Album of the Day

The Pogues were at the peak of their powers when it was suggested they work up something Christmas-themed; the sublime “Fairytale of New York” was the result. Opening as its narrator rings in the holiday from a drunk tank, the track takes a rueful look back - from both male and female perspectives - at a relationship gone to hell. The Irish band had long labored over the song, but it didn’t click until producer Steve Lillywhite suggested that his wife, Kirsty MacColl, sing the bitter duet with co-writer Shane MacGowan. While “Fairytale of New York” never topped the chart, the seasonal classic regularly returns to the Top 20 in the U.K., where it stands as the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century.