Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You finally scores a UK chart number one - after 26 years

Mariah Carey has finally hit the number one slot in the UK's official charts with All I Want For Christmas - 26 years after it was first released.

To reach the top slot, it only had to go up one notch from number two last week, and fend off competition from Wham's Last Christmas.

When it was first released in 1994, it peaked in the UK at number two, just missing out to East 17 and their hit Stay Another Day.

Mariah's Christmas belter has been in the top 40 for 70 weeks. No other song has spent more time in that list and eventually reached number one.

The singer said: "Happy Christmas UK!! We finally made it!!! We are keeping the Christmas spirit alive together despite how dismal the year's been. Love you always! Joy to the world!"

The Official Charts Company says that in the past seven days the song has racked up nearly 11 million streams - the highest number for a song in 2020.

Carey knocked Ariana Grande's Positions off the top of the charts, as Christmas songs continue to dominate.

However, the song isn't Christmas number one yet. That will be announced on Christmas Day.

Still, the uptempo R&B-tinged song has been a firm festive favourite ever since it was released.

Thanks to streaming and downloads, the song has reappeared in the top 40 every December since 2007 and spent more than 100 weeks in the UK chart in total.

It has also racked up 1.24 million sales since it was released, making it the UK's 84th best-selling song in history.

The track was unveiled as the UK's official number one single this afternoon by Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1's The Official Chart.

He said: "Truly one of the greatest songs never to be number one has finally reached the top spot and on the 11th of December. Hopefully it can hold on until Christmas Day."

Carey leads the way as a number of Christmas songs return to the charts, including Last Christmas by Wham! at two, Fairytale Of New York by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl at four and Shakin' Stevens' Merry Christmas Everyone at six.

There are also entries for Jess Glynne's cover of Donnie Hathaway's This Christmas and Justin Bieber's version of Brenda Lee's of Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree.

Last year, YouTuber and dad-blogger LadBaby took Christmas number one with I Love Sausage Rolls.