Christmas number ones used to include lyrics like "snow is falling", "Merry Christmas" and sometimes even "Santa Clause is coming to town".
But for five of the previous six years, the winner of The X Factor has grabbed the coveted Christmas number one slot with a selection of anachronistic power-ballads, thereby hijacking any hope of a traditionally cheesy festive tune.
Gone are the unashamed barrages of festive sentimental lyrics, instead we've received finely-tuned, manufactured pop from Simon Cowell's headquarters (we imagine this is where the Grinch lives).
In 2005, X Factor winner Shayne Ward reached the top spot with That's My Goal, followed by Leona Lewis with A Moment Like This in 2006, Leon Jackson with When You Believe in 2007, Alexandra Burke with Hallelujah in 2008 and Matt Cardle with When We Collide in 2007.
In 2009, however, something strange happened - Rage Against The Machine ousted the X Factor from the Christmas number one after an online campaign. And now it seems Military Wives are set to do the same - they've already sold 242,000 copies of their single Wherever You Are, more than the total sales of this year's X Factor winner Little Mix, and become the fastest-selling single in six years while they're about it.
And now bookies have closed bets on them taking the top spot. Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes told PA: "As far as punters are concerned it's a done deal. The money says the Military Wives will deservedly get this year's Christmas number one."
Even Simon Cowell seems to have accepted defeat, tweeting: "Congrats to Little Mix & congrats to Military Wives. It's a great cause & a worthy Christmas No.1"
In honour of Military Wives, a choir created by Gareth Malone from the wives and partners of military personnel who have been deployed to Afghanistan as part of a BBC Two programme, we remember some of the most unlikely Christmas number ones who've taken on more established acts and proved that, when it comes to Christmas, everyone's got a different soundtrack of what to hum when roasting chestnuts around an open fire:
1. St Winifred's School Choir - There's No One Quite Like Grandma (1980)
2. Bob The Builder - Can We Fix It? (2000)
3. Mr Blobby - Mr Blobby (1993)
4. Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name (2009)
5. Rolf Harris - Two Little Boys (1969)