Best-selling Christmas/holiday singles in the United States
This page shows the best-selling Christmas singles in the United States. It includes artists from around the world, but it only reflects sales in the United States of America. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby is not only the best-selling Christmas/holiday single in the United States, but also the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.[1][2][3][4]
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. 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, as well as digital music download sales starting in 2003. As of December 25, 2011, the holiday single with the most digital downloads is Mariah Carey's 1994 track "All I Want for Christmas Is You," which SoundScan estimates as having sold 2,311,000 copies.[5]
Best-selling Christmas/holiday singles since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began
This is a list of the top thirty best-selling Christmas singles of the SoundScan era in the United States according to the Nielsen Company as last updated in December 2010.[6] Nielsen SoundScan began tracking digital download sales data at the end of June 2003.
Best-selling Christmas singles
Best-selling Christmas/holiday singles by RIAA certification
This is an incomplete list of the best-selling Christmas/holiday singles in the United States based on certification by the RIAA. This list provides a more complete representation of the best-selling Christmas/holiday albums in history, as it includes those released well before the Nielsen/SoundScan era of music sales.
Digital downloads
| Year of Release | Title | Artist | Label(s) | Certification Award[7] | Certification Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" | Trans-Siberian Orchestra | Lava | Gold | 2009-12-14 |
| 1995 | "The Chanukah Song" | Sandler, AdamAdam Sandler | Warner Bros. | Gold | 2005-10-05 |
| 1994 | "All I Want for Christmas Is You" | Carey, MariahMariah Carey | Columbia | Gold | 2005-12-13 |
Physical singles
According to the most recent record album certifications, the holiday single title with the highest RIAA certification is Elvis Presley's 1964 single "Blue Christmas", which is certified Platinum by the RIAA (though its date of certification came more than ten years after the RIAA reduced the threshold for Platinum level for singles from two million copies to one million copies).[8]
| Year of Release | Title (A-side/B-side) |
Artist(s) | Label(s) | Certification Award | Certification Date[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | "Blue Christmas"/ "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" |
Presley, ElvisElvis Presley | RCA Victor | Platinum[8] | 1999-12-15 |
| 1989 | "This One's for the Children"/ "Funky, Funky Xmas" |
New Kids on the Block | Columbia | Gold[7] | 1990-01-09 |
| 1984 | "Do They Know It's Christmas?"/ "Feed the World" |
Band Aid | Columbia | Gold[7] | 1984-12-19 |
| 1959 | "Alvin's Harmonica"/ "Mediocre" (David Seville) |
The Chipmunks | Liberty | Gold[9] | |
| 1958 | "The Chipmunk Song"/ "Almost Good" (David Seville) |
The Chipmunks with the Music of David Seville | Liberty | Gold[9] | |
| 1958 | "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"/ "Papa Noël" |
Lee, BrendaBrenda Lee | Decca | Gold[10] | |
| 1957 | "Jingle Bell Rock"/ "Captain Santa Claus (and His Reindeer Space Patrol)" |
Bobby Helms | Decca | Gold[11] | |
| 1955 | "Nuttin' for Christmas"/ "Santa Claus Looks Just Like Daddy" |
Mooney, ArtArt Mooney and His Orchestra Vocal by Barry Gordon |
MGM | Gold[12] | |
| 1952 | "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"/ "Thumbelina" |
Boyd, JimmyJimmy Boyd | Columbia | Gold[13] | |
| 1950 | "Frosty the Snow Man"/ "When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter" |
Autry, GeneGene Autry and The Cass County Boys | Columbia | Gold[14] | |
| 1949 | "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas"/ "Yingle Bells" |
Yorgesson, YogiYogi Yorgesson | Capitol | Gold[15] | |
| 1949 | "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"/ "If It Doesn't Snow on Christmas" |
Autry, GeneGene Autry & The Pinafores | Columbia | Gold[14] | 1969-11-10 |
| 1948 | "All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)"/ "Happy New Year" |
Jones, SpikeSpike Jones and his City Slickers | RCA Victor | Gold[16] | |
| 1948 | "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"/ "I'm A-Tellin' You, Sam" |
Brown, LesLes Brown and his Orchestra | Columbia | Gold[17] | |
| 1947 | "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)"/ "An Old-Fashioned Christmas" |
Autry, GeneGene Autry | Columbia | Gold[14] | |
| 1946 | "Christmas Island"/ "Winter Wonderland" |
Andrews Sisters and Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians | Decca | Gold[18] | |
| 1946 | "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)"/ "In the Cool of Evening" |
The King Cole Trio | Capitol | Gold[19] | |
| 1944 | "White Christmas"/ "If You Are But a Dream" |
Sinatra, FrankFrank Sinatra | Columbia | Gold[20] | |
| 1943 | "I'll Be Home for Christmas (If Only in My Dreams)"/ "Danny Boy" |
Crosby, BingBing Crosby | Decca | Gold[21] | |
| 1943 | "Jingle Bells"/ "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" |
Crosby, BingBing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters | Decca | Gold[21] | |
| 1942 | "White Christmas"/ "Let's Start the New Year Right" |
Crosby, BingBing Crosby | Decca | Gold[22] | |
| 1942 | "White Christmas"/ "Abraham" |
Martin, FreddyFreddy Martin and his Orchestra | Victor | Gold[23] | |
| 1935 | "Silent Night"/ "Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)" |
Crosby, BingBing Crosby | Decca | Gold[22] | |
See also
- Christmas music
- List of Christmas hit singles in the United Kingdom
- List of Christmas hit singles in the United States
- Best-selling Christmas/holiday albums in the United States
References
- ↑ Guinness Book of Records, 2007 Edition, page 187
- ↑ Guinness Book of Records, 2008 Edition, page 181
- ↑ Guinness Book of Records, 2009 Edition, pages 14, 15 & 169
- ↑ Roy J. Harris, Jr. (December 5, 2009). "The Best-Selling Record of All. 'White Christmas' and the reasons it endures". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
It was a peaceful song that became a wartime classic. Its unorthodox, melancholy melody—and mere 54 words, expressing the simple yearning for a return to happier times—sounded instantly familiar when sung by America's favorite crooner. But 67 years after its introduction, some still are surprised to learn that Bing Crosby's recording of the Irving Berlin ballad "White Christmas" became not only the runaway smash-hit for the World War II holidays, but the best-selling record of all time.
- ↑ Grein, Paul (December 17, 2012). "Chart Watch Extra: Christmas Albums, From Bing To Buble". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
- ↑ Grein, Paul (December 22, 2010). "Chart Watch Extra: Top Holiday Hits". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "RIAA Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "RIAA Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 27. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 45. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 40. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 50. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 22. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 19. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 66. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 43. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 25. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 18. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 28. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 58. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 31. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 30. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Christmas in the Charts (1920–2004). Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 47. ISBN 0-89820-161-6.