The Justice Collective top Christmas chart

The Justice Collective are this year’s Christmas number one in the singles chart.
The Hillsborough tribute single had fought a tight battle with X Factor winner James Arthur but the bookies favourite came out on top.
‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ features a collective of artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams and Beverly Knight. The song originally entered the charts in 1969 at No.3 when sung by The Hollies. It managed to get to number one in 1988 when the song was re-released.
The cover sold over 269,000 copies against Arthur selling 224,000 copies of his cover of ‘Impossible’, which in total has sold 713,000 copies in the past two weeks.

“Congratulations to The Justice Collective on becoming the 2012 Official Christmas Number 1 with He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother. They fought a sterling campaign against one of the biggest singles of the year in James Arthur’s Impossible and are worthy winners – in aid of a very worthy cause.” – Official Charts Company’s Managing Director, Martin Talbot

With He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother going to Number 1, members of the all-star Justice Collective now account for 20% of all the Christmas Number 1 singles in chart history. That’s 12 out of the 61 singles that have topped the charts in Christmas week.
Sir Paul McCartney has appeared on seven (four with The Beatles between 1963 and 1967, one with Wings in 1977, and two as part of Band Aid in 1984 and Band Aid 20 in 2004), Melanie C has appeared on three (between 1996 and 1998 with the Spice Girls), Robbie Williams on two (Somethin’ Stupid in 2001 and Band Aid 20), and Holly Johnson and Beverly Knight with one apiece with Band Aid and Band Aid 20, respectively.