Shoppers veto 'stale' Christmas songs

LONDON, England -- British shoppers have staged a revolt against two Christmas pop songs that have been played endlessly by many High Street stores at Christmas time for more than quarter of a century.

Now one of Britain's biggest store chains has banned Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" and Wizzard's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" from its Christmas play list.

Electrical retailer Dixons said on Friday that a survey of 500 shoppers showed they were fed up with hearing the two songs, which both date from 1973, played in stores.

The company said 76 percent of customers said they were unhappy with hearing the two hits played again and again in the run-up to Christmas.

Dixons managing director Chris Langley said: "Although it's fair to say that Merry Christmas Everybody and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday have become part of British pop folklore, our research reveals that the general public are sick and tired of hearing them."

Slade's hit went straight to the top when it was released and since then it has been back in the charts on eight occasions, the last in 1998 when it reached number 30.

Wizzard's Christmas standard also first hit the charts in 1973 and has been back for two Christmases in the early 1980s.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Wizzard

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