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 another RCA reissue titled It's Christmas Time released in 1985).
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 December 2023) 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. As of March 14, 2026, Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas certified album sales of 10 million in the United States.
Elvis's Christmas Album (1970 version) / Elvis Presley ~ 10,000,000 Merry Christmas / Mariah Carey ~ 10,000,000 Miracles: The Holiday Album / Kenny G ~ 7,370,000 The Christmas Song / Nat King Cole ~ 6,000,000 Mannheim Steamroller Christmas / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 6,000,000 A Fresh Aire Christmas / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 6,000,000 Noël / Josh Groban ~ 5,890,000 These Are Special Times / Celine Dion ~ 5,440,000 A Christmas Album / Barbra Streisand ~ 5,370,000 Merry Christmas / Johnny Mathis ~ 5,240,000
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. Nielsen Music began tracking sales data for Billboard on March 1, 1991.
Miracles: The Holiday Album / Kenny G ~7,310,000 Noël / Josh Groban ~ 5,710,000 Merry Christmas / Mariah Carey ~ 5,500,000 These Are Special Times / Celine Dion ~ 5,310,000 Christmas in the Aire / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 3,740,000 A Fresh Aire Christmas / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 3,660,000 Mannheim Steamroller Christmas / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 3,500,000 Now That's What I Call Christmas! / various artists ~ 3,480,000 Christmas Eve and Other Stories / Trans-Siberian Orchestra ~ 3,430,000 A Charlie Brown Christmas / Vince Guaraldi Trio ~ 3,410,000 Christmas / Michael Bublé ~ 3,390,000 When My Heart Finds Christmas / Harry Connick, Jr. ~ 3,150,000 My Christmas / Andrea Bocelli ~ 3,010,000 Christmas Extraordinaire / Mannheim Steamroller ~ 2,920,000 Home for Christmas / *NSYNC ~ 2,760,000 Faith: A Holiday Album / Kenny G ~ 2,750,000 Beyond the Season / Garth Brooks ~ 2,650,000 Home for Christmas / Amy Grant ~ 2,540,000 A Very Special Christmas / various artists ~ 2,520,000 The Lost Christmas Eve / Trans-Siberian Orchestra ~ 2,380,000 A Very Special Christmas 2 / various artists ~ 2,200,000 The Gift / Susan Boyle ~ 2,180,000 Christmas Portrait / The Carpenters ~ 1,950,000 White Christmas / Bing Crosby ~ 1,950,000 The Christmas Album / Neil Diamond ~ 1,910,000
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 ReleaseArtist(s)TitleLabel(s)Certification Award1970Elvis' Christmas Album(budget reissue of 1957 LP with altered track listing)RCA Camden/PickwickDiamond1994Merry ChristmasColumbiaDiamond1994Miracles: The Holiday AlbumArista8× Platinum2011Christmas143/Reprise6× Platinum2007NoëlWEA/Reprise6× Platinum2001VariousNow That's What I Call Christmas!UTV6× Platinum1998These Are Special TimesEpic6× Platinum1988Mannheim SteamrollerA Fresh Aire ChristmasAmerican Gramaphone6× Platinum1984Mannheim SteamrollerMannheim Steamroller ChristmasAmerican Gramaphone6× Platinum1965A Charlie Brown ChristmasFantasy6× Platinum1963The Christmas Song(originally released in 1960 under the title The Magic of Christmas)Capitol6× Platinum1967A Christmas AlbumColumbia5× Platinum1958Merry ChristmasColumbia5× Platinum1995 White Christmas(originally released in 1945 under the title Merry Christmas)Decca4× Platinum1995Mannheim SteamrollerChristmas in the Aire American Gramaphone4× Platinum1992Beyond the SeasonLiberty4× Platinum1987VariousA Very Special ChristmasA&M4× Platinum1985It's Christmas Time(retitled reissue of 1970 budget edition of Elvis' Christmas Album)BMG4× Platinum1984VariousChristmas Through the YearsReader's Digest Music4× Platinum2010The GiftSyco/Columbia3× Platinum2001Mannheim SteamrollerChristmas ExtraordinaireAmerican Gramaphone3× Platinum1999Faith: A Holiday AlbumArista Records3× Platinum1996Trans-Siberian OrchestraChristmas Eve and Other StoriesLava3× Platinum1993When My Heart Finds ChristmasSony/Columbia3× Platinum1992Home for ChristmasA&M3× Platinum1982DecemberWindham Hill3× Platinum1971Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of ChristmasRCA3× Platinum1957Elvis' Christmas Album(original release)RCA Victor3× Platinum2011Under the MistletoeIsland2× Platinum2014PentatonixThat's Christmas to MeRCA2× Platinum2009My ChristmasDecca2× Platinum2004Trans-Siberian OrchestraThe Lost Christmas EveLava2× Platinum2003VariousNow That's What I Call Christmas!: The Signature CollectionCapitol2× Platinum1998White ChristmasRCA2× Platinum1998*NSYNCHome for ChristmasRCA2× Platinum1998Trans-Siberian OrchestraThe Christmas AtticLava2× Platinum1993Boyz II MenChristmas InterpretationsMotown2× Platinum1993Let There Be Peace on EarthMCA Nashville2× Platinum1993Honky Tonk ChristmasArista2× Platinum1992The Christmas AlbumColumbia2× Platinum1992VariousA Very Special Christmas 2A&M2× Platinum1989New Kids on the BlockMerry, Merry ChristmasColumbia2× Platinum1987Merry Christmas to YouMCA Nashville2× Platinum1986Merry Christmas Strait to You!MCA Nashville2× Platinum1985AlabamaAlabama ChristmasRCA2× Platinum1984 & Once Upon a ChristmasRCA2× Platinum1981Christmas WishesCapitol2× Platinum1981ChristmasLiberty2× Platinum1979VariousDisney's Christmas FavoritesDisneyland2× Platinum1975Rocky Mountain ChristmasRCA2× 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 under the name "Christmas Albums". In 2000, the chart was renamed to "Top 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.
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 The best-selling Christmas album of 1950 was Merry Christmas, by Bing Crosby. The best-selling Christmas album of 1951 was Mario Lanza Sings Christmas Songs, by Mario Lanza. The best-selling Christmas album of 1952 was Christmas Hymns and Carols, by The Robert Shaw Chorale. The best-selling Christmas album of 1953 was Christmas with Arthur Godfrey and All the Little Godfreys, by Arthur Godfrey. The best-selling Christmas album of 1954 was Selections from Irving Berlin's "White Christmas", by Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Peggy Lee. The best-selling Christmas album of 1955 was Happy Holiday, by Jo Stafford. The best-selling Christmas album of 1956 was Merry Christmas from Lawrence Welk and His Champagne Music, by Lawrence Welk. The best-selling Christmas album of 1957 was Elvis' Christmas Album, by Elvis Presley. The best-selling Christmas album of 1958 was Christmas Sing-Along with Mitch, by Mitch Miller & the Gang. The best-selling Christmas album of 1959 was Christmas Sing-Along with Mitch, by Mitch Miller & the Gang.
1960s The best-selling Christmas album of 1960 was Christmas Sing-Along with Mitch, by Mitch Miller & the Gang. The best-selling Christmas album of 1961 was Holiday Sing Along with Mitch, by Mitch Miller & the Gang. The best-selling Christmas album of 1962 was Merry Christmas, by Johnny Mathis. The best-selling Christmas album of 1963 was The Andy Williams Christmas Album, by Andy Williams. The best-selling Christmas album of 1964 was The Andy Williams Christmas Album, by Andy Williams. The best-selling Christmas album of 1965 was The Little Drummer Boy: A Christmas Festival, by the Harry Simeone Chorale. The best-selling Christmas album of 1966 was Merry Christmas, by Andy Williams. The best-selling Christmas album of 1967 was A Christmas Album, by Barbra Streisand. The best-selling Christmas album of 1968 was That Christmas Feeling, by Glen Campbell. The best-selling Christmas album of 1969 was Jim Nabors' Christmas Album, by Jim Nabors.
1970s The best-selling Christmas album of 1970 was The Jackson 5 Christmas Album, by The Jackson 5. The best-selling Christmas album of 1971 was A Partridge Family Christmas Card, by The Partridge Family. The best-selling Christmas album of 1972 was The Jackson 5 Christmas Album, by The Jackson 5. The best-selling Christmas album of 1973 was Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas, by Elvis Presley. The best-selling Christmas album of 1974 was The Waltons' Christmas Album, by Earl Hamner/The Holiday Singers. The best-selling Christmas album of 1975 was Rocky Mountain Christmas, by John Denver. The best-selling Christmas album of 1976 was Christmas Jollies, by The Salsoul Orchestra. The best-selling Christmas album of 1977 was Christmas Jollies, by The Salsoul Orchestra. The best-selling Christmas album of 1978 was Christmas Portrait, by The Carpenters. The best-selling Christmas album of 1979 was A Christmas Together, by John Denver and The Muppets.
1980s The best-selling Christmas album of 1980 was Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album, by Meco. The best-selling Christmas album of 1981 was Christmas, by Kenny Rogers. The best-selling Christmas album of 1982 was Christmas, by The Oak Ridge Boys. The best-selling Christmas album of 1983 was Christmas, by Kenny Rogers. The best-selling Christmas album of 1984 was Once Upon a Christmas, by Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton.