opening theme for the series.