Hozier performed on "SNL's" Christmas edition, and for his second song, the Irish artist paid tribute to the Pogues' classic "Fairytale of New York." ...

I fell in love with “Fairytale of New York,” the indelible Christmas song by the Pogues, before I’d heard a note. I grew up in the boarded-up, bombed-out Northern Ireland of the Troubles ...

The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” went on to become the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century in the UK. “The song itself is quite depressing in the end,” he told Melody Maker.

Since November 1987, when the Pogues released “Fairytale of New York,” it’s been a recurring, if improbable, contender for the crown, but has never finished higher than second.

In the UK and Ireland, Fairytale of New York is the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century and has been certified quadruple platinum in the UK, with over three million sales.