Kylie Minogue's 11th UK No 1 album marks a significant achievement, tying her with David Bowie and Eminem as all-time album chart-toppers. The album, 'Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped)', is a reissue of her 2015 album, featuring four new tracks and a different tracklisting. This marks a non-consecutive run of No 1s that began in 1988 with her self-titled debut. Minogue's success in the album charts is impressive, surpassing artists like Abba, Coldplay, Michael Jackson, Elton John, and Queen. She also ties with Rod Stewart and U2, but is still some way off the joint leaders, The Beatles and Robbie Williams, who both have 15 No 1 albums. Kylie's singles chart presence is also notable, with 'Xmas' at No 16, which will likely rise as physical sales contribute to chart positions. The Christmas No 1 race is intense, with Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' currently at No 1, displacing Taylor Swift's 'The Fate of Ophelia'. Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' is at No 3, while Brenda Lee's 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' is at No 4. Kelly Clarkson's 'Underneath the Tree' is the most popular new-school Christmas song, making its first Top 5 appearance since 2013. However, the race for the top spot is far from over, as charity and novelty singles like 'Together for Palestine' and 'Lullaby' are set to challenge the classics. Raye's 'Where Is My Husband?' at No 2 could be a game-changer, potentially making it the first non-festive or charity song to be Christmas No 1 since Ed Sheeran's 'Perfect' in 2017. The UK Christmas No 1 will be announced at 4 pm on Friday, December 19.
