It would be a Blue Christmas for over ten million people if they didn’t have Elvis’ Christmas Album. It’s the biggest selling holiday album of all time.
Billboard is celebrating the holiday with a list of the top sellers that range from traditional to modern new age. The second biggest seller is Kenny G’s Miracles: A Holiday Album with sales of 7.3 million followed by a trio at 6 million, Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song, Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas and A Fresh Aire Christmas.
Elvis’ Christmas Album was recorded in 1957 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, CA and was released on October 15, 1957. The album was divided into a secular side with songs like Blue Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claus and two originals, Santa Claus is Back in Town and Santa Bring My Baby Back (to Me), and a religious side with two traditional holiday songs and four gospel numbers.
One of the songs on side 1, White Christmas, was given a treatment much like that of the 1954 recording by the Drifters and, although composer Irving Berlin didn’t complain about the original, he hated the Presley recording and ordered his staff to call radio stations all over the country and demand that they not play the song or the album. His campaign was not successful although one DJ was fired for playing the track.
The full list:
•01. Elvis’ Christmas Album – Elvis Presley (10 million)
•02. Miracles: The Holiday Album – Kenny G (7.3 million)
•03. The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole (6 million)
•03. Christmas – Mannheim Steamroller (6 million)
•03. A Fresh Aire Christmas – Mannheim Steamroller (6 million)
•06. Noel – Josh Groban (5.7 million)
•07. Merry Christmas – Mariah Carey (5.3 million)
•08. These Are Special Times – Celine Dion (5.2 million)
•09. A Christmas Album – Barbra Streisand (5+ million)
•10. Merry Christmas – Johnny Mathis (5 million)
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