Do you know what the best selling holiday (Christmas) albums of all time are?
According to Billboard Magazine the top-selling holiday albums in the U.S. dating to the advent of Nielsen Soundscan data in 1991:
1, "Miracles - the Holiday Album," Kenny G, 1994 (7.23 million)
2, "Noel," Josh Groban, 2007(5.28) (I know this is my favorite album! I listen to it every year!)
4, "Merry Christmas," Mariah Carey (5.12) (including her amazing "All I Want for Christmas Is You" for 99 cents)
5, "Christmas in the Aire," Mannheim Steamroller, 1995 (3.73)
6, "A Fresh Aire Christmas," Mannheim Steamroller, 1990 (3.61)
7, "Christmas," Mannheim Steamroller 1990(3.48)
(If you don't have the money to buy all 3 Mannheim Steamroller albums and are wondering which one is best, my money is on Fresh Aire, because it has "Carol of the Bells" on it, and it really just is not Christmas for me until I've had my own air drum solo and conducted my invisible orchestra to that song!)
8, "Now That's What I Call Christmas!, 2001" various artists (3.39)
Features classics from Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Perry Como, Elvis, Beach Boys, and others. This is also possibly the album played on repeat non-stop in every mall across America ad nauseum. And yet, is still awesome!
9, "Christmas Eve and Other Stories," Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 1996 (3.19)
10, "When My Heart Finds Christmas," Harry Connick, Jr., 1993 (3.08)
For some crazy reason this album is only $6.53 on Amazon right now! (I just checked and it is $9.99 on iTunes.)
Including my personal favorites-
"I Pray on Christmas" (Love me some gospel swing at Christmastime!), "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and his estimable "O Holy Night."
Albums that just missed the top ten are Andrea Bocelli's "My Christmas" 2009 (2.59 million) and Susan Boyle's "The Gift" 2009 (1.9 million) (currently only $5.75 on Amazon). I'm surprised to see that Michel Buble isn't anywhere on the list. He's earned the nickname "Mr. Christmas" for his beautiful albums, Michael Buble's Christmas, and Let It Snow. My guess is that we'll see Bocelli, Boyle, and Buble all move up into the top ten with time.
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