Although Jeff Buckley’s definitive version of Hallelujah only made it to number two I have taken a great degree of comfort from its chart success, writes Dan Wainwright.

For the fifth year running Simon Cowell has forced his idea of music to the top of the charts thanks to a three month prime time TV advertising campaign masquerading as a freak, sorry, talent show.

Alexandra Burke, a deserving winner, became the fastest selling female artist in the UK ever since the last time a woman won X-Factor.

I was almost irritated at how Cowell’s writers had evidently given up trying to write original songs and had instead decided to rip off one of the best offerings of the 20th century.

But despite Burke’s success let us consider the far more impressive triumph of the late, great Buckley.

He got to number two at a time when a cash-strapped nation cannot afford to buy as much music, up against the unstoppable PR machine that has dominated the tabloids and the TV schedules since the summer.

He did it only on download sales without parents buying the CD from the shops as a stocking filler.

He did it despite having been dead for 11 years. Let’s face it, the late Jeff has not exactly had much help recently in keeping his profile high. Being dead does not really endear you to the fickle teenage market.

The meteoric rise of Buckley to the second slot in the most sought after chart of the year is a sign that Cowell’s dominion over music is not absolute.

He has enjoyed his place at the top of the chart every year since 2004 – Steve Brookstein, now touring on cruise ships, covered Against All Odds. The last time we had a non-X-Factor number one for Christmas was Gary Jules with Mad World, from the film Donnie Darko, in 2003.

I had hoped when we first got rid of the Spice Girls that that would be the end for the obligatory Christmas single. My annoyance at them peaked when, in the summer before they broke up, Mel B fluffed and said to an interviewer they were “working on a Christmas number one” when she meant to say “single”. So presumptuous.

It is time that the festive top slot was taken back for a song that sums up what we are all enjoying as Christmas approaches, not one we feel obliged to buy to justify voting to keep in the least annoying wannabe the way we’ve been doing every week for an eternity.

Perhaps this year’s chart was a turning point. Roll on next Christmas.