Adrian York, Senior Lecturer on the BA Music: Production, Performance and Enterprise course, was interviewed by BBC Radio London about the Christmas number one.
Talking about the Christmas number one, Adrian York said: “We’ve had Christmas number ones since 1952 so theres a long history going back to Al Martino Here in My Heart. But the golden age of the Christmas number one goes back to the late 1950s to the end of the 90s.”
Talking about the shift in music engagement and the Christmas number one, he said: “I think two things have happened. We’ve lost Top of the Pops, that was our central moment in the week where we engaged as a nation with the charts and that’s gone now which is a real shame.
“But as you say with the rise of streaming and the decline in record sales, we’re not going to the shops, we’re not getting a disc so there’s a disconnect. If people are just streaming from YouTube or other streaming platforms it’s not the same. People aren’t actually physically buying the single in the way it was and the charts are made up in a different way now, streaming is really important.”
