What do you get if you cross an elder statesman of pop, an attractive girl, a puppet and a punk?

This is not a Christmas cracker joke but the result of exhaustive research into the perfect charity Christmas single.

It comes in the middle of a campaign to make Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit number one in aid of Brighton-based children's charity, Rythmix.

Dr Lucy Robinson, from the University of Sussex, delved into the secrets of success for a charity single as part of her research into the politics and cultural heritage of the 1980s.

She said: “The singles that performed best are the ones with a surprising collaboration.

"When you get artists who would not normally be expected to share the stage it broadens the appeal of the project.

“The trend of having TV characters fronting charity singles often with familiar faces from the charts has also been a successful formula.”

The closest to a perfect festive fundraiser Dr Robinson has found is the 1987 Great Ormond Street Hospital single, Wishing Well.

The eclectic line up for the track included Noddy Holder, Boy George, Dollar, Hot Chocolate, Bonnie Langford, Jimmy Nail and Roland Rat.

Who would be in your ideal Christmas single line-up? Tell us by commenting below.

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