Chris Rea: how we made Driving Home for Christmas

‘The first time we played it live, we hired 12 cannons and put three feet of snow in the stalls. The clean-up cost me £12,000’

Despite his knack for slick pop, the principled and passionate Chris Rea never took the easy road

The late musician bristled against his record companies, his producers and fame itself – but that friction ignited both his AOR hits and his raw, spirited take on the blues

The 10 best experimental albums of 2025

Raisa K’s solo album is primitive and intimate, Saeko Killy adds a euphoric touch to her dimly lit sound and Bitchin Bajas get blissed out The 50 best albums of 2025 More on the best culture of 2025

Chris Rea, rock and blues singer-songwriter, dies aged 74

Middlesbrough-born musician had hits with Driving Home for Christmas, On the Beach and The Road to Hell

Chris Rea

From performing late-70s hits such as Fool (If You Think It’s Over) to his 21st-century tours, we look back on the career of a British pop-rock great

‘My dog hates my singing’: Beverley Knight’s honest playlist

She is an unabashed karaoke show-off and thinks a certain Spice Girls hit absolutely rocks, but which diminutive pop sexpot does the soul diva want played at her funeral?