Mariah Carey Leads Christmas Trifecta on Midweek U.K. Chart

The Christmas takeover is about to begin on the U.K. chart, with three holiday classics jostling for the crown.

Based on sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia) holds the edge at the halfway point, ahead of Wham’s “Last Christmas” (RCA) and Ed Sheeran & Elton John’s “Merry Christmas” (Atlantic), respectively.

Just 1,000 chart sales separate the three tracks at the midweek point, the OCC reports.

All three tracks have led the Official U.K. Singles Chart, with Carey’s 1994 classic the current No. 1.

They’ll face some stiff competition for the coveted Christmas No. 1 in the form of LadBaby. The husband and wife duo of Mark and Roxanne Hoyle last year made history with a fourth consecutive U.K. Christmas No. 1, a streak they intend to extend with a fundraising cover of Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

The single will drop this Friday (Dec. 16), with proceeds from it divided equally between food bank charity The Trussell Trust and the Band Aid Trust.

This year’s countdown to the Christmas No. 1 will be revealed on Friday, Dec. 23.

Meanwhile, the original Band Aid all-star recording is one of many Christmas songs which stuff the Official Chart Update, as classics by Brenda Lee, Michael Buble, the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, and Bobby Helms rise in the top 10.

Also noteworthy is Lizzo’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Someday At Christmas” (Atlantic), an Amazon Music “Original,” which eyes a new peak, up 21-13 on the chart blast, while Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath The Tree” (RCA) could land its highest spot on the chart, at No. 14.

The highest debut on the chart should belong to SZA, whose “Kill Bill” (RCA/Top Dawg) bows at No. 24 at the midweek point, and “Nobody Gets Me” is set to start at No. 28. Both are lifted from the U.S. R&B artist’s long-awaited sophomore album, SOS, which dropped last Friday.