Story of the Christmas No. 1

Marc Burrows is an award-winning author, comedian, musician and journalist based in Bristol. His acclaimed biography The Magic of Terry Pratchett won the 2020 Locus Award for Best Non-Fiction and was adapted into a successful stand-up show that toured the UK following its Edinburgh Fringe debut. He is also the author of The London Boys, an acclaimed exploration of 1960s London through the early lives of David Bowie and Marc Bolan.The first edition of The Story of the Christmas No. 1 was met with widespread critical acclaim and sold out before Christmas in its first year of publication. A regular contributor to The Independent, The Big Issue, New Statesman and many other publications, Burrows is renowned for combining meticulous research, sharp humour and engaging storytelling, making him one of Britain's leading writers on popular culture and music history.

The biographer of hip unwraps his pen to sprinkle glitter upon the fading tradition of the festive chart-topper and crafts the ultimate gift for everyone, aged 8 to 80. This sleighs.Billy Reeves, BBC Radio LondonMeticulously researched and packed with detail. This highly enjoyable book is a perfect read to pop in someone's stocking.Hazel Cushion, literary agentThe Christmas No.1 is both a very British nonsense but also deeply important. Marc's highly entertaining book about a tradition that brings together the likes of Pink Floyd, Boney M and Mr Blobby, with reality TV, boy and girl bands and a host of now-disgraced individuals, showcases the history and occasionally rum stories behind some of pop's hastily put-together, yet most enduring and biggest-selling hits.Ian Wade, writer and DJMarc combines deep research, forensic detail and a wide knowledge of music with a light touch that never takes it all too seriously. The result is a fascinating read, in equal parts appalled and delighted by this weird British fixation on the Christmas charts.Helen O'Hara, Empire Magazine and host of the Bah Humbug! podcastWho knew the history of Christmas No. 1's could be so interesting and entertaining. Lots of trips down memory lane. It took me quite a while to read as I had to keep stopping to go and listen to so many of the songs - and watch videos of Bowie and Bing Crosby and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Plenty of laugh out loud moments, both in the text and the footnotes.Dr Michelle Selinger, Principal ConsultantInformative and fun.David Quantick, authorI feel this sentence from the prologue best describes the book which follows it, 'In this frenzied digital era of hundreds of different charts, is it even a thing any more? Why and when did we start caring about it? What is its future? Yes, poor Marc has decided to wrestle all of these questions to the frigid shores, and then beat them into submission with a robust striped cinnamon candy cane of in depth analysis and weapons grade festive whimsy.' This is a brilliant book about Christmas number ones.Verified Amazon customer

• Foreword: by Phillip Jupitus Prologue: Merry Christmas (I won't do what you tell me) Chapter 1 The ghost of Christmas past Chapter 2 Christmas (yeah, yeah, yeah) Chapter 3 So this is Christmas Chapter 4 It's Chriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiistmaaaaaaaaaas! Chapter 5 Eyes full of tinsel and fireChapter 6 The winter of our disco tentChapter 7 War is over?Chapter 8 We'll be back at ChristmastimeChapter 9 1984 part one - Give it to someone specialChapter 10 1984 part two - In our world of plentyChapter 11 1984 part three - We all stand togetherChapter 12 Now! That's what I call Christmas!Chapter 13 Do they know it's Cliffmas?Chapter 14 All I want for Christmas is youChapter 15 How the Grinch stole ChristmasChapter 16 Another Sausage Roll ChristmasChapter 17 I'm Streaming of a White ChristmasEpilogue - may your days be merry and brightBibliographyAcknowledgmentsAbout the author