Whether it’s last day of work beers at your desk, a big meal out in a nicer than usual restaurant, or a full-on company-wide rave, the time for office parties has arrived and the one thing they all need is a tinsel-covered, mistletoe-kissed, turkey-free playlist! It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so make sure you’re accompanying your festive spirit with some gift-wrapped classics and press play on these Spotlight Stereo Christmas gifts! 

WHAM! – Last Christmas 

Over the past few months we’ve been celebrating forty years since Wham!’s debut album was released, and while this classic from their catalogue might not have hit its ruby anniversary quite yet, it’s still been gracing Christmas playlists from one year to the next since its inception in a flurry of hairspray and high shoulder pads. 

Set loose in December 1984, it was beaten to the top spot on the UK singles chart by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure’s Band Aid charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas? on which George also performed. But the festive elves never stopped working and in 2020 Last Christmas finally scored its UK number one, thirty-six years after its release. 

A gentle and surprising Christmas hit, it takes a heartfelt approach to a usually bombastic time of year. However, the video is a fun and chaotic rush that encapsulates the sheer joy of the big day, especially if you believe the wine being poured was real. Make Last Christmas your holiday pick every year. 

Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You

She is the undisputed Queen of Christmas and her festive reveal this November marked the start of the season. All we want for Christmas is Mariah on repeat! Released in 1994 on Merry Christmas, Mariah’s first ever holiday album, this track is to Christmas songs what New York’s Rockefeller spruce is to Christmas trees. 

It’s been certified seven times platinum in the UK and twelve times platinum in the US where it also made Mariah the first artist in history to top the charts in four separate decades! Just when you thought it couldn’t be any more of a wonder, it was immortalised in the classic Christmas movie Love, Actually, which celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year. 

Prepare your best Hugh Grant dance moves and make sure Mariah is the star atop your Christmas playlist. 

Leona Lewis – One More Sleep 

One of the merriest of Christmas singles, Leona’s video for One More Sleep was inspired by Wham!’s own Last Christmas clip. Joined by her friends in a snowy lodge, she eyes up her love interest played by her now husband, Dennis Jauch!

Taken from her seasonal classic Christmas, With Love, which just celebrated its tenth anniversary, One More Sleep views the big day with a childlike wonder, bringing back that innocent rush of excitement that comes with opening every door on your advent calendar. 

Of course, in the song Leona is excited to see her special someone, not to unbox a Playstation or brand new pair of jeans, but the sentiment remains. One More Sleep has that giddy and unbridled joy that comes with the season of Secret Santa, cheese boards and this chorus booming at your office party.  

Wheatus – Christmas Dirtbag 

It might be an unlikely festive anthem, but this underdog of a hit has been continuing to evolve since its original release in the summer of 2000. Building a cult following across generations with its relatable vibe, imagery-rich lyricism and raucous chorus, it only made sense for Wheatus to reinvent their hymn and ring our jingle bell. 

Swapping out original lines with festive imagination, it’s a cheeky take full of holiday spirit. This time, it’s not Noelle the girl who’s the object of our protagonist’s attention, but rather the season itself. “First night of Noel, asleep with the fire burning, jingling bells and sugarplum fairies turning, but I don’t see any presents for me. Does Santa Claus know who I am?” they ask. 

Ticking all the festive tropes off like Santa with his list, Wheatus douse their teenage angst in brandy and mulled wine. Who doesn’t love a little Christmas spirit? 

Kelly Clarkson – Underneath the Tree 

Taken from her first ever Christmas album, Wrapped in Red, this banger of a festive classic has all the hallmarks of a yuletide hit. There’s jingle bells, cantering beats, and a roaring chorus that evokes so much roasty emotion it was used to soundtrack the brilliant 2019 movie Noelle, starring Anna Kendrick. 

Co-written and produced by long-time collaborator Greg Kurstin, the track has been compared to Mariah’s Christmas classic, sharing a similar sentiment; on the big day, it doesn’t matter what you’re given, just who you’re sharing it with. “Presents, what a beautiful sight, don’t mean a thing if you ain’t holding me tight. You’re all that I need, underneath the tree,” sings Kelly in her rich and righteous tones. 

Certified twice platinum in the UK, this candy banger has recurrently charted every year since its release in the US, and this Christmas marks its tenth anniversary. So don’t be a fool this yule, spruce up your playlist with this classic track.