Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John’s festive collaboration Merry Christmas remains on track to secure the Christmas number one as the race for the title heats up.
The song has remained at the top of the UK’s singles chart for a second week, according to the Official Charts Company.
However, the pair have doubled their chances of claiming the coveted Christmas victory after teaming up with LadBaby, who has secured the Christmas number one title for the past three years.
In a bid to claim a fourth consecutive year, social media personality Mark Hoyle has released his own humorous take on Sheeran and Sir Elton’s festive song featuring the singers.
The track Sausage Rolls For Everyone, which was released on December 17, continues Hoyle’s theme of food pun-based songs, with all proceeds from the song going towards food bank charity the Trussell Trust.
SAUSAGE ROLLS FOR EVERYONE out now @LadBabyOfficial @eltonofficial 💥All proceeds from the song will be going to the Trussell Trust who have supported 1,300 food banks across the UK❤️https://t.co/jU7JB9HEoG pic.twitter.com/tgjxnfSZdq
— Ed Sheeran HQ (@edsheeran) December 17, 2021
If it reaches number one, LadBaby will beat the joint record held by The Beatles and Spice Girls, who are the only other acts to score a consecutive hat-trick.
Elsewhere in the singles chart, a total of 24 Christmas songs dominate the top 40, the most ever featured in the chart a week prior to the Christmas number one announcement.
Within the top 10 are festive classics such as Wham!’s Last Christmas coming in at number three, Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You in fourth and Shakin’ Stevens’ Merry Christmas Everyone in sixth place.
Non-Christmas songs also appear in the top five, with Adele’s Easy On Me holding on to number two, while fifth place goes to 17-year-old American singer Gayle with her song Abcdefu.
In the UK albums chart, Adele secures a fourth consecutive week at number one with her record 30, which has now spent the most consecutive weeks in the top spot for any album in 2021.
The singer-songwriter’s acclaimed fourth album has nearly double the charts sales of its nearest rival, Sheeran’s Equals, according to the Offical Chart Company.
Abba maintains third place with their latest album Voyage, while musician Paul Weller, often known as The Modfather, enters the chart at number four with his new release An Orchestrated Songbook.
This becomes Weller’s 22nd top 10 album, with his previous new record Fat Pop securing his sixth number one album earlier this year.