We've got the perfect soundtrack to the festive season! 🎄
We are officially ready for Christmas!
Every Friday from now until Christmas we're bringing you the best Festive Throwbacks for a whole hour from 8am. From Mariah to Wham!, The Pogues, Shaky and Slade, we've got the biggest festive throwbacks EVER to perfectly start this year's Christmas season.
Listen to Hits Radio
Plus, we'll have lots of amazing shows to bring some extra joy to the most wonderful time of the year! The biggest stars will be dropping by to bring some festive cheer and there'll be plenty of extra celebrations up to the new year, right here on Hits Radio.
Check out some of the shows on Hits Radio this Christmas:
Hits the night before Christmas
This Christmas Eve get ready for Santa to arrive and join superstar Sam Ryder from 7pm for this chilled special show, complete of course with a rendition of The Night Before Christmas poem to get your little ones ready for the big day.
Spend Christmas morning with Fleur East, James and Matt
Fleur East, James and Matt will be celebrating Christmas morning with you and special guests including Alicia Keys, Jamie Dornan and Dawn French! Listen from 9am for the perfect Christmas soundtrack.
Jungle Bells
The King of the Jungle is back! This Christmas Day from 1pm join Sam Thompson for a special show where he will be joined by some very special guests, plus he will be playing the biggest hits and throwbacks to get you ready for your Christmas Day feast!
Hits Christmas with Owen Warner
Tune in at 7pm on Christmas Day and 6pm on Boxing Day for Hits Christmas with Owen Warner. Owen will be the soundtrack to your Christmas with the biggest festive hits and throwbacks!
Boxing Day Bangers with Tom Grennan
Get the party started from 4pm on Boxing Day with Tom Grennan as he plays the biggest festive hits and throwbacks!
The Ultimate Top 500 Throwbacks
We're counting down the ULTIMATE top 500 throwbacks over the Christmas period to decide who will be crowned as the biggest and best throwback hit! Listen from the 27th - 30th December from 10am to countdown with us.
The Takeover with Cian Ducrot
On Wednesday 27th December from 7pm, following his incredible Hits Live performances, Cian Ducrot will be hosting his very own Hits Radio takeover show!
The Takeover with Rita Ora
Rita Ora takes over on Thursday 28th December for two hours full of her favourite hits and throwbacks! Listen from 7pm
The Takeover with James Arthur
James Arthur will be taking control of Hits Radio on Friday 29th December from 7pm, playing his favourite hits and throwbacks!
The National Lottery’s New Years Eve Big Bash
We've got the pre-show for the biggest night of the year – right here on New Year's Eve with Fleur East, James and Matt at The National Lottery's New Years Eve Big Bash.
There'll be stellar performances from the likes of Becky Hill, Busted and Jax Jones. Plus see some of the brilliant projects that National Lottery players fund and how much of a positive impact they've had on people all over the UK.
Get all the pre-show action right here – and then experience the whole thing – New Years Eve at 6 on ITV and STV!
The Hits UK Chart of 2023
On New Year's Eve, from 7pm, we'll be bringing you the Hits UK Chart of 2023. Sam Thompson is back on your radios and he will be counting down the biggest hits of this year to get you ready for your New Year celebrations... who will be number one?!
The New Year's Eve House Party with Owen Warner
The ULTIMATE way to party into 2024! Join Owen Warner for his New Year's Eve House Party from 7pm for the perfect playlist and loads of laughs as we welcome in the New Year!
Check out some of the biggest festive throwbacks:
The Pogues - 'Fairytale Of New York'
Originally released in 1987, The Pogues' 'Fairytale Of New York' is a very popular song every Christmas. Despite its popularity, the song wasn't a Christmas Number 1, with the Pet Shop Boys' cover of 'Always on My Mind', keeping it off the top spot.
Wham! - 'Last Christmas'
Released by Wham! in 1984, 'Last Christmas' became the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century in the UK, until The Pogues overtook it in 2015. 'Last Christmas' was also prevented from being a Christmas Number 1, this time by Band Aid's, 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'.
Leona Lewis - 'One More Sleep'
'One More Sleep' was written by Leona Lewis along with a songwriting team, and has become one of the most popular recent Christmas songs.
Wizzard - 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday'
Wizzard's 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' was originally released back in 1973 and has been popular at this time of the year ever since, even re-entering the charts most Christmases!
Mariah Carey - 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'
Mariah's timeless classic Christmas song was originally released back in 1994, and enjoyed huge success around the world. 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' peaked at Number 2 in the UK, behind East 17's 'Stay' in 1994.
Band Aid - 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'
Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' was originally released in 1984, and has been re-recorded three times since, in 1989, 2004, and 2014. At the time, the song became the fastest selling single in UK chart history, selling a million copies in the first week alone.
The original version of the song included U2's Bono, Bananarama, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, and many more pop stars brought together by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure.
John Lennon/Yoko Ono - 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)'
'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' was released in 1972 here in the UK, a year later than it was released elsewhere. Originally reaching Number 4 on its release, the song has continued to re-enter the chart over the subsequent years, reaching Number 2 in 1980, the year of John Lennon's death.
East 17 - 'Stay Another Day'
Although not technically a Christmas song, East 17's 'Stay Another Day' was their largest hit and became the Christmas Number 1 in 1994, beating Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'.
Shakin' Stevens - 'Merry Christmas Everyone'
As festive songs go, Shakin' Stevens' 'Merry Christmas Everyone' has had a pretty impressive run. Originally topping the chart in the year of its release (1985), it has continued to re-enter every year since 2007!
Slade - 'Merry Xmas Everybody'
'Merry Xmas Everybody' was Slade's last Number 1 and their biggest selling single. Since its released in 1973, it has been re-released every decade, and also been covered by a number of different artists, including Girls Aloud, R.E.M. and Train.
Gabriella Cilmi - 'Warm This Winter'
Gabriella Cilmi's cover of the 1962 song 'I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter', released by Connie Francis, was used on a supermarket advert when it was released in 2008. The song re-entered the UK charts the following Christmas.
Paul McCartney - 'Wonderful Christmastime'
'Wonderful Christmastime' was Paul McCartney's first solo single since Wings formed in November 1979. After its initial release in 1979, it was also added to two of his releases in 1993 and 2011.
Read more:
Things you'll only understand if your birthday is around Christmas
6 ways to make New Year’s Day amazing