THE contest to top the charts at Christmas has always been one of pop music's biggest annual moments.

No-one's quite sure why, but it's something to talk about. And a way for the record companies to squeeze a little bit more cash out of the purses of unsuspecting members of the public.

In recent years, it's been a battle between the X Factor and a choir pretty much every year.

But the changing face of the music industry means the concept of a battle for the Christmas number one spot struggles to remain relevant as it just no longer makes sense.

It's now virtually impossible to walk into a shop which sells music, let alone actually buy a single. Wrapping up a single of a housewives favourite for your Grandma or the latest teeny bopper trend for your God daughter as a stocking filler is very much a thing of the past with music streaming and subscription services now big business.

The shift away from traditional single sales does have one big bonus. It makes it much harder for X Factor winners to get to No 1.

But, unfortunately, it also makes it tough for potential charity chart-toppers.

It is still possible for a novelty track to reach No1 – the NHS Lewisham single last year managed it with bags of momentum behind them. But it did require the help of the publicity machine that is Justin Bieber to hit the top spot.

So, with the demise of phyiscal sales and digital downloads, it's unlikely either Matt Terry, winner of the X Factor, or the Rolling Stones charity cover honouring murdered MP Jo Cox will get close.

Instead Clean Bandit are likely to take the festive prize with their song Rockabye, which was released in October and has remained at No1 ever since.

It's a cracking song, but it's not terribly festive.

It almost makes me pine for the days when Take That went up against Mr Blobby in the race for Christmas number one.

Almost.

Still, all these festive flops are in good company.

Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl never topped the chart, missing out to Always On My Mind by the Pet Shop Boys back in 1987, but it has to be one of the most enduring Christmas hits of all time.

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