19 December 1981
Our 1981 number ones have been pretty thin gruel: solo Lennon; folk ballads; Shakin’ Stevens; Joe Dolce; Pepé Le Pew. But thanks to some Christmas miracle, unlike the previous year’s abomination this festive chart-topper is a genuine ’80s classic, maybe even the greatest Christmas number one single of them all.
There’s isn’t anything particularly Christmassy about ‘Don’t You Want Me’, though its dramatic love-split is in keeping with most Christmas Day episodes of TV soaps. But that drama is a huge part of its appeal: snide man talks down to ex, strong ex puts him back in his box. Neither Philip Oakey or Susan Ann Sulley are stellar voices but they commit all-in to their parts and their slight stiffness only adds to the charm. Then there’s its plethora of distinctive hooks, instrumental and vocal. And the whole thing begins with an inspired and immediately memorable opening line: scene, stakes and tension all coiled and ready to spring.
Getting to number one is a measure of quantity from which we rightly or wrongly infer quality. However, even if it hadn’t topped the charts in any week ‘Don’t You Want Me’ would still be widely loved and no less brilliant. The Christmas number one carries so much extra interest and clout because it suggests some wider demographic and cultural impact: not just fans of the artist buying it, but parents for their kids, kids for their parents, partners for each other (but really for themselves). Imagine opening your presents on Christmas morning 1981 and finding this.
