The romantic ballad tops a list of most played yuletide No1s, beating classics such as Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody and Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas.
Perfect hit the UK top spot in 2017 and stayed there six weeks. But its online feat has left BBC Radio 2’s Steve Wright baffled.
The veteran DJ said: “Who would have thought we’d be crowning Ed Sheeran’s Perfect the most streamed Christmas number one? It’s brilliant, but I was sure Bohemian Rhapsody would take the title.”
Perfect has been streamed almost twice as many times as Queen’s classic – which hit the Christmas top slot twice, in 1975 and 1991, and came second in the chart, compiled by the Official Charts Company.
Rockabye, the 2016 Clean Bandit hit is third, ahead of Shakin’ Stevens’ Merry Christmas Everyone (1985), Band Aid (1984) and Slade (1973).
The top 40 songs will be broadcast on Christmas Day on Radio 2.
