The release of John Lewis’ annual Christmas advert has become a festive tradition in the UK – and a reminder to get a move with buying presents! Since 2007, the British department-store chain have taken viewers on emotional journeys through their adverts; we’ve seen beautifully crafted stories of snowmen in love, lonely penguins and adorable children. The adverts wouldn’t be complete without their soundtracks, providing us with some stunning and moving cover versions. Over the last decade, the best John Lewis Christmas advert songs have followed a simple pattern: take a classic track, slow it down a bit, make it more emotional by adding some strings or an orchestra and you’re sorted – you’ve got yourself a tearjerker.
We’ve watched every one of their annual adverts from 2007 and have compiled a list of the best John Lewis Christmas advert songs so far.
17: Prokofiev: Morning Serenade (2007)
Though certainly well executed on its own terms, John Lewis’ 2007 Christmas advert, entitled Shadows, bore little resemblance to the seasonal campaigns we now know and love. Unlike those the retailers have made in succeeding years, this one didn’t feature an emotional storyboard or a reimagined cover version. Instead, it was soundtracked by Morning Serenade, from Prokofiev’s Romeo And Juliet, and it featured Christmas presents being carefully positioned to create a shadow image of a woman and a dog in the snow, in the style of artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster.