Driving Home for Christmas / Hello Friend (Re-Recorded) by Chris Rea

"Driving Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song written and composed by English singer-songwriter Chris Rea. It was originally released as one of two new songs on Rea's first compilation album New Light Through Old Windows in October 1988, and issued as the fourth single from the album in December 1988, where it peaked at #53 in the UK Singles Chart as part of The Christmas EP. . Despite its original modest chart placement, the song has made an reappearance in the top 40 every year since 2007, when it peaked at #33, and is featured among the Top 10 Christmas singles. It reached a new peak of #11 in 2018. In a UK-wide poll in December 2012, it was voted twelfth on the ITV television special The Nation's Favourite Christmas Song.