UK Singles Chart, December 25, 2010

1. When We Collide - Matt Cardle

The X Factor asserts itself all over the chart this week. Most notably, season 7 winner Matt Cardle claims the Christmas #1, the fifth X Factor victor to do so following Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke and Leon Jackson. Last year, an internet campaign to thwart The X Factor was successful in keeping Joe McElderry's "The Climb" from #1 for a week, making last year's Christmas #1 the rather unorthodox "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine. Although there was such campaigns this year, they weren't nearly as sucessful, and Cardle claims the top spot with 439,000 copies sold. Although that sounds impressive, it's actually less than what Joe McElderry sold to be Christmas #2 last year, and it's just a bit short of the 453,000 copies sold of the Helping Haiti charity single, "Everybody Hurts," for its first week at #1. That makes this year's Christmas #1 the first since 2004 to not be the biggest selling #1 week of the year (although 2004's Christmas #1, Band Aid 20's "Do They Know It's Christmas," did have the year's biggest #1 week, it was just a few weeks prior to Christmas when the single was first released).

2. What's My Name - Rihanna (feat. Drake)

The two-part X Factor featured quite a few guest performers, some of which benefited from the exposure on the chart. It's possible this song would have been #2 anyway though, had Rihanna not performed it on the Saturday show, since "What's My Name" has been on an upward climb the last few weeks, moving 18-10-8-4-2. It's the Barbadian singer's 8th #2 hit.

3. Surfin' Bird - Trashmen

Here then is the result of the anti-X Factor campaign. Trashmen are a surf rock band from Minneapolis and are apparently still touring. "Trashmen" was their only major single, a #4 hit in the US in 1963. It's an odd choice for trying to take on The X Factor and it wasn't nearly as successful as the Rage Against the Machine campaign last year, selling less than a fourth of what Cardle did to be #1.

6. The Flood - Take That

Benefiting from their Sunday performance on X Factor, Take That climb back into the top 10, up 9 spots this week. Progress continues to dominate the albums chart, where it spends its 5th consecutive week at #1. The album has sold 1.4 million copies, about 400,000 copies more than Michael Buble and Lady Gaga who are #2 and #3 respectively.

8. Many of Horror (When We Collide) - Biffy Clyro

Most of the X Factor victory singles have been remakes, but I don't recall them resulting in a resurgence of popularity for the original, at least not this extent. "Many of Horror" peaked at #20 when it was released earlier this year, but with the Matt Cardle version at #1, the band's original makes its first appearance in the top 10. I suspect this was part of another plot to dislodge X Factor from having #1, but again, it wasn't quite enough.

10. Hold My Hand - Michael Jackson feat. Akon

After a disappointing start at #11 last week, at least this single can now claim to be a top 10 hit, as it climbs one spot this week.

21. 4'33" - Cage Against the Machine

This has to be about the stupidest "song" ever to appear on the chart. Not only is this a song that consists of absolutely nothing, it is a remake of a song that was originally absolutely nothing. I understand the point of the song. I've read what the original artist said about how there's really no such thing as silence, since there is always ambient noise, and that he wanted to show that is music too. He might think that's the most brilliant revelation ever, but anyone with a set of ears has drawn this conclusion from the dawn of time. I think the revelation is that anyone would be so gullible as to actually buy it.

31. Unfaithful - Rihanna

Rihanna enjoys five entries in the chart this week. Her current hit at #2, her last hit at #7, her guest appearance on David Guetta's single at #15, and her guest appearance on Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" still on the chart at #39. This is her most unexpected appearance, her #2 hit from the summer of 2006 making a reappearance since she sang the song as a duet with Matt Cardle on the X Factor Saturday episode.