American music chart publisher Billboard magazine began publishing annual Christmas singles and albums charts, the Billboard Best Bets for Christmas, in surveys from 1963 to 1973 for a total of 46 weeks. Each survey included a top-selling Christmas LP's and a Christmas Singles chart that ran for 3–5 weeks each holiday season expanding in size as sales activity increased. Before then, Christmas-themed hits were only included on the Hot 100 or on their other weekly charts. Billboard charted Christmas albums and singles exclusively in this section until 1972.
Billboard number one Best Bets For Christmas These are Billboard's Best Bets for Christmas number-one albums and singles:
Issue date Albums Artist Singles Artist "White Christmas" “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 48, November 30, 1963, p. 11. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 49, December 7, 1963, p. 8. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 50, December 14, 1963, p. 8. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 51, December 21, 1963, p. 8. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 52, December 28, 1963, p. 7. "Blue Christmas" First released on the 1957 45 EP entitled Elvis Sings Christmas Songs (EPA-4108). It was first released as a commercially available single in 1964. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 76, no. 49, December 5, 1964, p. 25. "" First charted on the Hot 100 in 1958 peaking at #13 “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 76, no. 50, December 12, 1964, p. 22. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 76, no. 51, December 19, 1964, p. 34. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 76, no. 52, December 26, 1964, p. 36. “Billboard Top Christmas Sellers.” Billboard, vol. 77, no. 50, December 11, 1965, p. 7. “Billboard Top Christmas Sellers.” Billboard, vol. 77, no. 51, December 18, 1965, p. 15. “Billboard Top Christmas Sellers.” Billboard, vol. 77, no. 52, December 25, 1965, p. 12. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 78, no. 49, December 3, 1966, p. 56. Merry Christmas“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 78, no. 50, December 10, 1966, p. 40. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 78, no. 51, December 17, 1966, p. 36. Merry Christmas "Sleep in Heavenly Sleep (Silent Night)" “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 78, no. 52, December 24, 1966, p. 33. "Snoopy's Christmas"“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 48, December 2, 1967, p. 8. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 49, December 9, 1967, p. 92. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 50, December 16, 1967, p. 61. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 51, December 23, 1967, p. 50. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 52, December 30, 1967, p. 40. Christmas Album & The Tijuana Brass "" The flip side "My Favorite Things" peaked at #45 on the Hot 100 the same year. & The Tijuana Brass“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 49, December 7, 1968, p. 82. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 50, December 14, 1968, p. 84. That Christmas Feeling“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 51, December 21, 1968, p. 69. ""“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 52, December 28, 1968, p. 57. Give Me Your Love for Christmas "White Christmas" First released in 1942 peaking at #1 for 11 weeksBing Crosby“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 81, no. 49, December 6, 1969, p. 11. "" The King Cole Trio version charted at #3 in 1946. This 1953 recording with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra first charted in 1954 peaking at #29.“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 81, no. 50, December 13, 1969, p. 10. Merry Christmas "Jingle Bell Rock" First charted on Billboard's Top 100 in 1957 peaking at #6.“Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 81, no. 51, December 20, 1969, p. 12. Jim Nabors' Christmas Album “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 81, no. 52, December 27, 1969, p. 10. Jackson 5 Christmas Album Jackson 5 "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" Jackson 5“Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 82, no. 51, December 19, 1970, p. 12. "Merry Christmas, Darling" Carpenters“Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 82, no. 52, December 26, 1970, p. 59. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" / "Christmas Won't Be the Same This Year" Jackson 5“Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 83, no. 51, December 18, 1971, p. 49. "Merry Christmas, Darling" Carpenters“Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 83, no. 52, December 25, 1971, p. 49. Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas "Jingle Bells" “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 84, no. 51, December 9, 1972, p. 40. "Please Come Home for Christmas" First charted on the Hot 100 in 1961 peaking at #76. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 84, no. 52, December 16, 1972, p. 51. Jackson 5 Christmas Album Jackson 5 "" “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 84, no. 53, December 23, 1972, p. 4. Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas "Merry Christmas, Darling" Carpenters“Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 85, no. 49, December 8, 1973, p. 28. Various artists "Step into Christmas" “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 85, no. 50, December 15, 1973, p. 25. "Blue Christmas" “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 85, no. 51, December 22, 1973, p. 22.
Top 10 Christmas Albums These are the LPs that reached the top 10 on Billboard's Christmas Record charts from 1958 until 1973. Record collectors and holiday music fans believe that every contemporary holiday album owes a debt to one or more of the albums below."Deejay's Favorite Christmas Disks." The Billboard, vol. 70, no. 47, November 24, 1958, p. 2."Christmas Records." Billboard, vol. 75-76, no. 48-52 & 49-52, November 30, 1963-December 26, 1964, pp. 11, 8, 8, 7, 25, 22, 22, 34 & 36."Billboard Top Christmas Sellers." Billboard, vol. 77, no. 50-52, December 11, 1965-December 25, 1965, pp. 7, 15 & 12."Billboard Best Bets For Christmas." Billboard, vol. 78-81, no. 49-52, 48-52, 49-52 & 49-52, December 3, 1966-December 27, 1969, pp. 56, 40, 36, 33, 8, 92, 61, 50, 40, 82, 84, 69, 57, 11, 10, 12, & 10."Best Bets For Christmas." Billboard, vol. 82-85, no. 51-52, 51-52, 51-53 & 49-51, December 19, 1970-December 22, 1973, pp. 12, 59, 49, 49, 40, 51, 4, 28, 25 & 22. Rank Album Artist YearRlsd. PeakDate PeakPos. Weeks Peak Top 10 Chart 1 1963 11/30/1963 #1 9 23 30 2 1967 12/2/1967 6 16 20 3 1959 12/5/1964 4 25 35 4 Merry Christmas 1966 12/10/1966 3 12 20 5 Jackson 5 Christmas Album Jackson 5 1970 12/26/1970 10 10 6 1963 12/13/1969 2 29 35 7 Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas 1971 12/9/1972 8 8 8 Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass Christmas Album 1968 12/7/1968 6 10 9 That Christmas Feeling 1968 12/21/1968 10 10 1971 12/18/1971 3 5 11 1966 12/3/1966 1 14 19 12 Jim Nabors' Christmas Album 1967 12/27/1969 13 21 13 Give Me Your Love For Christmas 1969 12/6/1969 10 12 14 Various Artists 1973 2/15/1973 3 3 15 Music of Christmas And His Orchestra 1957 11/24/1958 1 2 16 Elvis' Christmas Album 1957 12/11/1965 #2 7 23 31 17 Merry Christmas 1958 11/30/1963 6 27 29 18 Merry Christmas 1955 12/26/1964 3 34 40 19 Sounds of Christmas 1963 12/21/1963 2 7 20 20 Merry Christmas Ho! Ho! Ho! 1967 12/9/1967 1 5 10 21 Christmas with Mahalia 1968 12/13/1969 2 5 22 Christmas Album 1970 12/19/1970 2 3 23 1957 11/24/1958 1 11 24 John Gary Christmas Album 1964 12/5/1964 #3 1 4 17 25Handel: Messiah / The Mormon Tabernacle Choir / Eugene Ormandy 1959 12/13/1969 2 6 26 featuring Frank Sinatra Jr., Nancy Sinatra and Tina Sinatra 1969 12/13/1969 4 27 This Christmas I Spend With You 1963 12/21/1963 #4 2 6 13 28 Sound of Christmas 1961 12/18/1965 1 8 24 29 1970 12/23/1972 5 5 30 Merle Haggard's Christmas Present 1973 12/8/1973 2 3 31 Merry Christmas 1956 11/24/1958 1 7 32 We Wish You A Merry Christmas 1962 12/9/1972 #5 1 3 20 33 Season's Greetings from Perry Como 1959 12/7/1963 1 2 20 34 O' Bambino — The Little Drummer Boy 1965 2/3/1966 5 35 Merry Christmas! New Christy Minstrels 1963 12/28/1963 1 8 36 Christmas Carols Mantovani 1954 11/24/1958 1 37 Noël 1966 12/3/1966 #6 4 5 13 38 Merry Christmas 1965 12/11/1965 2 3 12 39 Snoopy And His Friends 1967 12/23/1967 2 7 40 1965 12/18/1965 1 3 13 41 Various Artists 1963 12/23/1972 6 42 Songs of Christmas 1956 11/24/1958 1 1 43 Merry Christmas from the Brady Bunch 1970 12/25/1971 44 Christmas Greetings From Mantovani And His Orchestra Mantovani 1963 12/21/1963 #7 1 3 14 45 Merry Christmas from Brenda Lee 1964 12/16/1972 1 15 46 Christmas with Conniff 1959 12/27/1969 11 47 1963 12/13/1969 5 48 Now Is The Caroling Season 1957 11/24/1958 1 49 Handel's Messiah and Orchestra 1966 12/7/1968 #8 2 2 5 50 Christmas in My Home Town 1970 12/23/1972 1 3 6 51 More Sounds of Christmas 1964 12/26/1964 2 15 52 Merry Christmas 1964 12/19/1964 11 53 Christmas with The King Family 1965 12/18/1965 2 54 / The New York Philharmonic / Leonard Bernstein 1963 12/11/1965 11 55 Soul Christmas (Atco Records 33-269) https://www.hipchristmas.com/albums/s/soul.php Various artists 1968 12/6/1969 6 56Beloved Choruses https://music.metason.net/artistinfo?name=Mormon%20Tabernacle%20Choir%2C%20Richard%20P.%20Condie%20-%20The%20Philadelphia%20Orchestra%2C%20Eugene%20Ormandy&title=The%20Beloved%20Choruses / The Mormon Tabernacle Choir / Eugene Ormandy 1958 12/18/1965 4 57 Christmas '64 1964 12/5/1964 58 1955 11/24/1958 1 59 Ventures' Christmas Album 1965 12/18/1965 #9 2 2 9 60 Christmas Hymns & Carols 1957 11/24/1958 8 61 12 Songs Of Christmas , Bing Crosby and Fred Waring 1964 12/19/1964 3 62 Merry Xmas From José Feliciano 1970 12/8/1973 63 Navidad Means Christmas & Trio Los Panchos 1966 12/17/1966 1 2 4 64 Holiday Sing Along with Mitch and The Gang 1961 12/28/1963 1 17 65 Christmas with The Chipmunks Volume 2 & The Chipmunks 1963 12/21/1963 13 66 with Andre Previn 1967 12/2/1967 6 67 & Boston Pops Orchestra 1970 12/19/1970 2 68 Joy to The World 1956 11/24/1958 1 69 Songs For A Merry Christmas 1966 12/3/1966 #10 3 3 10 70 Christmas Wonderland 1963 12/7/1963 2 2 13 71 Christmas Present...And Past 1967 12/9/1967 1 1 5 72 Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album 1968 12/14/1968 3 73 1968 12/13/1969 74 1968 12/26/1970 75 (Columbia Records 30763) https://musicbrainz.org/release/80a8d1a9-09d6-4935-83fd-ea45a2d1ca0b Various artists 1972 12/8/1973
See also Billboard Christmas Hits 1983-1989 Billboard Christmas Holiday Charts
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