Each and every year, music fans gather to see who will land the coveted Christmas number one spot, earning themselves a spot in the history books.
Some of the most iconic festive tracks have soared to the top of the charts, with hitmakers including Wham, Whitney Houston and East 17 landing the sought-after place, whether they planned to or not.
But despite festive success, many of the stars of these famous songs have battled tragedies in their personal lives from George Michael’s tragic passing to East 17’s brushes with the law.
In fact, even the stars of the charity group Band Aid have had a lengthy list of struggles, in particular its creator Bob Geldof.
And despite dominating the Christmas number one spot for years, many stars of The X Factor have struggled to find post-show success, with some even hitting out at their experience on the show.
Here are some of the most iconic Christmas tracks whose festive twinkle has been dimmed by tragedy…
1962 – Elvis Presley – Return To Sender
Elvis’ idyllic romance track famously featured in his film Girls, Girls, Girls! and despite the festive charts still being in its infancy, it reached the number one spot.
The music icon was behind classics such as Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock, and is still one of the most beloved artists of all time, more than half a century since releasing his first single in 1956.
However, Elvis’ struggles in the spotlight were well-documented, and he died in 1977 at the age of 42 after suffering from cardiac arrhythmia at his Graceland home.
Elvis Presley’s romance track Return To Sender famously featured in his film Girls, Girls, Girls! and despite the festive charts still being in its infancy, it reached the number one spot.
While drugs were initially said not to be involved in Elvis’s death, toxicology reports detected the presence of several opioids in his system, including Valium.
In the years prior, the singer’s health had been in sharp decline, and he was severely overweight, weighing a reported 350 pounds.
Pathologists found evidence of ‘severe and chronic constipation, diabetes and glaucoma’ in his system.
1971 – Benny Hill – Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
Known for his innuendo-laden comedy style, Benny was an unlikely chart-topper in 1971 with his novelty track, which was inspired by his early days as a milkman in Hampshire.
His series The Benny Hill Show became a global success and eventually made him a star in America once it began airing there in the ’70s.
Known for his innuendo-laden comedy style, Benny was an unlikely chart-topper in 1971 with his novelty track, which was inspired by his early days as a milkman in Hampshire
He was known for his raucous and racy sense of humour, involving scantily-clad young actresses, slapstick gags and cross-dressing.
However, his style of comedy eventually became unfashionable as tastes changed and The Benny Hill Show is remembered by some as vulgar and sexist.
In Hollywood journalist Craig Bennett’s, he recalled speaking at length about Hill with one of the comedian’s closest friends, the late Australian actress Sarah Kemp.
According to Ms Kemp, Hill spent hours confiding in her about how he felt unloved and unattractive to women – despite his oversexed on-screen persona.
And although he was worth millions thanks to royalties from The Benny Hill Show, the late actor was extremely frugal and had a phobia of spending money.
Hill’s health declined in the late ’80s and he died in London on April 20 1992 aged 68, two months after suffering a mild heart attack. The cause of death was recorded as coronary thrombosis.
1975 and 1991 – Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody landed the coveted Christmas number one spot on two occasions, first when it was released, alongside its iconic video, in 1975.
However, the song then made it to number one again 16 years later, after the tragic death of its frontman Freddie Mercury.
Freddie’s passing sent shockwaves through the music world after he died from AIDS-related pneumonia, as his diagnosis had only been made public 24 hours earlier.
Bohemian Rhapsody landed the coveted Christmas number one spot on two occasions, first when it was released in 1975, and again 16 years after the death of frontman Freddie Mercury
Freddie’s passing sent shockwaves through the music world after he died from AIDS-related pneumonia, as his diagnosis had only been made public 24 hours earlier
Little more than 24 hours before he died, Freddie released a public statement which said: ‘Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS.
‘I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me.
‘However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease.’
Bandmate Brian May had also previously shared his sadness that Freddie died so soon before antiretroviral drugs became available to patients.
Queen sold more than 300 million records, making them the fourth biggest-selling artists of all time after The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.
The Oscar-winning 2018 biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, which recounted Freddie’s life, also took in £1 billion globally, with star Rami Malek earning an Academy Award for Best Actor.
1984 – Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas?
Band Aid was the first of its kind, with Bob Geldof and Midge Ure joining forces along with some of the biggest names of the 80s to record a song in a bid to raise funds for those suffering from the devastating famine in Ethiopia.
The song set the bar for charity singles to be released in the years to come, but even Bob has struggled to escape the darker sides of fame following its success.
At the age of six, Sir Geldof’s mother Evelyn died of a cerebral haemorrhage, a stroke that causes bleeding within the skull. She was just 41.
Band Aid was the first of its kind, with Bob Geldof and Midge Ure joining forces along with some of the biggest names of the 80s to raise funds for those affected by famine in Ethiopia
But Bob Geldof, who was the brain behind the charity track, faced his own fair share of tragedy, after his ex-wife Paula died in 2000 after an accidental heroin overdose
Paula Yates famouly left her husband for Australian rock star Michael Hutchene (pictured). The couple welcomed daughter Tiger Lily in 1996, and he died in 1997
In 1976, the rock star began dating TV presenter Paula Yates, who is famous for hosting the music show The Tube in the 1980s.
After welcoming daughter Fifi Trixibelle, the couple married in 1986 and went on to have Peaches and Pixie.
However, Paula and Bob’s relationship became strained over the presenter’s infidelity. In the 2023 Channel 4 documentary Paula, singer Terence Trent D’Arby revealed he was once confronted by Geldof at his hotel in New York City, with the Boomtown Rats frontman asking him if he was ‘k******* my wife.’
In 1995, Paula hit headlines when she left her husband for Australian rock star Michael Hutchene – having interviewed him on the The Big Breakfast show the year before.
The celebrity couple welcomed daughter Tiger Lily Hutchence in July 1996. The following year, Michael was found dead in a Sydney hotel room.
A coroner found Michael had killed himself while depressed and under the influence of alcohol and drugs but there was never a public inquest into the INXS frontman’s death.
Paula Yates claimed her lover likely died accidentally while choking himself for sexual pleasure, as the pair had engaged in similar sex games.
Tragically, Paula died in 2000 at her Notting Hill home after an accidental heroin overdose.
Four-year-old Tiger Lily raised the alarm when she told Paula’s friend – who had called the house – that she was unable to wake her mother.
After the death of both her parents, Tiger Lily was formally adopted by her three sisters’ father.
In 2014, Sir Geldof’s second daughter Peaches died of a drugs overdose ten times bigger than the one that killed her mother.
On the night of her death, the mother-of-two had been looking after their baby son Phaedra, who was reportedly left alone for up to 17 hours following her overdose.
The coroner at the time said the television presenter, model and journalist had been trying to wean herself off drugs and was clean five months before her death.
But her husband Thomas Cohen told the hearing she relapsed in February and was hiding heroin in the loft of their £1million home in Wroxham, Kent.
Months after Peaches’ death, Sir Geldof told Lorraine Kelly the loss of his daughter was proving to be ‘intolerable’ and that he wanted grandchildren to grow up away from the ‘soap opera’ of his family.
1992 – Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
Given it’s already one of the biggest-selling songs of all time, it’s no surprise that Whitney’s most famous song was a festive chart-topper.
Her moving Christmas song, which featured in the 1992 film The Bodyguard, stayed at the top spot of the UK charts for 10 weeks.
But Whitney battled drug and alcohol addiction for years, and struggled with her sexuality during a tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown.
Given it’s already one of the biggest-selling songs of all time, it’s no surprise that Whitney’s most famous song, I Will Always Love You, was a festive chart-topper
The singer died at the age of 48 after she was found unresponsive in the bathtub in her suite at the Beverly Hilton hotel on the eve of the Grammy Awards in 2012
The star died after she was found unresponsive in the bathtub in her suite at the Beverly Hilton hotel on the eve of the Grammy Awards in 2012.
Her death was ruled an accident, caused by drowning, as the result of a heart attack.
She had traces of cocaine in her system, that a coroner ruled was a contributing factor to her death.
Whitney was married to fellow hit-maker Bobby Brown from 1992 to 2007, and together they had daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, who died at age 22 in 2015.
Bobbi was found unresponsive in a bathtub at her Georgia home, and spent the final six months of her life in a medically induced coma.
1994 – East 17 – Stay Another Day
East 17 may be best known for their Christmas song Stay Another Day, complete with snowy black-and-white setting and huge hooded jackets, but the group has had its fair share of struggles.
In fact, star Tony Mortimer revealed the song was based on his brother’s suicide, telling Big Issue: ‘It’s so odd that it’s a Christmas song. I wrote it about my brother’s suicide – so it’s about the end of a relationship, and missing someone.
‘That’s what it’s based on, and I think people like that. It might have been a hit because people felt sorry for me or whatever, but it’s also a very nostalgic song for Christmas, for looking back over the year and times gone by.’
East 17 may be best known for their Christmas song Stay Another Day, with snowy black-and-white setting and huge hooded jackets, but the band has been beset by bust-ups and hardship
In particular, Brian Harvey has had a tough few years, being stabbed in 2001 to nearly dying in a bizarre car accident in 2005
Things came crashing down when lead singer Brian Harvey was sacked from the group in 1997 after boasting about his drug use.
In the years that followed, East 17 had multiple lineup changes, with the original singers going on to have varied fortunes.
The quartet have had very public bust ups, suffered financial hardships and with the exception of Terry, they no longer perform
Brian Harvey has had a tough few years, being stabbed in 2001 to nearly dying in a bizarre car accident in 2005.
He has since built up a large following on social media.
1995 – Michael Jackson – Earth Song
After two decades of chart-topping hits, Michael landed his first and only Christmas number one with the environmental anthem Earth Song.
The star’s career had hit a turning point just two years earlier when he was accused of fondling a 13-year-old boy during a sleepover at the Neverland Ranch.
Authorities scoured the property and said they did not recover any evidence to align with the allegation.
After two decades of chart-topping hits, Michael landed his first and only Christmas number one with the environmental anthem Earth Song (pictured performing the song in 1996)
After being embroiled in a string of controversies, Michael died on June 25, 2009 after suffering cardiac arrest in the Los Angeles mansion he was living in
In December, he appeared on TV and denied the allegations in a detailed statement that made international headlines, and described the probe as ‘the most humiliating ordeal of my life, one that no person should ever have to suffer.’
The scandal had a profound impact on Jackson’s reputation and career, as he failed to live up to previous heights with the release of his 1995 album HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book I.
Michael was steeped in controversy again in 2002 when he was pictured holding his baby son Blanket over a balcony in Berlin, Germany.
In 2003 he was arrested in Santa Barbara, two days after Neverland was raided. He was indicted on 10 counts including lewd conduct with a minor, conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment, and extortion.
Jackson’s personal image and reputation took a hit following the second trial, and he had kept a low profile in the years before his 2009 death, ahead of a planned comeback with a series of shows in London at the O2 Arena.
Before that could happen, Michael died on June 25, 2009 after suffering cardiac arrest in the Los Angeles mansion he was living in. Authorities in February 2010 deemed his death as the result of acute propofol intoxication.
Jackson had been administered the powerful anaesthetic drug by his personal doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, who told investigators that the singer called the substance (which he took via an IV drip) ‘milk’ and said he needed it to sleep.
2005 – Shayne Ward – That’s My Goal
As just the second winner of The X Factor, Shayne Ward kickstarted the ITV show’s run of festive chart-toppers with his defiant track That’s My Goal.
Selling 313,000 copies on its first day, the single became the fourth fastest selling track of all time – behind Will Young’s Evergreen, Gareth Gates’s Unchained Melody and Elton John’s Candle In The Wind.
Thanks to his success, the Tameside-born singer was given a million pound contract with Syco, who released his debut self-titled album in 2006.
Shayne’s follow-up album, Breathless also sold well and reached number two but he was dropped by the record label following poor sales of his third album in 2010.
As just the second winner of The X Factor, Shayne Ward kickstarted the ITV show’s run of festive chart-toppers with his defiant track That’s My Goal in 2005
After poor sales of his third album, he was dropped by his record label, and in recent years Shayne has turned his attention to acting
In 2011, he turned his hand to acting – starring in the 1980s-themed musical Rock Of Ages in London’s West – and in 2013 showed off his skating skill on reality show Dancing On Ice.
Shayne has since put his music career on hold as he joined the cast of Coronation Street as Aiden Connor in 2015, but his character was tragically killed off in 2018 in a heartbreaking suicide storyline.
2007 – Leon Jackson – When You Believe
Pint-sized Scottish pop star Leon Jackson from West Lothian, won over the nation with his trendy asymmetric haircut and sharp suits, and was crowned The X Factor champion in 2007.
An unexpected winner, his champion’s single – an arrangement of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston’s duet When You Believe – bagged the Christmas number one spot that year.
While Leon Jackson topped the festive charts with his X Factor winner’s single in 2007, he has since fallen out of the limelight
Reports claim it sold 40 copies a minute in Woolworths at its peak.
But poor Leon slowly fell out of the limelight.
His follow-up track Don’t Call This Love peaked at number three and debut album Right Now only made it to number four. He was dropped by Syco in 2009.
Leon is said to have turned his hand to song-writing.
2010 – Matt Cardle – When We Collide
Former painter and decorator Matt Cardle, 32, triumphed in the 2010 series of The X Factor after winning over the voters of Britain with his down-to-earth demeanour and collection of flat caps.
It was a surprise win for some in a series that also saw the formation of the boy group One Direction, as well as runner-up Rebecca Ferguson.
The Essex stud’s winner’s single – a cover of Biffy Clyro’s only ballad, Many of Horror (retitled When We Collide) – regained Syco’s grip on the festive top spot, where it stayed for three weeks.
It sold an impressive 170,000 copies in its first two days on sale.
Matt’s debut album, Letters, received a warm reception and stayed on the chart for 16 weeks, peaking at number two.
Former painter and decorator Matt Cardle, 32, triumphed in the 2010 series of The X Factor, but his follow-up singles fared less well
Matt has also had to deal with personal struggles. He was admitted to The Priory on Boxing Day 2013 to be treated for addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol (pictured in 2019)
Unfortunately, the former handy-man’s follow-up singles fared less well and he parted ways with Syco and Columbia records in 2012.
Since then he’s released a couple of albums, collaborated with former Spice Girl Mel C and continues to tour, but he has not seen the same success as the act that came third in 2010 – One Direction.
Matt has also had to deal with personal struggles. He was admitted to The Priory on Boxing Day 2013 to be treated for addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol.
He said at the time, ‘I was so out of it – I was like a zombie.’
Matt is on the path to recovery, and has since pursued a stage career with roles in Strictly Ballroom, Jesus Christ Superstar and & Juliet.
2014 – Ben Haenow – Something I Need
Ben was the last X Factor contestant to land the coveted Christmas Number One, after he triumphed over Fleur East with his song Something I Need.
However, the singer has since hit out at show bosses, claiming contestants are at the ‘mercy’ of producers and criticising their editing techniques.
During an appearance on Access All Areas with Joanna Chimonides and Stephen Leng, he said: ‘It’s all in the edit man, the way that they can make you look.
Ben was the last X Factor contestant to land the coveted Christmas Number One, after he triumphed over Fleur East with his song Something I Need
However, the singer has since hit out at show bosses, claiming contestants are at the ‘mercy’ of producers and criticising their editing techniques
‘I think they want to kind of try to create characters and I think that’s the unfortunate thing about it. As much as they kind of portray it as these normal people, they’re definitely looking for characters.’
The Something I Need hitmaker continued to slam the show’s editing, explaining: ‘You can do and say what you want but when it’s edited into a sort of half an hour, hour programme, you’re at their mercy really.
‘It’s definitely something that I saw looking back, having gone through the year with some of those people and then seeing how they were almost portrayed on the TV was completely different to the person they were, so you’ve got to be careful with it. But it’s out of your control when you’re on the show.’
2023 – Wham – Last Christmas
While it was originally released back in 1985, it took over four decades for Wham’s festive hit Last Christmas to reach the number one spot, after years of campaigning from fans.
Wham remained one of the most successful acts of the 1980s, but other names that famously featured in the video have battled struggles including alcoholism, backstage feuds and brushes with the law.
Its frontman George Michael also enjoyed a glittering chart career, having sold more than 100 million records including seven number one singles in the UK, with tracks such as Careless Whisper and Faith.
While it was originally released back in 1985, it took over four decades for Wham’s festive hit Last Christmas to reach the number one spot, after years of campaigning from fans
George died on Christmas Day in 2016, aged 53, of natural causes, with a post mortem finding that the singer was suffering from fatty liver disease
Michael entered a period of semi-retirement in 2008, quitting live performances and seeking a ‘quieter life’ out of the public eye.
George later said his late 20s had been a very depressing time for him after he lost his partner, Anselmo Feleppa, to HIV and his mother died some time later.
A further run-in with the law came in October 2006 when he was found slumped over the wheel of his car. The following May he pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs and was banned from driving for two years.
In 2008 Michael took a step back from the public eye but less than a month later he was once again in the glare when he was cautioned for possession of class A drugs, which included crack cocaine, and class C drugs.
George died on Christmas Day in 2016, aged 53, of natural causes, with a post mortem finding that the singer was suffering from fatty liver disease.
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