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It’s early December and I have a busy show schedule for the month, which is the perfect time to break out a few Holiday numbers for the setlist to give the audience that warm glow that goes hand-in-hand with these long-time favorites. It’s the crooners like Ol’ Blue Eyes, Dean Martin, and Bing Crosby that I think of when the subject of Christmas tunes come up. What do you think the top selling Christmas albums have been over the years?
I was surprised to learn that Frank Sinatra never made the list of best selling holiday albums for any given year. If you look at the Rolling Stone magazine list of their greatest Christmas albums of all time, The Voice is on it. And if you look at the top selling holiday albums for the current year, two of Frank’s compilations, along with a Dean Martin album, make the list, which is pretty amazing given the number of artists looking to cash in with a seasonal selection.
The top Christmas album for 2001 and 2002 features a selection from various artists, including Sinatra’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Current crooner, Michael Bublé topped 2011 with his album simply titled Christmas, and it’s been voices such as Josh Groban, Andy Williams, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, and Jim Nabors that have also dominated sales.
There have also been a few quirky popular albums; Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album by Meco was the best seller in 1980 and A Christmas Together, by John Denver and the Muppets topped the previous year.
Bing Crosby dominated the early years; riding the enormous success of “White Christmas,” he had the most popular album from 1945 to 1950. Now there’s a new champion taking over: the Texas a cappella group Pentatonix has held the number one position for the past three years and leads this year too.
Do you have a hankering for some holiday music? Join me December 9th at the Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque, December 10th at the Sycuan Casino in San Diego, or catch me during my special run at the Riverside Resort in Laughlin, Nevada from December 27th though New Year’s Eve. What’s your favorite Christmas song?
