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Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' to rake in over £520,000 in royalties by end of the year

Slade's 1973 hit still features on almost every festive playlist

Jess Denham
Tuesday 10 December 2013 09:07 EST
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Noddy Holder must be glad he wrote 'Merry Xmas Everybody' as he'll earn £800,000 this year from royalties.
Noddy Holder must be glad he wrote 'Merry Xmas Everybody' as he'll earn £800,000 this year from royalties. (Getty)

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Forty years on, Slade’s “Merry Xmas Everybody” remains a staple on the soundtrack to any credible Christmas party.

Click here for the 50 most popular Christmas songs

What festive revellers might not know, however, is that the track's writer Noddy Holder is predicted to rake in over £520,000 in royalties this year from his British rock band’s 1973 hit.

“Merry Xmas Everybody” tops the Christmas royalties list, with “Fairytale Of New York” by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl in second place and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in third.

The Pogues are predicted to have earned an estimated £520,000 by the end of 2013, while Mariah Carey is set to make £455,000.

Earnings from PRS royalties are calculated from radio, television, shop and jukebox plays, as well as Christmas compilation album sales.

Slade’s classic track has already brought in £526,000 worth of royalties this year, according to the Prezzybox Christmas Song Royalty Calculator.

But how much have the top ten Christmas songs earned in 2013 so far?

"Merry Xmas Everybody", Slade - £526,494

"Fairytale Of New York", The Pogues - £397178

"All I Want For Christmas Is You", Mariah Carey - £357431

"Last Christmas", Wham! - £310,148

"Mistletoe and Wine", Cliff Richard - £101,187

"Do They Know It's Christmas?", Band Aid - £80,233

"Merry Christmas Everyone", Shakin' Stevens - £55,344

"2000 Miles", The Pretenders - £46,624

"Stay Another Day", East 17 - £31,073

"Stop The Cavalry", Jona Lewie - £13,617

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