John Lewis Christmas Advert: who sang for the John Lewis advert previously and did they chart?

• Anticipation builds for the annual John Lewis Christmas advert already.
• With many wondering what this year’s theme will be, there is also talk who is going to provide the soundtrack this year.
• We take a look back at the 15 years of John Lewis using cover songs for their Christmas campaigns, and how many of them ended up in the UK chart.

One of “the” Christmas events each year is drawing upon us, and no - not the inevitable Christmas number one. Instead, we’re talking about the 2024 John Lewis advert.

Considered one of the highlights each year, be it the earnest nature of the advert or at times the absolute tear-jerkers committed to our screen between television shows, there is always the anticipation of what song will be covered as much as what the theme of the advert will be.

Looking back across 15 years of John Lewis adverts when cover songs were used, no surprise that the resonance those adverts have had on the public have led to those songs, be it the originals or the covers, entering the UK Top 40 too.

Almost in a similar vein to when Levi’s used to release their high-profile marketing campaigns on TV and the songs used; why else would ‘Spaceman’ by Babylon Zoo cause such drama when the song finally kicks into gear? 

But what was the first song used for a John Lewis Christmas advert that set the standard for subsequent adverts each year - and did any of the songs reach the top of the UK singles chart upon the advert’s release? 

What was the first song used for John Lewis’ Christmas advert?

According to Wikipedia, the first use of a cover that has now become a staple of the much-anticipated John Lewis Christmas adverts was ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine,’ originally performed by Guns ‘n’ Roses from their album Appetite For Destruction.

But instead of the hard-rock version being used (or the Sheryl Crow version that appeared on the ‘Big Daddy’ soundtrack) the song was covered by former Concretes vocalist Victoria Bergsman, under the moniker Taken By Trees. 

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Did any of the songs used in a John Lewis Christmas advert chart in the UK top 40?

Quite a few actually, and three of them topped the UK singles charts upon their respective advert release. Gabrielle Aplin’s cover of ‘The Power of Love’ for the 2012 advert was the first to top the UK singles charts, with Lily Allen’s cover of ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ following that trend a year later (2013). 

Though credit where credit is due: Ellie Golding’s cover of ‘Your Song’ set the tempo for those covers appearing within the top ten of the UK singles chart, when her 2010 version hit the number two spot that year. 

John Lewis Christmas adverts - full list of songs and chart positions since 2009

Chart positions indicated in parenthesis.

• 2009 - ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Taken by Trees (23)
• 2010 - ‘Your Song’ by Ellie Goulding (2)
• 2011 - “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I want’ by Slow Moving Millie (31)
• 2012 - ‘The Power of Love’ by Gabrielle Aplin (1)
• 2013 - ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Lily Allen (1)
• 2014 - ‘Real Love’ by Tom Odell (7)
• 2015 - ‘Half the World Away’ by Aurora (11)
• 2016 - ‘One Day I’ll Fly Away’ by Vaults (53)
• 2017 - ‘Golden Slumbers’ by Elbow (29)
• 2018 - ‘Your Song’ by Elton John (7 - released before the 2018 Christmas advert)
• 2019 - ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ by Bastille (39)
• 2020 - ‘A Little Love’ by Celeste (59)
• 2021 - ‘Together in Electric Dream’ by Lola Young (did not chart)
• 2022 - ‘All The Small Things’ by Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox featuring Puddles Pity Party (did not chart)
• 2023 - ‘Festa’ by Andrea Bocelli (did not chart)

What has been your favourite cover that has appeared on a John Lewis Christmas advert, or is there a cover you’re hoping the retailer uses in the near future? Let us know your thoughts before the big advert event of 2024 drops by leaving a comment down below.