Christmas songs reach new heights, while Maan & Goldband’s “Stiekem” takes the Christmas Number 1 of 2022

Maan and Goldband take home one of the most important chart accolades of the entire year: my personal Christmas Number 1 of 2022. The Dutch pop cross-over “Stiekem” entered the charts seven weeks ago and has spent its entire run so far atop the chart. Its seven-week reign has been challenged firmly, first by Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” and currently by Raye’s “Escapism”. In that time, “Stiekem” has become one of the year its biggest smash hits, earning over 200 combined streams and more than 70,000 points. “Stiekem” becomes Maan her third Christmas Number 1, being preceded by “Blijf Bij Mij” in 2017 and “Hij Is Van Mij” in 2018. She is the first Dutch artist to achieve this feat and the fifth overall.

With the Christmas Number 1 of 2022 announced, I’ve decided to list all my personal Christmas chart-toppers since charting began in 1995. The list consists of six Dutch Number 1s: this year’s “Stiekem” is the fourth consecutive Dutch Christmas Number 1 surprisingly. Five artists managed to score multiple Christmas chart-toppers: the Spice Girls (1996, 1997, 1998), Robbie Williams (1999, 2001), Cheryl Cole (2003 alongside Girls Aloud, 2009 solo), Adele (2008, 2010, 2015), and Maan (2018, 2019, 2022). The all-conquering Spice Girls are the only act on the list to score three consecutive Number 1s. My personal highest-scoring Christmas Number 1 of all time is Dua Lipa her “Don’t Start Now” (2019), which spent ten consecutive weeks atop the list and went quintuple-platinum.

Meanwhile, multiple Christmas classics flood the Top 10. Michael Bublé leads with “It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas”, which peaks at #3 this week, a career high for the Canadian hit jazz-singer. Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey returns to the Top 5 with her favourite “All I Want for Christmas”, matching its peak on last year’s holiday chart. Ariana Grande moves into the Top 10 with the modern classic “Santa Tell Me”, finishing at #7 this year. It marks the single its first appearance inside the Top 10 since it had peaked at #3 in 2014. Ariana’s best friend Kelly Clarkson follows with “Underneath the Tree”, which reaches a new all-time high peak at #8 on this year’s holiday chart. It marks Kelly Clarkson her eighth Top 10-hit overall and her first Top 10-appearance since 2012’s “Stronger”. The 1984 Band Aid-classic “Do They Know It’s Christmas” rounds out the Top 10 this year, marking the charity single its first Top 10-peak since 2005.

The Christmas onslaught continues inside the Top 40, where modern classics reach new heights. British pop diva Ellie Goulding finishes at #15 this year with her cover of Joni Mitchell’s classic song “River”. Sam Fender his “Winter Song” re-enters the Top 20 at #19, its first appearance in this region of the chart since it was first released. Ed Sheeran & Elton John their holiday duet “Merry Christmas” re-enters my personal list at #20, while George Ezra rounds out the Christmas re-entries with his rendition of “Come on Home for Christmas” at #23.

American pop diva Lizzo secures herself a new Christmas hit with her cover of Stevie Wonder’s classic “Someday at Christmas”. The song is one of this year’s Amazon Music Christmas Originals, which has previously included Camila Cabello’s “I’ll be Home for Christmas” and Jess Glynne’s “This Christmas”. Lizzo promoted to single at Saturday Night Live last week, which was well received by critics and fans, with her vocal range receiving particular praise. “Someday at Christmas” caps off an already successful year for Lizzo. Her fourth studio album Special became an international success and earned a Grammy nomination, while the album’s single “About Damn Time” reached Number 1 on my personal list.

During the Christmas mayhem, two non-holiday hits enter my personal Top 40. Dutch singer-songwriter S10 debuts at #32 with her new single “Hoor Je Mij”, which has recently been announced to be the 3FM Serious Request anthem of 2022. It is S10 her first solo entry on my personal list since her Eurovision-single “De Diepte”. Holly Humberstone rounds out the Top 40 with “Could You Afford to Lose Me?”, taken from her new compilation album of the same name. She recently scored a slow-burning hit with “Scarlett”, which has become her most successful release to date.

Newly certified songs

“Stiekem” – Maan & Goldband PLATINUM

List of Christmas Number 1s

1995.                “Ademnood” – Linda, Roos & Jessica

1996.                “2 Become 1” – Spice Girls

1997.                “Too Much” – Spice Girls

1998.                “Goodbye” – Spice Girls

1999.                “She’s the One” – Robbie Williams

2000.                “My Love” – Westlife

2001.                “Something Stupid” – Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman

2002.                “Dilemma” – Nelly & Kelly Rowland

2003.                “Jump” – Girls Aloud

2004.                “1001 Arabian Nights” – Ch!pz

2005.                “Ugly” – Sugababes

2006.                “Patience” – Take That

2007.                “Valerie” – Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse

2008.                “Make You Feel My Love” – Adele

2009.                “Fight For This Love” – Cheryl Cole

2010.                “Rolling in the Deep” – Adele

2011.                “People Help the People” – Birdy

2012.                “Troublemaker” – Olly Murs & Flo Rida

2013.                “Story of My Life” – One Direction

2014.                “Blank Space” – Taylor Swift

2015.                “Hello” – Adele

2016.                “Touch” – Little Mix

2017.                “Blijf Bij Mij” – Ronnie Flex & Maan

2018.                “Hij Is Van Mij” – Kris Kross Amsterdam, Maan, Tabitha & Bizzey

2019.                “Don’t Start Now” – Dua Lipa

2020.                “Nu Wij Niet Meer Praten” – Jaap Reesema & Pommelien Thijs

2021.                “Dat Heb Jij Gedaan” – MEAU

2022.                “Stiekem” – Maan & Goldband