Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” returns to the spotlight early this year, debuting in the top 10 and rising on others, as he closely follows John Lennon’s debut. Portrait of British musician Paul McCartney as he plays acoustic guitar against a red background, October 7, 1984. (Photo Robert R. McElroy/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Paul McCartney is regarded as one of the most beloved and successful musicians of all time. He has reached massive audiences around the world with multiple groups — both The Beatles and then Wings — and for decades now, under his own name. McCartney has been cited as a hugely prolific artist, and though he’s not known for his holiday output, one track from the rocker’s discography is cited as a Yuletide classic.
“Wonderful Christmastime” now becomes a chart hit every year in many countries around the world. Typically, the tune doesn’t return to prominence until late November or sometimes even December, but McCartney is off to an early start in 2025. “Wonderful Christmastime” not only returns to a chart in the United Kingdom, but also manages to debut on two tallies that it has never reached before, as there is clearly still a keen interest in not just McCartney’s work, but this specific smash.
“Wonderful Christmastime” Becomes a Top 10 Bestseller
On the Official Vinyl Singles chart, a U.K.-specific roster that looks only at the top-selling tunes available on wax, “Wonderful Christmastime” debuts inside the top 10. The decades-old classic opens at No. 9 this week.
How Many Top 10 Hits Has Paul McCartney Charted?
As a soloist, McCartney has now seen seven songs appear on the Official Vinyl Singles chart, and all but one have cracked the top 10. Four tunes — “Say Say Say” with Michael Jackson, “I Don’t Know,” “Home Tonight,” and “We All Stand Together” — are matched as his highest-rising wins, as all of them stalled at No. 3. Back in 2022, “Women and Wives” climbed to No. 5.
Paul McCartney’s Top 10 Hits Under Three Names
McCartney has reached the Official Vinyl Singles tally’s top 10 notably under three different monikers. Paul McCartney and Wings only scored one hit, nearly a decade ago, when “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” missed out on becoming a No. 1 smash by just one space. 10 Beatles tracks also cracked the uppermost arena, with both “Yellow Submarine” and “Now and Then” spending time at No. 1.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney Debut Together
Members of the British rock band The Beatles, Paul McCartney (left) and John Lennon (1940 – 1980), sing into a microphone as they play their instruments at the taping of a segment for ‘Toast of the Town,’ the CBS variety program hosted by Ed Sullivan, New York, August 14, 1965. The segment aired as part of Sullivan’s 19th season opener on September 12, 1965. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
Getty Images
The top 10 on the current edition of the Official Vinyl Singles chart is packed with debuts, and McCartney scores the lowest of seven lofty starts. Coincidentally, the rocker’s “Wonderful Christmastime” opens just a single spot behind “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” which is credited to his former Beatles bandmate John Lennon, that late musician’s wife Yoko Ono, and their Plastic Ono Band.
“Wonderful Christmastime” Nearly Cracks the Top 10
“Wonderful Christmastime” only narrowly fails to start inside the top 10 on the only other tally on which it debuts at the moment. The tune enters at No. 12 on the Official Physical Singles chart. McCartney has now sent 24 tunes to that roster throughout his solo career.
“Wonderful Christmastime” Hits a New Peak on the Sales Chart
Nearly a decade ago, “Wonderful Christmastime” appeared on the Official Singles Sales tally for the first time, in 2016. McCartney’s joyful release has racked up 16 stays somewhere on the roster, and this frame it returns at No. 69. That position now stands as the song’s all-time high on the list of the bestselling tracks throughout the U.K.
“Wonderful Christmastime” Remains an Annual Staple for Paul McCartney
UNITED KINGDOM – JANUARY 01: Photo of Paul McCARTNEY and BEATLES; Paul McCartney, posed (Photo by Fiona Adams/Redferns)
Redferns
McCartney released “Wonderful Christmastime” as a standalone single in 1979. The tune — which few remember was accompanied by a B-side that put a reggae spin on “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” — has become a staple of the holidays, especially in the past decade or so. During its initial run, “Wonderful Christmastime” hit No. 6 on the main list of the biggest tunes in the U.K., and it regularly returns to the Official Singles chart around Christmas.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/11/13/paul-mccartney-charts-a-new-top-10-hit-with-a-decades-old-classic/
