Elvis album tops Christmas list

OK, I know it is a bit too early in the day to be reading the Christmas charts but I cannot really blame why these guys from Australia want to get this bit of news out. They sent me this message from the web. Elvis Presley fans the world over are in a state of rejoicing. This is because the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) has announced and with certification to boot, that the King of Rock and Roll’s Elvis Christmas Album is the biggest selling Holiday record of all time.

Now Bing Crosby’s White Christmas maybe is the most popular Christmas song of all time but it is Elvis who rules as far as albums are concerned. As of the end of December, 2007, The Elvis Christmas Album, which was first released in 1957 as a long-play album and which is now available on CD, had already sold a total of nine million copies. More copies are expected to find homes this year what with more and more of today’s young music buyers starting to tune in to and enjoy Elvis’ music.

The Elvis Christmas Album is a mix of traditional carols, rock and roll and country ballads. It includes Silent Night, White Christmas, Santa Claus is Back in Town, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, If Every Day Was Like Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claus, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me, Mama Liked the Roses and Presley’s biggest selling Christmas single, Blue Christmas.

Along with the announcement came this bit of trivia. Of all the songs in the album, there was only one that Elvis had to be convinced to do. It was Blue Christmas. It was not because he did not like the song. It was actually out of respect for the original artist, Ernest Tubb, who took it to No. 1 in the charts some years earlier. In rebellion, Elvis and his back-up group The Jordainers, recorded what they thought was an awful version of Blue Christmas. They thought what they did was so bad that the recording would never be released as a single. But Presley at that time, could not seem to do anything wrong and Blue Christmas with all the woh woh wohs they put in it, became one of his biggest hits.

The RIAA also mentioned seven more albums that made the grade in its Christmas chart led by the fairly new Miracles: The Holiday Album by Kenny G from 1994 with eight million copies. The others are Now That’s What I Call Christmas by Various Artists from 2001 with six million; A Fresh Aire Christmas by Mannheim Steamroller from 1988 with six million; Mannheim Steamroller Christmas from 1964 with six million; A Christmas Album by Barbra Streisand from 1967 with five million; Merry Christmas by Mariah Carey from 1994 with five million; and Merry Christmas by Johnny Mathis from 1958 with five million.

Top 30 Christmas songs

As for the singles, Billboard Magazine has also started putting out its Christmas hit list and here are the carols in the Top 30 led of course by Crosby’s White Christmas. Here goes: The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) by Nat King Cole; A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives; All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey; Please Come Home for Christmas by The Eagles; Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms; Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee; It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams; Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono; Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano.

Merry Christmas Darling by The Carpenters; Jingle Bell Rock by Daryl Hall and John Oates; It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Johnny Mathis; Wonderful Christmas Time by Paul McCartney; Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid; Last Christmas by Wham!; Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry; Winter Wonderland by The Eurythmics; Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season by Andy Williams; Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley.

Same Old Auld Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg; Christmas Eve (Saravejo 12/24) by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra; Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen; Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys; Christmas Canon by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra; It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Johnny Mathis; Step into Christmas by Elton John; The Christmas Shoes by New Song; O Holy Night by Josh Groban; and Where are You Christmas by Faith Hill.