Revealed: THIRTY-SIX YEARS after its release, Chris Rea’s Driving Home for Christmas is voted the favourite song for a festive road journey, followed by Fairytale of New York

• Driving Home For Christmas was released as a B-side to Hello Friend
• It was re-released in 1988 for the Christmas charts but only reached No.53  
• Britons agree that there’s no better feeling than driving home for Christmas
• Scroll down for more… including the full ranking of best festive driving songs 

Britons’ favourite Christmas songs to listen to on the road have been revealed, and it’s Chris Rea’s classic – and appropriately titled – Driving Home for Christmas in the number one spot.

When Britons were asked in a survey to name their top festive driving tracks, it garnered almost half (47 per cent) of the vote, with Fairytale of New York by The Pogues coming second with an impressive 46 per cent. In third place is Wizzard’s 1973 hit I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day, with 39 per cent.

Driving Home For Christmas was released 36 years ago in 1986 as a B-side to song Hello Friend. It was then re-released in 1988 as an attempt at the Christmas charts but only reached number 53. However, it has slowly grown in popularity – in 2021 it reached number ten in the UK Singles Chart.

Also on the list of festive tunes Britons like to listen to while on the move is Last Christmas (fourth, 38 per cent), All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carey (fifth, 37 per cent) and Bing Crosbie’s It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas (sixth, 32 per cent).

Britons’ favourite Christmas songs to listen to on the road have been revealed, and it’s Chris Rea’s classic – and appropriately titled – Driving Home for Christmas in the number one spot

The survey of 2,000 Britons, by Webuyanycar, also discovered that the average British motorist will drive 185 miles over the Christmas period to see friends and family.

Ninety-two per cent of respondents agreed that despite traffic jams and potential bad weather, there is no better feeling than driving home for the Christmas break.

Music, it seems, is a vital part of our festivities, with 85 per cent of people agreeing that it doesn’t feel like Christmas until they’ve heard a classic anthem.

Psychologically the tracks take us back to our early years, with 90 per cent saying that they’re transported back to childhood by hearing some of the songs.

Ninety-two per cent of respondents agreed that despite traffic jams and potential bad weather, there is no better feeling than driving home for the Christmas break

When it comes to when you can start listening to your favourite Christmas tracks, there’s a split in the nation, with 48 per cent saying it is okay to play them in November while 52 per cent believe you must hold on until December.

Many more people are in favour of Christmas songs in shops – with 87 per cent saying they enjoy hearing them when out and about.

A growing proportion make their own Christmas playlists, with 33 per cent saying they plan their listening, however that still leaves two-thirds who hear the tunes on the radio – or playlists made automatically by streaming services.

Seven in ten people agree that at the end of Christmas, they’re pleased they won’t have to hear a festive song for another year.

Richard Evans, Head of Technical Services at webuyanycar, said: ‘This poll shows how much we think about music at Christmas, particularly on that much-anticipated drive home for the festive season listening to our favourite Christmas songs.’

BRITAIN’S FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS DRIVING TUNES FOR 2022

1. Driving Home For Christmas – Chris Rea 47%

2. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues 46%

3. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard 39%

4. Last Christmas – Wham! 38%

5. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey 37%

6. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas – Bing Crosby 32%

7. Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid 20 31%

8. White Christmas – Bing Crosby 26%

9. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee 22%

10 = Step Into Christmas – Elton John 21%

10 = Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens 21% 

11 = It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – Andy Williams 20%

11 = Silent Night – Bing Crosby 20%

12. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – The Jackson 5 19%

13. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon and Yoko Ono 17%

14. Stay Another Day – East 17 16%

15 = Mary’s Boy Child/ Oh My Lord – Boney M 14%

15= Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt 14%

16 = Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano 13%

16 = Wonderful Christmastime – Paul McCartney 13%

16 = Walking In The Air – Aled Jones 13%

17. 2,000 Miles – The Pretenders 12%

23. Mistletoe and Wine – Cliff Richard 12%

24. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – The Jackson 5 12%

25. One More Sleep – Leona Lewis 12%

Source: Webuyanycar   

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