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The ultimate Christmas driving song has been revealed – and it’s NOT “Driving Home For Christmas”. Chris Rea’s 1986 hit was beaten to the top spot by the late Shane MacGowan, and his band The Pogues’ 1988 single, “Fairytale of New York”, performed with Kirsty MacColl.
The vote, by 2,000 motorists, put “Last Christmas” by Wham! in third spot, followed by “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”, by Wizzard.
“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid, and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”, by Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters, also made the top 30 list, while other festive favourites include “Mary’s Boy Child”, by Boney M, and “In Dulci Jubilo”, by Mike Oldfield.
It also emerged 22 percent will sing along to festive hits when driving home for Christmas this year – although 27 percent have received complaints about their crooning.
The study was commissioned by Škoda to highlight the Canton sound system in the all-electric Enyaq, which can mute music for back seat passengers.
Music psychology lecturer at University of York, Mimi O’Neill, said: “Music has the ability to elicit nostalgia, as it can evoke a strong connection between sound and memory.
“When individuals interact with music, it activates neural networks connected to emotions and memory retrieval, prompting the resurgence of both memories, and the feelings attached to them.
“In particular, Christmas songs often carry sentimental associations with cherished holiday moments, contributing to a nostalgic allure.
“The popularity of this list’s top three songs, “Fairytale of New York”, “Last Christmas”, and “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”, as driving songs during the Christmas season, are unsurprising.
“They exhibit well-crafted and catchy melodies that resonate with a broad audience, providing a musically engaging experience conducive to driving.
“Additionally, their lyrics encapsulate the essence of the holiday season, evoking emotions and themes associated with Christmas – such as love, celebration, and the festive spirit.”
The research also found a quarter of those polled (26 percent) will be driving more than 200 miles “home” this Christmas, with five percent driving for eight hours or more.
And 54 percent claim to enjoy driving over the festive period, with 30 percent considering a Christmas playlist “essential” during such trips – more so than a windscreen scraper, and a phone charger.
Other songs on the ultimate driving playlist include “Step into Christmas”, by Elton John, and “Let it Snow”, by Dean Martin.
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, by Brenda Lee, also features, as do “Stay Another Day” by East 17, and “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses.
And despite Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” being among the most popular seasonal driving tracks, only 31 percent have experienced snowfall on a Yuletide journey.
Those polled, via OnePoll, also had their say on the ingredients for a bonafide classic festive hit – with a catchy chorus (44 percent), festive lyrics (35 percent), and a nostalgic element (33 percent), considered some of the must-haves.
And eight in 10 (79 percent), of those who listen to music, claim they have sung along to Christmas songs – and, on average, they know the lyrics word-for-word for three such tunes.
