15 Christmas Albums That Sold Millions Of Copies In America

Every December, the same records come out of the closet and back onto the turntable. Some of them have been selling for decades.

According to the Nielsen SoundScan tally in Wikipedia’s list of best-selling Christmas albums in the United States, fifteen holiday albums have each sold more than 2.7 million copies. The figures run through December 1, 2014, and SoundScan only began tracking sales in the 1990s, so older records are counted only from that time on.

Here is the top fifteen, starting with the biggest.

Kenny G’s Miracles Leads The Pack With About 7.3 Million Copies

“Miracles: The Holiday Album,” released in 1994, sits at number one with roughly 7,310,000 copies sold. The RIAA table on the same page lists it at eight times platinum.

Not bad for an instrumental saxophone record sitting in the same bins as the vocal superstars.

Josh Groban’s Noel Landed Second With 5.71 Million

Groban’s “Noel,” from 2007, sold 5,710,000 copies according to the list. It is certified six times platinum by the RIAA.

It is the only record in the top four that was not released in the 1990s.

That is a big number for a record that appeared well after the 1990s boom.

Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas Reached 5.5 Million

The 1994 album sold 5,500,000 copies in the tally. The RIAA table lists it as diamond, the highest tier.

Diamond status is awarded for 10 million units, and it sits at the very top of the RIAA’s Christmas album certifications alongside Elvis Presley’s 1970 “Elvis’ Christmas Album.”

Celine Dion’s These Are Special Times Sold 5.31 Million

Released in 1998, the album sold 5,310,000 copies. The RIAA lists it at six times platinum.

It gives the top four a nice mix of saxophone, tenor, pop diva and powerhouse vocalist.

Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas In The Aire Sold 3.74 Million

The 1995 album sold 3,740,000 copies in the list. It is the first of three Mannheim Steamroller records in the top seven.

A Fresh Aire Christmas Followed With About 3.66 Million

The same group’s 1988 album sold roughly 3,660,000 copies, per the list. The RIAA table lists it at six times platinum.

It follows the group’s 1995 album on the list, which gives Mannheim Steamroller back-to-back entries.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Added About 3.5 Million

The 1984 record sold roughly 3,500,000 copies. That makes the group the only act with three entries in the top seven.

It was the earliest release among the group’s three entries in the top seven, dating to 1984.

Now That’s What I Call Christmas! Sold About 3.48 Million

This 2001 various-artists compilation sold roughly 3,480,000 copies, per the list. It is the first compilation on the list.

Various artists share the spotlight on it, rather than one headliner.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Christmas Eve And Other Stories Hit About 3.43 Million

The 1996 album sold roughly 3,430,000 copies in the tally. The RIAA table lists it at three times platinum.

The group would go on to have a second album, “The Lost Christmas Eve” from 2004, further down the list at about 2.38 million copies.

A Charlie Brown Christmas Sold About 3.41 Million

The Vince Guaraldi Trio’s 1965 record sold roughly 3,410,000 copies during the SoundScan years. It was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2011, per Wikipedia’s registry list.

It is the oldest record on the top fifteen by far, and it is the only one from the 1960s.

Michael Bublé’s Christmas Reached About 3.39 Million

The 2011 album sold roughly 3,390,000 copies in the tally, which is a big number for a record that only had a few years to build up sales before 2014.

The RIAA certification is six times platinum as well.

Harry Connick Jr.’s When My Heart Finds Christmas Sold 3.15 Million

The 1993 album sold 3,150,000 copies. The RIAA certification there is three times platinum.

It is the only album from 1993 in the top fifteen.

Andrea Bocelli’s My Christmas Sold About 3.01 Million

The 2009 album sold roughly 3,010,000 copies, per the list. Its RIAA certification is two times platinum.

It sits just ahead of Mannheim Steamroller’s fourth entry on the list.

Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas Extraordinaire Sold About 2.92 Million

The 2001 record sold roughly 2,920,000 copies in the tally. It brings the group’s total to four albums on the top-fifteen list.

Its RIAA certification is three times platinum, per the same table.

NSYNC’s Home For Christmas Rounds Out The List With About 2.76 Million

The 1998 album sold roughly 2,760,000 copies. The RIAA table lists it at two times platinum.

The 1990s Dominate The Top Of The List

Count the release years and a pattern appears. Seven of the fifteen albums came out in the 1990s, four in the 2000s, two in the 1980s, one in the 2010s and one, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” in the 1960s.

The Nielsen SoundScan era began in the early 1990s, so the albums released then had the best chance to be counted from their first holiday season.

What To Do With Your Old Holiday Records

Because these albums sold in the millions, copies are common, and most are worth more as music than as collectibles. Check the condition before you decide to sell, and keep records away from heat and sunlight.

Figures here are Billboard’s through 2014, as shown on Wikipedia, so newer totals will be higher.

Vinyl and Velvet