List of best-selling Christmas albums in the United States

This page shows the best-selling Christmas albums in the United States. It includes artists from all over the world, but it only includes sales in the United States of America.

Prior to March 1, 1991, the only means of tracking sales figures for record albums and singles in the United States was via the certification system of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), based specifically on shipments (less potential returns) on a long-term basis. According to the most recent record album certifications, the holiday album title that has shipped the most copies in the United States is Elvis Presley's 1957 LP Elvis' Christmas Album, which is certified by the RIAA for shipment of 17 million copies in the U.S. (3 million copies of the original 1957 release on RCA Victor Records, plus 10 million copies of a "budget" edition first released by RCA Camden in 1970 and then by Pickwick Records in 1975, and 4 million copies of a BMG reissue titled It's Christmas Time released in 1985).[1]

From March 1, 1991, through the present day, the Nielsen SoundScan tracking system has been more widely used to accurately track sales of record albums and singles at the point of sale (POS) based on inventory bar code scans.

Best-selling Christmas albums (using RIAA certifications and Nielsen SoundScan sales through November 2016)

In November 2016, Billboard has compiled a list of the top ten selling Christmas albums, using both RIAA certification information and actual point-of-sale data from Nielsen SoundScan. For albums released before SoundScan started collecting data in 1991, Billboard used their RIAA certification to determine sales.[2]

  1. Elvis' Christmas Album / Elvis Presley ~ 10,000,000[2]
  2. Miracles: The Holiday Album / Kenny G ~ 7,370,000[2]
  3. The Christmas Song / Nat King Cole ~ 6,000,000[2]
  4. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 6,000,000[2]
  5. A Fresh Aire Christmas / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 6,000,000[2]
  6. Noël / Josh Groban ~ 5,890,000[2]
  7. Merry Christmas / Mariah Carey ~ 5,500,000[2]
  8. These Are Special Times / Celine Dion ~ 5,440,000[2]
  9. A Christmas Album / Barbra Streisand ~ 5,370,000[2]
  10. Merry Christmas / Johnny Mathis ~ 5,240,000[2]

Best-selling Christmas albums from Nielsen SoundScan tracking data (through December 1, 2014)

This is a list of the 25 best-selling Christmas albums of the Nielsen SoundScan era in the United States for cumulative sales as tracked by Nielsen SoundScan through December 1, 2014.[3] Nielsen Music began tracking sales data for Billboard on March 1, 1991.

  1. Miracles: The Holiday Album / Kenny G ~ 7,310,000[3]
  2. Noël / Josh Groban ~ 5,710,000[3]
  3. Merry Christmas / Mariah Carey ~ 5,370,000[3]
  4. These Are Special Times / Celine Dion ~ 5,310,000[3]
  5. Christmas in the Aire / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 3,740,000[3]
  6. A Fresh Aire Christmas / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 3,660,000[3]
  7. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 3,500,000[3]
  8. Now That's What I Call Christmas! / various artists ~ 3,480,000[3]
  9. Christmas Eve and Other Stories / Trans-Siberian Orchestra ~ 3,430,000[3]
  10. A Charlie Brown Christmas / Vince Guaraldi Trio ~ 3,410,000[3]
  11. Christmas / Michael Bublé ~ 3,390,000[3]
  12. When My Heart Finds Christmas / Harry Connick, Jr. ~ 3,150,000[3]
  13. My Christmas / Andrea Bocelli ~ 3,010,000[3]
  14. Christmas Extraordinaire / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 2,920,000[3]
  15. Home for Christmas / *NSYNC ~ 2,760,000[3]
  16. Faith: A Holiday Album / Kenny G ~ 2,750,000[3]
  17. Beyond the Season / Garth Brooks ~ 2,650,000[3]
  18. Home for Christmas / Amy Grant ~ 2,540,000[3]
  19. A Very Special Christmas / various artists ~ 2,520,000[3]
  20. The Lost Christmas Eve / Trans-Siberian Orchestra ~ 2,380,000[3]
  21. A Very Special Christmas 2 / various artists ~ 2,200,000[3]
  22. The Gift / Susan Boyle ~ 2,180,000[3]
  23. Christmas Portrait / The Carpenters ~ 1,950,000[3]
  24. White Christmas / Bing Crosby ~ 1,950,000[3]
  25. The Christmas Album / Neil Diamond ~ 1,910,000[3]

Best-selling Christmas albums by RIAA certification

This is an incomplete list of the best-selling Christmas albums in the United States based on shipment certification by the RIAA. This list provides a more complete representation of the best-selling Christmas albums in history, as it includes those released well before the Nielsen/SoundScan era of music sales.

Year of Release Artist(s) Title Label(s) Certification Award[4]
1970 Elvis Presley Elvis' Christmas Album
(budget reissue of 1957 LP with altered track listing)		 RCA Camden/Pickwick Diamond
1994 Mariah Carey Merry Christmas Columbia 8× Platinum
1994 Kenny G Miracles: The Holiday Album Arista 8× Platinum
2007 Josh Groban Noël WEA/Reprise 6× Platinum
2001 Various Now That's What I Call Christmas! UTV 6× Platinum
1988 Mannheim Steamroller A Fresh Aire Christmas American Gramaphone 6× Platinum
1984 Mannheim Steamroller Mannheim Steamroller Christmas American Gramaphone 6× Platinum
1963 Nat King Cole The Christmas Song
(originally released in 1960 under the title The Magic of Christmas)		 Capitol 6× Platinum
1998 Celine Dion These Are Special Times Epic 5× Platinum
1967 Barbra Streisand A Christmas Album Columbia 5× Platinum
1958 Johnny Mathis Merry Christmas Columbia 5× Platinum
1995 Bing Crosby White Christmas
(originally released in 1945 under the title Merry Christmas)		 Decca 4× Platinum
1995 Mannheim Steamroller Christmas in the Aire American Gramaphone 4× Platinum
1987 Various A Very Special Christmas A&M 4× Platinum
1985 Elvis Presley It's Christmas Time
(retitled reissue of 1970 budget edition of Elvis' Christmas Album)		 BMG 4× Platinum
1984 Various Christmas Through the Years Reader's Digest Music 4× Platinum
1965 Vince Guaraldi Trio A Charlie Brown Christmas Fantasy 4× Platinum
2010 Susan Boyle The Gift Syco/Columbia 3× Platinum
2001 Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Extraordinaire American Gramaphone 3× Platinum
1999 Kenny G Faith: A Holiday Album Arista Records 3× Platinum
1996 Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas Eve and Other Stories Lava 3× Platinum
1993 Harry Connick, Jr. When My Heart Finds Christmas Sony/Columbia 3× Platinum
1992 Garth Brooks Beyond the Season Liberty 3× Platinum
1992 Amy Grant Home for Christmas A&M 3× Platinum
1982 George Winston December Windham Hill 3× Platinum
1971 Elvis Presley Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas RCA 3× Platinum
1957 Elvis Presley Elvis' Christmas Album
(original release)		 RCA Victor 3× Platinum
2011 Justin Bieber Under the Mistletoe Island 2x Platinum
2014 Pentatonix That's Christmas to Me RCA 2x Platinum
2009 Andrea Bocelli My Christmas Decca 2× Platinum
2004 Trans-Siberian Orchestra The Lost Christmas Eve Lava 2× Platinum
2003 Various Now That's What I Call Christmas!: The Signature Collection Capitol 2× Platinum
1998 Martina McBride White Christmas RCA 2x Platinum
1998 *NSYNC Home for Christmas RCA 2× Platinum
1998 Trans-Siberian Orchestra The Christmas Attic Lava 2x Platinum
1993 Boyz II Men Christmas Interpretations Motown 2× Platinum
1993 Vince Gill Let There Be Peace on Earth MCA Nashville 2× Platinum
1992 Neil Diamond The Christmas Album Columbia 2× Platinum
1992 Various A Very Special Christmas 2 A&M 2× Platinum
1989 New Kids on the Block Merry, Merry Christmas Columbia 2× Platinum
1987 Reba McEntire Merry Christmas to You MCA Nashville 2× Platinum
1986 George Strait Merry Christmas Strait to You! MCA Nashville 2× Platinum
1985 Alabama Alabama Christmas RCA 2× Platinum
1984 Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton Once Upon a Christmas RCA 2× Platinum
1981 Anne Murray Christmas Wishes Capitol 2× Platinum
1981 Kenny Rogers Christmas Liberty 2× Platinum
1979 Various Disney's Christmas Favorites Disneyland 2× Platinum
1975 John Denver Rocky Mountain Christmas RCA 2× Platinum

Best-selling Christmas albums by year

In 1963, Billboard magazine began publishing a special weekly sales charts for Christmas album sales named "Christmas Albums" for three to four weeks during each holiday season. Titles that appeared on these charts were excluded from the regular Billboard 200 album sales charts. These special, year-end "Christmas Albums" charts were published from 1963 to 1973. The chart was discontinued from 1974 to 1982, when holiday titles were once again included in the regular Billboard 200 chart. "Christmas Albums" started up again in 1983 and appeared each year until 1985 (during these three years, holiday titles were eligible for inclusion on the weekly Billboard 200 chart). It was discontinued in 1986, but resumed in 1987 and continued each year under the "Christmas Albums" name until 1993. In 1994, the chart was renamed to "Holiday Albums" and has been published by Billboard each year since. Billboard's special Christmas albums sales charts have varied in size over the years, from a low of 5 chart positions to a high of 117 chart positions.[5]

1940s
  • The best-selling Christmas album of 1945 was Merry Christmas, by Bing Crosby.
  • The best-selling Christmas album of 1946 was Merry Christmas, by Bing Crosby.
  • The best-selling Christmas album of 1947 was Merry Christmas, by Bing Crosby.
  • The best-selling Christmas album of 1948 was Merry Christmas, by Bing Crosby.
  • The best-selling Christmas album of 1949 was Merry Christmas, by Bing Crosby.

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

See also

References
  1. "Gold & Platinum Advanced Search". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  2. Keith Caulfield (November 24, 2016). "What Are the Top-Selling Christmas Albums of All Time?". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  3. Billboard Staff (2014-12-01). "The Gifts That Keep on Giving: Biggest Radio and Album Hits of the Holidays". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
  4. "RIAA Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 106. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  6. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 203. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  7. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. pp. 191, 203. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. pp. 166, 191, 203. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  9. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 195. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 153. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  11. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 179. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  12. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 182. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  13. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 209. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  14. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 136. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  15. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 188. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  16. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 124. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  17. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 169. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  18. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 186. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  19. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 176. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  20. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 113. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  21. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 229. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  22. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. pp. 164, 229. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  23. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 175. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  24. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 163. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  25. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 164. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
  26. "Chart Watch Extra: Bring On Christmas!". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  27. She, by Harry Conick, Jr. Archived 2008-09-29 at the Wayback Machine, harryconnickjr.com
  28. The Best Selling Christmas Albums of 1997, neosoul.com
  29. The Best Selling Christmas Albums of 1999, neosoul.com
  30. The Major Minor, The New York Times, April 1, 2001
  31. IDT Entertainment's DPS Film Roman and Harry Connick Jr. Team For 3D Animated Christmas Special Archived 2008-12-21 at the Wayback Machine, Business Wire, findarticles.com September 29, 2004
  32. Clay Aiken Releases New RCA Records Album 'A Thousand Different Ways', emol.org, August 3, 2006
  33. 2009 U.S. Music Purchases up 2.1% over 2008; Music Sales Exceed 1.5 Billion for Second Consecutive Year, Businesswire.com, Jan 7, 2010 article.
  34. Kaulfield, Keith (2011-01-05). "Eminem's 'Recovery' Is 2010's Best-Selling Album; Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' Top Digital Song". Billboard. Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
  35. Grein, Paul (2011-12-28). "Week Ending Dec. 25, 2011. Albums: A Very Jeezy Christmas". Yahoo! Music. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  36. Grein, Paul (2013-01-03). "Chart Watch Extra: Top Albums of 2012". Yahoo! Music. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 2013-01-03.
  37. Grein, Paul (2014-01-03). "The Top 10 Albums and Songs of 2013". Yahoo! Music. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  38. Caulfield, Keith (2014-12-31). "Taylor Swift's '1989' Beats 'Frozen' as Top Selling Album of 2014". Billboard. Billboard.com. Retrieved 2015-01-01.
  39. Grein, Paul (2016-12-27). "Chart Watch: Pentatonix Celebrate 'Christmas' at No. 1". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  40. Caulfield, Keith (2017-01-05). "Drake's 'Views' Is Nielsen Music's Top Album of 2016 in the U.S." Billboard. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
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