Santa's Whiskers

Top Selling Christmas Albums Of All Time (According to Billboard)

Elvis’ Christmas Album        
Elvis Presley    10 million copies    1957 

   
Miracles: The Holiday Album    
Kenny G    7.37 million copies    1994

The Christmas Song            
Nat King Cole        6 million copies    1960

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas    
Mannheim Steamroller    6 million copies    1984

A Fresh Aire Christmas            
Manheim Steamroller    6 million copies    1988

Noel        
Josh Groban        5.89 million copies        2007

Merry Christmas    
Mariah Carey        5.5 million        1994

These Are Special Times    
Celine Dion    5.44 million        1998

A Christmas Album    
Barbra Streisand    5.37 million        1967

Merry Christmas        
Johnny Mathis    5.24 million        1958


Source: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/5847879/top-selling-christmas-albums-all-time-elvis-kenny-g

Everybody's Favorites

Top Selling Christmas Singles Of All Time (According to Billboard)

Wham! - Last Christmas        
George Michael        751,000 downloads        1984

Jingle Bell Rock    
Bobby Helms            780,000 downloads        1957

Feliz Navidad        
Jose Feliciano        808,000 downloads        1970

Where Are You Christmas    
Faith Hill            897,000 downloads        2000

Christmas Canon    
Trans-Siberian Orchestra    918,000 downloads        1998

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree        
Brenda Lee             1,000,000 downloads    1958

Mistletoe        
Justin Bieber            1.1 million downloads    2011    

Christmas Eve    
Trans-Siberian        1.3 million downloads    1996    

Do You Want To Build A Snowman        
Kristen Bell            1.6 million downloads    2013            

All I Want For Christmas Is You    
Mariah Carey            3.2 million downloads    1994


Source: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7588783/what-are-the-top-selling-christmas-music-holiday-songs



God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen          16th century   
One of the oldest extant carols. Earliest print version, 1760.


I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)     17th century
Earliest printed version 17th century. Published by William Sandy's in 1833.


O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)        17th century
Originally written in Latin as Adeste Fideles. Attribution is unclear.


O come, O come, Emmanuel        1710        
Lyrics written Germany 1710. Music origins in 15th century France.


Joy to the World        1719    
Lyrics by Isaac Watts, 1719. Music origins unknown.


Hark! The Herald Angels Sing        1739    
Lyrics by Charles Wesley, 1739. Music 1840, adaptation of a Felix Mendelssohn cantata by William H. Cummings.


The Twelve Days of Christmas        1780    
Lyrics in 1780, thought to be French in origin. Music derived from a 1909 arrangement of folk melody to Frederic Austin.


The Holly and the Ivy            early 1800’s     
Lyrics in early nineteenth century. Music first published 1911 by Cecil Sharp who heard it from Mrs. Mary Clayton.

Silent Night        1818    
Lyrics by Joseph Mohr in 1816. Music by Franz Xaver Gruber 1818.

The First Noel        1823    
Lyrics are traditional classical English Christmas carol from early modern period. Current music arrangement by John Stainer in  1871     

O Holy Night        1847        
 Lyrics by Placide Cappeau 1843, music by Adolphe Adam in 1847. Song premiered 1847.

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear        1849    
Lyrics by Edmund Sears, music by Richard Storrs Willis 1850

Here We Come A-wassailing        1850
English traditional Christmas carol. Apparently composed 1850, attribution unknown.

Good King Wenceslas        1853        
Lyrics by John Mason Neale in collaboration with Thomas Helmore. Music is 13th century spring carol.

Jingle Bells        1857    
Written and composed by James Lord Pierpont in 1857.

Angels We Have Heard On High        1862        
Lyrics by James Chadwick, music is a French song called “Les Anges Dans Not Campagnes”

We Three Kings of Orient Are        1862
Both lyrics and music written by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. in 1857. Published in 1862.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day        1863    
Based on poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863. Music in 1872 by organist John Baptiste Calkin.

O Little Town of Bethlehem        1868    
Lyrics by Phillips Brooks in 1868. Music by church organist Lewis Redner.

Go Tell It On The Mountain        1865    
African American spiritual dating back to 1865, later compiled by John Wesley Work, Jr., the first African American collector of folk songs and spirituals.

What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)        1865 (to a 16th century tune)

Lyrics by William Chatterton Dix in 1865. Music is “Greensleeves” a traditional English folk song.

Away In The Manger        1885    
Lyricist unverified. Most popular USA music is “Mueller” by James R. Murray in 1887.

Parade of the Wooden Soldiers        1897    
An instrumental composed  by Leon Jessel in 1897. Lyrics were created in 1922 by Ballard MacDonald.

Carol of the Bells        1914    
Lyrics by Peter J. Wilhousky and music by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914.

The Bells of St. Mary’s        1917        
Lyrics by Douglas Furber, music by A. Emmett Adams.

I Wonder As I Wander        1934    
Lyrics and music composed by John Jacob Niles in 1933.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town        1934        
Lyrics and music composed by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie.

Winter Wonderland        1934    
Lyrics by Richard B. Smith and music by Felix Bernard.

White Christmas        1942    
Lyrics and music composed by Irving Berlin.

Happy Holidays        1942    
Lyrics and music composed by Irving Berlin.

All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth        1944    
Lyrics and music composed by Donald Yetter Gardner in 1944.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas        1944    
Lyrics and music composed by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.

Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow        1945    
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn and music by Jute Style in 1945.

Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire        1945
Lyrics and music by Mel Torme and Bob Wells.

Here Comes Santa Claus        1947    
Lyrics by Gene Autry, music by Oakley Haldeman.

Sleigh Ride        1948    
Lyrics by Mitchell Parish in 1950, music by Leroy Anderson in 1948.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer         1949    
Lyrics and music composed by Johnny Marks. Recording aired 1949.

Silver Bells        1950    
Lyrics and music composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.

Frosty The Snowman        1950    
Lyrics and music composed by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson and first recorded in 1950.

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas        1951    
Lyrics and music written by Meredith Wilson.

The Little Drummer Boy        1951    
Lyrics and music composed by Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. First recording was in 1951.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus        1952    
Lyrics and music by Tommie Connor.

Santa Baby         1953    
Lyrics and music composed by Joan Javits and Phillip Springer.    

Home For The Holidays        1954    
Lyrics by Al Stillman, and music by Robert Allen.

Jingle Bell Rock    1957    
Lyrics and music composed by Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Booth.

The Chipmunk Song        1958    
Lyrics and music composed by Ross Bagdasarian Sr (aka David Seville).

Run Rudolph Run        1958    
Songwriters were Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie.

Do You Hear What I Hear?        1962    
Lyrics by Noel Regney and music by Gloria Shayne Baker.

It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year        1963    
Lyrics and music composed by Edward Pola and George Wyle.

Have A Holly Jolly Christmas        1964    
Lyrics and music composed by Johnny Marks in 1962. Recorded in 1964

Feliz Navidad        1970    
Lyrics and music composed by Jose Feliciano.

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer        1979    
Lyrics and music composed by Randy Brooks.


Sources: Classic Christmas carols:  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christmas_carols
Classic Christmas Songs  http://www.listchallenges.com/100-most-popular-christmas-songs