All they want for Christmas is a Number 1 hit

Festive music fans have sent two classic Christmas hits back into the UK top 40.

Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You leads the seasonal favourites at number 22 in the singles chart, up from 48 last week.

Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl was in 27th place. The song was released in 1987 by the Irish rock band but in the past few years it has crept back into the charts during the festive period.

Coldplay entered the charts with their new festive tune, Christmas Lights, which is in 18th position.

In previous years, Wham!, Wizzard, Slade, and Band Aid have also seen old hits reappear in the top 40.

Elsewhere in the chart, the X Factor tightened its grip on the charts. The finalists held on to the number one spot with their single Heroes.

The David Bowie cover was recorded by the contestants as a charity single for Help For Heroes. It has dominated the top spot for two weeks. In its first week of sales, more than 144,000 copies shifted, making it one of the fastest selling singles of the year.

Another chart-storming pop act who owes his career to the ITV show, Olly Murs, clung on to the number four spot with his single Thinking Of Me.