Clean Bandit have been announced as the recipients of the official Christmas Number One 2016, with their massive smash hit single ‘Rockabye’ racking up 589,000 combined chart sales (across both downloads and streams) since its release.
Clean Bandit take home the accolade / Credit: OfficialCharts.com
Presented with their Christmas Number 1 Award, the group told OfficialCharts.com: “To have been Number 1 for seven weeks is something amazing in its own right that we are all incredibly proud of, but to now be Christmas Number 1 is mind-blowing. It’s something we never imagined would happen with ‘Rockabye’ when we were writing and recording it. Thanks to everyone who has made this happen! We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and New Year!”
Clean Bandit cellist Grace Chatto added: “We did think about making a Christmas version but, there wasn’t any need!”
Guitarist and keyboard player Jack Patterson also said: “It’s weird actually, my mum has got this theory about the song, about ‘Rockabye, baby’ [in the lyrics] being about Jesus, and that Jesus is the baby. She’s talking about this woman who’s looking after the child on her own and saying it’s a bit like Mary – she had the Immaculate Conception – and Joseph is kind of there… But not.”
Ben Cook, President of Atlantic Records (the label on which Clean Bandit are signed), concluded: “This is the most highly contested Number 1 chart position of the year and I’d like to congratulate Jack, Grace and Luke on achieving this incredible milestone and an impressive seven weeks at Number 1.
“Credit also goes to Anne-Marie and Sean Paul for amazing vocal performances and I’d like to thank the wider Atlantic and Warner Music teams who have worked hard to deliver the track so well here and aboard.”
Meanwhile, it’s Michael Ball and Alfie Boe at the top of the charts with their new album ‘Together’, taking the official UK Christmas Number 1 album.
They told OfficialCharts.com: “It’s a dream come true. There’s only one thing better than having a Number 1 album and that’s having a Christmas Number 1 album. A huge thanks to everyone who bought the album. Our hearts go out to you all for Christmas. We hope we entertain you with the album for Christmas and lots of love to everyone.”
Tagged in Alfie Boe Christmas Michael Ball Clean Bandit