| HELL | Route taken by Chris Rea with his chart-buster. (3,4,2,4) |
| THEROADTO | Route taken by Chris Rea with his chart-buster. (3,4,2,4) |
| WHITEELEPHANT | Points about chart-buster trumpeter found a liability |
| OFFIRE | More suited to Bill Haley and his Comets, maybe, this Jerry Lee Lewis chart buster? (5,5,2,4) |
| GREATBALLS | More suited to Bill Haley and his Comets, maybe, this Jerry Lee Lewis chart buster? (5,5,2,4) |
| MISHAP | Tearing his chart on outside in little accident (6) |
| STEVENS | Shakin' - - -, Welsh singer known for his chart-topping hit Merry Christmas Everyone (7) |
| HISTOGRAM | Maybe Robbie's upset following his chart |
| HIT | Chart buster |
| ROADTOSUCCESS | Route taken by budding winners ignored by potential losers (4,2,7) |
| SECRETTUNNELS | Routes taken in some great escapes |
| ASKS | "If Anybody ___ You" by Chris Rea |
| PEG | "Square ___, Round Hole" by Chris Rea |
| CHRISTMAS | Song by Chris Rea, 'Driving Home for -' (9) |
| AUBERGE | Eleventh studio album by Chris Rea, released in 1991 (7) |
| DRIVINGHOME | ___ For Christmas, festive song by Chris Rea released as a single in 1988 (7,4) |
| TOURDEFREELANCE | Route taken by one on the gig economy route? |
| COURSE | By the sound of it, rough route taken by a ship (6) |
| VIADOLOROSA | The route taken by Christ to Calvary, now marked by the 14 stations of the Cross (3,8) |
| BEELINE | Direct route taken by a flier? (7) |
