Driving Home for Christmas

"Driving Home for Christmas"
Single by Chris Rea
from New Light Through Old Windows"
Released	10 December 1988
Recorded	1986 (original version) 1988 (re-recorded)
Genre	Pop rock, Christmas
Length	4:33
Label	Magnet
Songwriter(s)	Chris Rea
Producer(s)	Chris Rea, Stuart Eales
Chris Rea singles chronology
""Fool (If You Think It's Over) ('88 Remix)" (1988) Driving Home for Christmas ""Working on It" (1989)
"Driving Home For Christmas (2009 video in aid of Shelter)" at YouTube

"Driving Home for Christmas" is a 1988 Christmas song by English singer Chris Rea. It was taken from his compilation album New Light Through Old Windows. It had modest chart placings until 2007 when it placed at #33 and reached its new peak of #10 in 2022. It has been covered by many artists since then.

Track listings

Driving Home for Christmas (The Christmas EP): 7 inch, 1988
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Driving Home for Christmas"	4:33
2.	"Footsteps in the Snow"
3.	"Joys of Christmas"
4.	"Smile" (produced by Dave Richards)

CD single
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Driving Home for Christmas"	4:33
2.	"Hello Friend" (re-record)	4:21

Charts

Chart (1986–2025)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	26
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75)	3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	14
Belgium (Ultratop 40 Wallonia)	46
Denmark (Tracklisten)	4
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)	17
Germany (Media Control AG)	3
Illegal chart entered Billboardglobal200	27
Illegal chart entered Ireland4	11
Japan (Japan Hot 100)	18
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100)	4
New Zealand (RIANZ)	22
Norway (VG-lista)	2
Illegal chart entered Portugal	48
Scotland (The Official Charts Company)	37
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	5
Switzerland (Media Control AG)	10
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)	10

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)	3× Platinum
New Zealand (RIANZ)	Gold	7,500
Portugal (AFP)	Gold	20,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	4× Platinum	2,400,000
xunspecified figures based on certification alone