📰 T. Rex Stall at No. 2 – Chart : Dec. 1971
- T.Rex
- Dec 25, 1971
- 3 min read
A detailed chart summary from the Christmas 1971 issue of New Musical Express shows T. Rex’s “Jeepster” and *Electric Warrior* both holding strong at No. 2, just behind other major releases in a highly competitive festive chart.
The piece highlights how close Bolan’s glam juggernaut came to the top spot, reflecting the intense chart battles of the era.
This December 25, 1971 NME chart feature captures T. Rex at the absolute peak of their commercial momentum — dominating sales and airplay yet narrowly missing the ultimate Christmas No. 1.
đź—ž New Musical Express
đź“… Date: December 25, 1971
⏱ Length: 4 min read
đź“° Key Highlights
• T. Rex’s “Jeepster” stuck at No. 2 on the singles chart
• *Electric Warrior* also holding at No. 2 on the albums chart
• Strong festive competition preventing T. Rex from claiming the top spots
• Continued proof of T. Rex’s massive popularity during the height of T. Rextasy
• Chart data supplied by the British Market Research Bureau/Record Retailer
đź“° Overview
Published in the December 25, 1971 Christmas issue of New Musical Express, this chart summary shows T. Rex enjoying enormous commercial success but narrowly missing the No. 1 positions on both singles and albums. The feature reflects the intensely competitive nature of the UK charts at the end of 1971, when glam rock was exploding yet still faced stiff opposition from established acts.
đź“° Source Details
Publication / Venue: New Musical Express
Date: December 25, 1971
Format: Chart summary
Provenance Notes: Verified directly from the preserved magazine pages; double-page layout with bold “SINGLES” and “NME TOP 30 ALBUMS” headers and detailed ranked lists.
đź“° The Story
The singles chart is led by another act, with T. Rex’s “Jeepster” firmly lodged at No. 2, demonstrating the band’s huge popularity without quite reaching the summit. On the albums side, *Electric Warrior* similarly holds the No. 2 position. The piece notes the near-miss for Bolan’s glam machine during the busy festive chart period, where competition from multiple strong releases kept the top spots just out of reach.
The data, supplied by the British Market Research Bureau/Record Retailer, underscores T. Rex’s dominance throughout 1971 and into the Christmas period. The feature also includes historical “Five Years Ago” and “Ten Years Ago” charts for context, adding depth to the year-end roundup.
đź“° Visual Archive
Clean, text-heavy double-page chart layout with bold black headers “SINGLES” and “NME TOP 30 ALBUMS,” plus a smaller “U.S. TOP 30 ALBUMS” section. No photographs, focusing entirely on ranked lists with clear typography and decorative elements.
Caption: New Musical Express chart summary showing T. Rex at No. 2 on both singles and albums, December 25, 1971.
đź“° Related Material
See tabs at foot of page
đź“° Closing Notes
This Christmas 1971 NME chart page perfectly illustrates T. Rex’s extraordinary commercial power at the height of T. Rextasy. Even when narrowly missing the top spot, Bolan’s music dominated the festive charts, confirming his status as one of the defining British pop acts of the era.
đź“ť Copyright Notice
All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
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