- Our guide to the best tech toys and the best Lego sets
1977 - Star Wars Toys
Over 100 of these Star Wars toys were made between 1977 and 1985, but in the first year of release, they were flying off the shelves.
1978 - simon
This will game was inspired by the children’s game “Simon Says” and had a simple premise - each of the four coloured buttons needed to be hit in sequence.
1979 - Atari VCS
The Christmas of 1979 saw this console selling like hotcakes thanks to its exclusive content and that year it sold one million units.
1980 - Rubicks Cube
By 1983 it is estimated that 200 million Rubik’s Cubes were sold worldwide.
1981 - Smurfs
It was the television shows that began the merchandising barrage in earnest and Smurf toys were high on Christmas lists across the world in 1981.
1982 - Bmx
BMX was a fad that started in the early 1970s when children began racing their bikes in a style inspired by motocross sports stars of the time.
1983 - Cabbage Patch Kid
Cabbage Patch Kids were the must-have kids toy of 1983. Incredibly hard to get hold of too.
1984 - Transformers
In 1984, Hasbro toys started a venture with Takara of Japan to create toys and merchandise for the Transformers animated series. You know what happened next.
1985 - Carebears
The Care Bears Movie in 1985 helped these plush teddies to begin selling like crazy.
1986 - Teddy Ruxpin
Teddy Ruxpin was one of the first talking teddy bears and the Grandfather of hundreds if not thousands of similar toys since.
1987 - Koosh ball
Koosh balls were invented by Scott Stillinger when he was having trouble teaching his young children how to catch and finding normal balls were far too bouncy.
1988 - NES console
Nintendo managed to sell seven million systems by the end of 1988 out-selling home computer competitors by a million miles.
1989 - Game Boy
In Christmas 1989 though, the Game Boy was the most popular toy around and a gaming classic that would live in nostalgia for years to come.
1990 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
In 1990, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film took the cinemas by storm and the action figures were just as popular.
1991 - Pogs
1992 - Talking Barney
1993 - Talkboy
Talkboy was a cassette player and recorder that appeared in Home Alone and saw massive demand when it was released in time for Black Friday that year.
1994 - Power Rangers
1995 - Beanie Babies
1996 - Tickle Me Elmo
Thanks to a wave of marketing, Elmo, from popular kids show Sesame Street was in high demand as a Christmas present in 1996.
1997 - Tamagotchi
1998 - Furby
Furby was so popular that demand outstripped supply and price skyrocketed in the run-up to Christmas.
1999 - Pokémon
2000 - Razor Scooters
2001 - Bratz
The Bratz were a product line of fashion dolls that flew off the store shelves in the run-up to Christmas 2001.
2002 - Beyblades
2003/2004 - Robosapien
2005 - Xbox 360
2005 was the year of the Xbox 360, the insanely popular new console from Microsoft that started selling just in time for Christmas.
2006 - Sony PlayStation 3
2007 - iPod Touch
In 2007, the first generation of Apple iPod Touch reached the market just in time for Christmas.
2008 - Elmo live
By 2008 Elmo could wave his arm, sit, stand and move around with just a simple tickle or squeeze.
2009 - Nook
2010 - Apple iPad
2011 - Let’s Rock Elmo
Let’s Rock Elmo came equipped with a mic, tambourine and drum set. As if children’s toys didn’t already make enough noise!
2012 - Wii U
2013 - Big Hugs Elmo
2014 - Elsa Doll
2015 - BB8
This voice-controlled bot made by Sphero was the most popular toy about in the Christmas period of 2015 and was packed full of features.
- Sphero BB-8 review: The Star Wars Droid from Force Awakens comes to life
2016 - NES Mini
- NES Classic Mini review: Comes up a little short
2017 - Cozmo
For 2017, the toy of choice is Anki’s Cozmo robot, a fully-customisable and programmable robot that helps kids learn to code.
- Cozmo preview: The Anki robot friend comes to the UK at last
2018 - Boxer AI Robot
2019 - L.O.L. Surprise! 2-in-1 Glamper
The Glamper (yes, that is a word now) was certainly something. With 55 parts in the set and plenty of hype for Christmas.
2020 - PS5 and Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series X vs PS5: Battle of the powerhouses
