Erik's musical Advent calendar: Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas

... and at day 12 we're at the halfway mark of Erik's musical Advent calendar. Today I have a puzzling question: How can a song that only reaches number 53 in the UK charts upon its 1988 release become such a Christmas classic as Chris Rea's "Driving Home For Christmas"? I do not have an answer, but I can certainly vouch for the song. It encompasses everything about the expectations we have at Christmas, which are probably too many, as we're going towards a home that's usually more mythical than real. Chris Rea, who are by no means one of my favourite performers, are thus responsible for one of the all-time Christmas greats. Merrily, merrily...

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