Tom Allen shares his favourite Christmas songs

Virgin Radio

23 Dec 2022, 09:56

We all have our favourites when it comes to Christmas tunes, and Tom Allen is joining in on the celebrations this holiday season by letting us know which are the festive tunes he loves the most.

Yes, we asked Tom which five festive songs he would pick as his favourite. 

Here are his selections…

A Spaceman Came Travelling - Chris de Burgh

It has featured on nearly every Christmas compilation album ever made, but, somewhat surprisingly,  this song from Chris de Burgh did not have initial success when it was released in the UK in 1975. 

In 1986, following his hit 'The Lady in Red', a reissue of the song managed to reach number 15 in Ireland and number 40 in the UK, but despite what the numbers say, it’s still an iconic Christmas tune. 

Speaking about why it has made his top five, Tom said: “We did it in the choir when I was in year seven. It was a pretty big deal. Around the time we started rehearsing, we did Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem as well. Pretty big slay there.”

God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen

What would Christmas be without a good old carol? 

Despite Tom describing this song as “dour and dirgy”, it is still one of his favourites and clearly makes him think about the Christmas festivities a lot. 

He pondered: “Why are they so tired? Why do they need to be rested? We don’t know, but I just like it. I particularly like it when it’s blown on by a Salvation Army Band.”

Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

Many versions of this song have been produced over the years, including one by Hall & Oates back in 1983. 

However, it was originally released by Bobby Helms in 1957 and is a staple classic in many American movies - which is exactly the reason that Tom loves it. 

He said: “It reminds me of Christmas films like - is it in Home Alone? One of those ones about Americans who are really rich. And that’s the true meaning of Christmas, isn’t it? Rich Americans.”

Scrooge - The Muppet Christmas Carol

Is it the best Christmas film of all time? Very possibly. It recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. It’s no surprise that a song from The Muppet Christmas Carol has made Tom’s list of favourite festive tunes. 

He said: “Michael Caine’s greatest performance. The Muppets are brilliant and it’s the best version of that story, isn’t it?”

Mistletoe and Wine - Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine became the highest-selling single of 1988 and its longevity in the charts is something that Tom remembers well. 

He said: “It was a massive hit for Cliff. It was number one for approximately 40 years.”

The presenter added: “A lovely song, although I imagine if you work in a shop, all of these Christmas songs are absolutely horrifying.”

So there you go. Tom Allen's favourite Christmas songs! How many would make your list?