Our driving home for Christmas playlist

Picture the scene: it’s Christmas Eve, and you’ve just finished work. There’s only the commute home standing between you and a well-earned Christmas break, and you’re starting to feel a bit festive. To help cement the festive feeling, we’ve put together what we think are the best Christmas songs to drive home to – let us know what you think!

1. The Darkness – Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)

We start off strong with The Darkness’ Christmas efforts. Now a festive staple, Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) stormed the charts: much to the surprise of everyone involved – including the band! The song peaked at number two in 2003’s Christmas top 40, pipped only to the post by Michael Andrews’ Mad World – perfect for rocking out to in the car.

2. Elton John – Step into Christmas

Step into Christmas is a surefire way of getting into the Christmas spirit – and one that you can’t help but sing along to. The song may have been overlooked as a Christmas number one contender back in 1973, but it’s now an essential part of any Christmas compilation album – and great for keeping the festive spirit alive while you drive home.

3. Jona Lewie – Stop The Cavalry

A Christmas song with an antiwar sentiment, Jona Lewie’s Stop The Cavalry is a catchy tune about someone who just wants to be home for Christmas – something we can all relate to. Now radio standard – it’s always good to nod your head along to in the car.

4. Wham! – Last Christmas

Everything about Last Christmas is iconic: is there anything better than seeing George and Andy sing about a failed relationship and drive through the Swiss countryside? Last Christmas is the best-selling UK single to never top the charts – it’s the ultimate driving singalong, selling over 2 million copies since its initial release in 1984.

5. Shakin’ Stevens – Merry Christmas Everyone

Merry Christmas Everyone is one of the cheesiest Christmas hits ever written – hence why we can’t help but love it every year. The song was originally meant to be released in 1984 but was delayed for a year to avoid Band Aid, so that Shakey himself could guarantee its commercial success – making it the perfect song to mark halfway on your journey home.

6. East 17 – Stay Another Day

1994’s Christmas number one (that beat Mariah Carey to the top spot) and forever popularised by those furry parkas, Stay Another Day is one of those Christmas songs that is not actually about Christmas. The song spent 5 weeks at number one, helping to keep drivers up and down the country happy as they drive to wherever they need to go over the festive period. Just pray the weather doesn’t reflect the scenes in the music video… or you may be heading nowhere fast!

7. Band Aid ‘84 – Do They Know It’s Christmas?

The original recording of Do They Know It’s Christmas featured nearly 40 of the best-selling artists of the early Eighties – and went on to become the UK’s biggest-selling record until Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” in 1997. The bleak song has become of the biggest Christmas songs – but we still love belting it out in the car when it comes on the radio.

8. Frankie Goes to Hollywood – The Power of Love

The Power of Love is another Christmas song with no reference for Christmas, but the music video is very spiritual and features the Nativity. Heavily played over every holiday period, The Power of Love secured a number one – but was knocked off the Christmas number one by Band Aid. At least you’re not making the Christmas commute home on a camel (even if the queues of red lights may feel that way), like in the music video, right?

9. Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody

Hearing Noddy Holder yelling “It’s Christmas!” is one of the telltale signs that the festive season is almost upon us. After selling nearly a million copies, Merry Xmas Everybody beat Wizzard to the Christmas number one in 1973. In 2009, PRS for Music announced that up to 42% of the world’s population could have heard the song – certainly making it a Christmas cracker, and the perfect penultimate number on our playlist!

10. Chris Rea – Driving Home for Christmas

The ultimate song for the Christmas commute, Chris Rea’s Driving Home for Christmas has been the soundtrack for many a festive drive. In fact, Rea himself has described it as a “car version of a carol” – making it the best song to round off your journey.

Let us know if we’ve missed any of your favourites – and a very Merry Christmas from everyone at Vasstech!