André Kostelanetz
OldGuitarMonkey
-Cover.png#/media/File:MichaelBuble-Christmas(2011)-Cover.png)
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” | |
|---|---|
| Song by Bing Crosby | |
| Language | English |
| Published | 1951 by Plymouth Music |
| Recorded | 1951 |
| Genre | Christmas |
| Length | 2:45 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Songwriter | Meredith Willson |
“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” is a Christmas song written in 1951 by Meredith Willson. The song was originally titled “It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas“. Perry Como was the first to record and release the song in 1951.
The song has become a standard recorded by many artists. It was first a hit for Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra on September 18, 1951, released on RCA Victor as 47-4314 (45 rpm) and 20-4314 (78 rpm). Bing Crosby recorded a version on October 1, 1951, on Decca Records, which was also popular.
History
Background and writing
A popular belief in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, holds that Willson wrote the song while staying in Yarmouth’s Grand Hotel. The song refers to a “tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well…”; the park being Frost Park, directly across the road from the Grand Hotel, which still operates in a newer building on the same site as the old hotel. It also makes mention of the five and ten which was a store operating in Yarmouth at the time.
It is also possible that the “Grand Hotel” Willson mentions in the song was inspired by the Historic Park Inn Hotel in his hometown of Mason City, Iowa, US. The Park Inn Hotel is the last remaining hotel in the world designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and is situated in downtown Mason City overlooking Central Park.
Perry Como version
| “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” | |
|---|---|
| Song by Perry Como | |
| Language | English |
| Published | 1951 by Plymouth Music |
| Recorded | 1951 |
| Genre | Christmas |
| Length | 2:45 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Songwriter | Meredith Willson |
Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra released their cover of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” on September 18, 1951. Their edition became one of the most successful versions of the song, which is still widely played today, with over 382 million streams on Spotify as of May 1, 2024. The song was used in the 2004 film The Polar Express.
Weekly charts
| Chart (2008–2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 24 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 56 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) | 47 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100) | 32 |
| Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) | 44 |
| Estonia Airplay (TopHit) | 39 |
| France (SNEP) | 124 |
| Germany (GfK) | 83 |
| Global 200 (Billboard) | 22 |
| Greece International (IFPI) | 30 |
| Hungary (Stream Top 40) | 19 |
| Iceland (Tónlistinn) | 7 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 34 |
| Italy (FIMI) | 93 |
| Latvia (LaIPA) | 19 |
| Lithuania (AGATA) | 25 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 33 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 24 |
| Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) | 45 |
| Portugal (AFP) | 56 |
| Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) | 41 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 45 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 39 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 40 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| US Holiday 100 (Billboard) | 8 |
| US Rolling Stone Top 100 | 5 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| Streaming | ||
| Greece (IFPI Greece) | Gold | 1,000,000† |
| ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone. | ||
Michael Bublé version
| “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” | |
|---|---|
| Single by Michael Bublé | |
| from the album Christmas | |
| Released | 18 November 2012 |
| Recorded | 2011 |
| Genre | Christmas traditional pop jazz |
| Length | 3:27 |
| Label | Reprise |
| Songwriter | Meredith Willson |
| Michael Bublé singles chronology | |
| “Georgia on My Mind“ (2012)”It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas“ (2012)”White Christmas“ (2012) | |
Canadian singer Michael Bublé‘s version was first released on October 24, 2011, as the first track of Bublé’s Christmas album. However, it was then re-released as the album’s second single on November 18, 2012, achieving greater success. In the UK, the song peaked at number 6 in 2022.
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (2020) | Position |
|---|---|
| Hungary (Single Top 40) | 100 |
| Hungary (Stream Top 40) | 71 |
| Chart (2021) | Position |
|---|---|
| Hungary (Single Top 40) | 70 |
| Hungary (Stream Top 40) | 83 |
| Chart (2022) | Position |
|---|---|
| Global 200 (Billboard) | 199 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40) | 70 |
| Hungary (Stream Top 40) | 85 |
| Chart (2023) | Position |
|---|---|
| Hungary (Single Top 40) | 50 |
| Chart (2024) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 72 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) | 3× Platinum | 270,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI) | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI) | 2× Platinum | 200,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | 3× Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| Portugal (AFP) | 2× Platinum | 50,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | 4× Platinum | 2,400,000‡ |
| Streaming | ||
| Greece (IFPI Greece) | Platinum | 2,000,000† |
| ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone. | ||
In popular culture
Meredith Willson incorporated the song into his 1963 Broadway musical Here’s Love, where it is sung in counterpoint to the newly composed song “Pine Cones and Holly Berries”.
Johnny Mathis recorded the song for his 1986 album Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis; this version gained popularity after its inclusion in the film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Gradually, Mathis’s recording began to receive wide radio airplay, and in later years this version became a Top 10 Christmas hit.
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas Covers
- V of BTS
- Dean Martin
- 김결 (Kim Gyeol)
Christmas (Michael Bublé Album)
| Christmas | |
|---|---|
| Standard artwork. Deluxe Special Edition artwork uses grey text instead of red and the words “deluxe special edition”, also in grey, are placed below the album title. | |
| Studio album by Michael Bublé | |
| Released | October 21, 2011 |
| Recorded | February, Late June–Early August 2011 |
| Studio | Warehouse Studios, Vancouver Capitol Studios, Hollywood |
| Genre | Christmas Dixieland swing traditional pop easy listening jazz |
| Length | 51:44 |
| Label | 143Reprise |
| Producer | David Foster Bob Rock Humberto Gatica |
| Michael Bublé chronology | |
| Crazy Love (2009)Christmas (2011)To Be Loved (2013) | |
| Singles from Christmas | |
| “All I Want for Christmas Is You“ Released: November 16, 2011″Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)“ Released: December 9, 2011″It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas / Jingle Bells“ Released: November 18, 2012″White Christmas (featuring Shania Twain)“ Released: December 11, 2012″Cold December Night” Released: December 21, 2012 | |
Christmas is the seventh studio album and first Christmas album released by Canadian singer Michael Bublé. The album was released on October 21, 2011, in Ireland, on October 24, 2011, in the United Kingdom, and on October 25, 2011, in the United States. Received generally positive reviews from critics, Christmas is Buble’s most successful album with more than 16 million copies worldwide as of January 2022, making it one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century and one of the best-selling Christmas albums worldwide.
On the week ending December 10, 2011, Christmas rose to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart, becoming Bublé’s third chart-topper following 2007’s Call Me Irresponsible and 2009’s Crazy Love, and spent five weeks at No. 1. Over the years, the album has reached number one in twenty international charts, including Australia, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom. The album also won a Juno Award for Album of the Year, making it the first holiday album to win the award.
The album was re-released on November 26, 2012, containing four additional tracks, including a new recording of “The Christmas Song”. Bublé also released a reworked version of “White Christmas“, this time featuring Shania Twain, as a single. This version premiered on Bublé’s NBC television special, Home for the Holidays, on December 10, 2012.
Background
The album is Bublé’s second Christmas-themed release after he released a five-track extended play, titled Let It Snow in 2003. Some of the songs from Let It Snow have been re-recorded for inclusion on Christmas, making Christmas his first full-length holiday release. For the album, Bublé teamed up with several well-known artists to record duets. His duet version of “White Christmas” with country music singer Shania Twain was based on an early arrangement by The Drifters, while his recording of “Jingle Bells” with the Puppini Sisters was based on the 1943 recording of Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters.
He also teamed up with Latin star Thalía for a recording of “Feliz Navidad”. Bublé also recorded covers of Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You“, and “Blue Christmas“, and a brand new track, “Cold December Night”, written with his longtime co-writer Alan Chang and producer Bob Rock.
Promotion
The album’s track listing was unveiled by Bublé on September 27, 2011. Bublé filmed several music videos in order to promote the album, including videos for the tracks “, the lead single “All I Want for Christmas Is You“,
“Holly Jolly Christmas”,
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)“,
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas“,
and “Jingle Bells“.
Bublé also appeared to perform during the final of the eighth series of The X Factor in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2011.
Bublé’s recording of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” was also featured in a montage on ABC-TV’s General Hospital that aired on December 23, 2011.
Specials
On December 6, 2011, Bublé promoted the album in the United States with the broadcast of an NBC television special, A Michael Bublé Christmas, a show produced by Ben Silverman. The special was viewed by more than 7.07 million viewers, receiving a 1.5 rating and 4% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. In Canada, the special was viewed by 1.533 million viewers, ranking the seventeenth most watched programme overall for the week. Zap2it reviewed the special, and claimed it to be “one of the year’s television guilty pleasures”.
On December 18, 2011, Bublé promoted the album in the United Kingdom with the broadcast of an ITV1 television special, Michael Bublé: Home for Christmas. The special featured guest appearances from comedian Dawn French, duet performances with both Kelly Rowland and Gary Barlow, and a cooking tutorial with Gino D’Acampo. The special pulled in 5.7 million viewers, and was the third most-watched ITV Christmas special of the season.
Michael later announced that he was to film another NBC special, titled Michael Bublé: Home for the Holidays, featuring guest appearances from Rod Stewart, Blake Shelton, and Carly Rae Jepsen. The special aired on December 10, 2012; and was watched by 5.66 million American viewers, receiving a 1.4/4 18-49 rating/share.
On October 18, 2013, it was announced that Michael would feature in a third Christmas special on December 18, 2013, via NBC. Guest stars featuring in the special included Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Cookie Monster.
Reception
Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Rockstar Weekly | |
Christmas received generally positive reviews from critics. Mike Diver of BBC News, although he found the album “a predictable programme”, prised that Bublé “does the classics to an accomplished standard and everything is professionally packaged” and described the vocals “smooth and steady, his lines wrap around these familiar pieces like fine ribbon around a promisingly shaped gift”.
Sal Cinquemani, on his list of “The 21 Best Christmas Albums of the 21st Century” for Billboard, ranked the album as the 20th, writing that the album “become one of his generation’s most popular holiday crooners”. Entertainment Weekly ranked the album 18th on its list of the “Best Christmas Albums of all Time”, writing that the album express “Bublé at his best” because he “recall singers from another time while establishing him as one of the present pinnacles of the holiday”.
Controversy
Years after the album’s release, Bublé has been widely criticized for his choice to change the pronouns of love interests in songs written about men so as to reinforce his heterosexual identity, most notably in his cover of “Santa Baby”, which one critic calls “particularly irritating…because he changes the lyrics to make sure everyone knows he is not attracted to Santa. [This] just leads to unbelievably awkward phrases like ‘Santa buddy,’ ‘Santa pally,’ and the truly awful ‘I’ll wait up for you, dude.’”
Commercial performance
On November 5, 2011, Christmas debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 charts in the United States, with first-week sales of 141,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In its fifth week on the chart, the album climbed to No. 1, and held the top spot for the following four weeks, becoming Bublé’s biggest selling chart-topper yet by beating the two-week reign of his previous album, Crazy Love. Christmas also sold 479,000 copies in the album’s third week at No. 1, which marked Bublé’s best sales week ever. On the album’s tenth week on the album charts, and with Christmas having passed, the album fell to No. 24 on January 14, 2012. As of January 2017 it shares the sixth-largest drop from #1 with Blue Slide Park by Mac Miller.
For the year, Christmas sold 2,452,000 copies in the United States, according to SoundScan, and was the second best-selling album of the year, just behind Adele‘s blockbuster album 21. In 2012, Christmas sold an additional 622,000 copies in the U.S. according to SoundScan, and was the second best-selling holiday album of the year (behind Rod Stewart‘s Merry Christmas, Baby). By December 4, 2017, the album had sold 4,129,000 copies in the United States, making it his best selling album in the country. As of December 2022, the album had sold 4,500,000 copies in United States.
In Canada, the album debuted at No. 2 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 37,000 copies in its first week. In its third week of release, the album climbed to No. 1, selling an additional 32,000 copies. As of December 14, 2011, the album has sold 444,000 copies in Canada.
Christmas also debuted at number 2 in Australia on October 31, 2011. The album has since been certified double Diamond by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of over 910,000 copies. It hit number 1 in December 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. It reached number 2 in 2015, being held off from the top spot by Adele‘s 25. In 2016, the album peaked at number 2 in December, then hit number 1 for the fifth time in the week of January 2, 2017. During the Christmas season of 2017, it peaked at number 4 in early December. In December 2019, it hit number 1 in Australia for the sixth time, becoming the first album to top the ARIA albums chart at six separate times in different years. Christmas was listed as the second best selling album of the 2010s in Australia.
Despite competition from Snow Patrol‘s album Fallen Empires, Christmas peaked at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It sold 1,292,000 copies in the UK in 2011, making it the second best-selling album of 2011. It is the first seasonal album to chart within the top 10 three years in a row, as it charted at number one in 2011, at number two in 2012, and at number seven in 2013. As of December 2021, the album is the best-selling holiday album in the UK, selling over 3 million copies. The album returned to No. 1 for a fourth non-consecutive week on 1 January 2021, nine years after its initial three-week run at the top in 2011 and became the first album to disappear from the No. 1 spot on the UK albums chart on 8 January 2021 (previously The Vamps had achieved the record for biggest drop from number one, when their album fell from the top to No.72 in November 2020).
Track listing
Information is based on the album’s liner notes.
Standard edition
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas“ | Meredith Willson | David Foster | 3:26 |
| 3. | “Jingle Bells” (featuring the Puppini Sisters) | Traditional | Foster | 2:39 |
|---|
| 4. | “White Christmas” (duet with Shania Twain) | Irving Berlin | Foster | 3:36 |
|---|
| 6. | “A Holly Jolly Christmas“ | John Marks | Foster | 1:59 |
|---|
| 7. | “Santa Baby“ | Joan Javits Tony Springer Philip Springer | Humberto Gatica | 3:51 |
|---|
| 10. | “Silent Night“ | Traditional | Foster | 3:47 |
|---|
| 11. | “Blue Christmas“ | Billy HayesJay Johnson | Rock | 3:41 |
|---|
| 12. | “Cold December Night” | Michael Bublé Alan Chang Bob Rock | Rock | 3:18 |
|---|
| 13. | “I’ll Be Home for Christmas“ | Kim Gannon Walter Kent Buck Ram | Foster | 4:24 |
|---|
| 14. | “Ave Maria“ | Traditional | Foster | 4:00 |
|---|
| 15. | “Mis Deseos/Feliz Navidad” (duet with Thalía) | Bublé Humberto Gatica Chang Claudia Brant José Feliciano | Gatica | 4:24 |
|---|
| 16. | “Michael’s Christmas Greeting” (hidden track) | Bublé | 0:05 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total length: | 51:44 | |||
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | “Winter Wonderland“ | Felix Bernard Richard B. Smith | Foster | 2:29 |
| 18. | “Frosty the Snowman” (featuring the Puppini Sisters) | Steve Nelson Jack Rollins | Foster | 2:40 |
|---|
| 19. | “Silver Bells” (featuring Naturally 7) | Ray Evans Jay Livingston | Foster | 3:06 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total length: | 59:59 | |||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “The Making of ‘Christmas'” | 30:00 |
xxx
2012 deluxe special edition additional tracks
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16. | “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)“ | Mel Tormé Robert Wells | Foster | 4:14 |
| 17. | “Winter Wonderland” | BernardSmith | Foster | 2:29 |
|---|
| 18. | “Frosty the Snowman” (featuring the Puppini Sisters) | NelsonRollins | Foster | 2:40 |
|---|
| 19. | “Silver Bells” (featuring Naturally 7) | EvansLivingston | Foster | 3:06 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total length: | 64:13 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20. | “White Christmas” | Berlin | 3:24 |
| Total length: | 67:37 | ||
2021 10th anniversary deluxe edition bonus disc
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Let It Snow!” (10th anniversary) | Jule Styne Sammy Cahn | Jason “Spicy G” Goldman | 2:40 |
| 2. | “Winter Wonderland” (featuring Rod Stewart) | BernardSmith | Foster | 2:35 |
|---|
| 3. | “The Christmas Sweater” | Lorne Balfe Gary Barlow Bublé Jane Goldman Matthew Vaughn | Johan Carlsson | 3:45 |
|---|
| 4. | “Frosty the Snowman” (featuring the Puppini Sisters) | NelsonRollins | Foster | 2:42 |
|---|
| 5. | “Silver Bells” (featuring Naturally 7) | EvansLivingston | Foster | 3:09 |
|---|
| 6. | “The More You Give (The More You’ll Have)“ | Bublé Kathryn D. Raio JP Rende Melissa Utini | Rock | 3:12 |
|---|
| 7. | “White Christmas” | Berlin | 3:24 |
|---|
Notes
- The Subliminal 9 are Caco Cocci, Steve Hartley, Paul Kirzner, Carsten Love, Lanny McVeigh, Derek Nyrose, Brad Openshaw, Ron Toigo and Rob Ubles.
Personnel
Information is based on the album’s liner notes
- Michael Bublé – vocals (1–2, 5–8, 11–13, lead on 3–4, 9–10, 14–15), musical arrangement (4)
- Janet Adderley – children’s choir director (10)
- Rusty Anderson – additional guitar (12)
- Christopher Bazzoli – string section conductor, horn section conductor (5)
- Chuck Berghofer – bass guitar (1–4, 6, 13)
- Jon Brion – string arrangement, horn arrangement (5)
- Alan Broadbent – orchestral arrangement (1, 13)
- Bob Buckley – orchestra conductor (8)
- Paul Bushnell – bass guitar (9, 11–12)
- Clayton Cameron – drums (8)
- Alan Chang – piano (5, 7, 9, 11–12, 15), musical arrangement, celesta (8, 12), glockenspiel, string arrangements (12)
- Judy Chilnick – percussion (7)
- Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (3, 15)
- Brad Dechter – musical arrangement, orchestra conductor (7), orchestration (14), string arrangement (15)
- Graham Dechter – guitar (1–4, 6–8, 13)
- Nathan East – bass guitar (15)
- Peter Erskine – drums (1, 13)
- Nicholas Essig – assistant recording engineer (5, 8–9, 11–12)
- Alan Estes – percussion (9, 11, 15)
- Greg Fields – drums (2, 4, 6)
- David Foster – orchestral arrangement (1, 13), musical arrangement (1, 3–4, 6, 10, 13–14), keyboards (1–4, 6, 10, 13–14)
- Josh Freese – drums (9, 12)
- Humberto Gatica – rhythm arrangement, vocal arrangement (15), recording engineer, audio mixing (7, 15)
- Steve Genewick – assistant recording engineer (1–6, 8–14)
- Eric Helmkamp – recording engineer (5, 8–9, 11–12), audio mixing (11)
- Wataru Hokoyama – string section conductor, horn section conductor (12)
- Kevin Kanner – drums (7)
- Jim Keltner – drums (5, 11)
- Gayle Levant – harp (10, 14)
- Chris Lord-Alge – audio mixing (5, 9, 12)
- Eric Mosher – assistant recording engineer (5, 8–9, 11–12)
- Kenny O’Brien – harmony arrangement (15)
- Dean Parks – guitar (7, 15, acoustic on 10)
- Alan Pasqua – piano (1–4, 6–7, 13)
- Dave Pierce – musical arrangement (9, 11), orchestra conductor (9, 11–12), string arrangement, horn arrangement (12)
- Craig Polasko – bass guitar (5, 8, 11), musical arrangement, synth strings, additional drums (5)
- The Puppini Sisters – background vocals (3)
- Cristian Robles – recording engineer (7, 15)
- Bob Rock – audio mixing (11)
- Bill Ross – orchestration (10)
- Jochem van der Saag – synthesizer, synthesizer programming, recording engineer, audio mixing (1–4, 6, 10, 13–14)
- Al Schmitt – recording engineer (1–4, 6, 10, 13–14), audio mixing (8)
- Keith Scott – guitar (5, 9, 11–12)
- Don Sebesky – orchestration (4)
- Paul Smith – assistant recording engineer (7, 15)
- Sally Stevens – choir director (14)
- The Subliminal 9 – additional background vocals (9)
- Thalía – lead vocals (15)
- Shania Twain – lead vocals (4)
- Michael Valerio – bass guitar (7)
- Jorge Vivo – recording engineer (1–4, 6, 10, 13–14)
- Chris Walden – musical arrangement (17, 18), orchestration (3)
- Brian Warwick – additional recording engineer (12)
- Pat Williams – musical arrangement (2)
- Lyle Workman – guitar (5, 9, 11–12)
Charts
Weekly charts
Weekly chart performance for Christmas
| Chart (2011–2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 1 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 1 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 3 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 3 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 1 |
| Croatian International Albums (HDU) | 1 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) | 3 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 1 |
| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts) | 1 |
| Estonian Albums (Albumid Tipp-40) | 4 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) | 2 |
| French Albums (SNEP) | 29 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 1 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) | 1 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) | 1 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA) | 1 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 1 |
| Latvian Albums (LAIPA) | 2 |
| Lithuanian Albums (AGATA) | 2 |
| Mexican Albums (AMPROFON) | 2 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 1 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 1 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV) | 1 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) | 1 |
| South African Albums (RiSA) | 3 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) | 8 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 1 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 1 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 1 |
| US Billboard 200 | 1 |
Year-end charts
Year-end chart performance for Christmas
| Chart (2011) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 2 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 28 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 68 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 82 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 16 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 21 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 7 |
| Finnish Albums | 12 |
| French Albums (SNEP) | 84 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 8 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) | 6 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA) | 2 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 7 |
| Mexican Albums (AMPROFON) | 18 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 16 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV) | 10 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) | 31 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 9 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 43 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 2 |
| US Billboard 200 | 82 |
| US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard) | 2 |
| Chart (2012) | Position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 4 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 18 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 2 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 44 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 35 |
| Finnish Albums | 48 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) | 3 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 24 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 85 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 27 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 8 |
| US Billboard 200 | 2 |
| US Digital Albums (Billboard) | 14 |
| US Jazz Albums (Billboard) | 1 |
| Chart (2013) | Position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 7 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 28 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 107 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 154 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) | 40 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 95 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV) | 55 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 35 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 71 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 29 |
| US Billboard 200 | 35 |
| Chart (2014) | Position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 8 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 38 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 49 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 53 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 15 |
| Polish Albums Chart | 44 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 66 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 30 |
| US Billboard 200 | 51 |
| Chart (2015) | Position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 7 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 79 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) | 83 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 52 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 5 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 40 |
| US Billboard 200 | 77 |
| Chart (2016) | Position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 5 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 72 |
| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts) | 94 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) | 44 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 75 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 5 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 23 |
| US Billboard 200 | 125 |
| Chart (2017) | Position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 8 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 46 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 49 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 77 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 17 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 24 |
| US Billboard 200 | 146 |
| Chart (2018) | Position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 30 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 50 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) | 53 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV) | 27 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) | 58 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 96 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 84 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 27 |
| US Billboard 200 | 154 |
| Chart (2019) | Position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 65 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 57 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 47 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 52 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) | 56 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 80 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 33 |
| US Billboard 200 | 130 |
| Chart (2020) | Position |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 63 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 44 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 59 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) | 61 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 52 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV) | 80 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 82 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 57 |
| US Billboard 200 | 147 |
| Chart (2021) | Position |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 23 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 142 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 44 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 33 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 47 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 66 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) | 63 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) | 63 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 56 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 31 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 44 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 57 |
| US Billboard 200 | 136 |
| Chart (2022) | Position |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 44 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 153 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 46 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 42 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 46 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 71 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) | 82 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 90 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV) | 46 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 56 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 83 |
| US Billboard 200 | 133 |
| Chart (2023) | Position |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 71 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 43 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 53 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 76 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) | 21 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) | 93 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 84 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 76 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 80 |
| US Billboard 200 | 154 |
| Chart (2024) | Position |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 24 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 50 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 80 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) | 63 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 38 |
| US Billboard 200 | 159 |
Decade-end charts
Decade-end chart performance for Christmas
| Chart (2010–2019) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 2 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 19 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 5 |
| US Billboard 200 | 24 |
All-time charts
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| Irish Albums (IRMA) | 39 |
| US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard) | 2 |
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 2× Diamond | 1,000,000‡ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria) | 3× Platinum | 60,000* |
| Belgium (BRMA) | Gold | 15,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Diamond | 1,500,000[237] |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) | 6× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat) | Platinum | 35,217[240] |
| France (SNEP) | Gold | 50,000* |
| Germany (BVMI) | 9× Gold | 900,000‡ |
| Hungary (MAHASZ) | 2× Platinum | 12,000^ |
| Iceland (FHF) | Gold | 5,000 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 8× Platinum | 120,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI) | 8× Platinum | 400,000‡ |
| Mexico (AMPROFON) | Platinum | 60,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI) | Platinum | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | 14× Platinum | 210,000‡ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway) | 6× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| Poland (ZPAV) | 2× Platinum | 40,000* |
| Portugal (AFP) | Gold | 7,500^ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | Gold | 30,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF) | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) | Platinum | 30,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | 11× Platinum | 3,300,000 |
| United States (RIAA) | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000‡ |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI) | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000* |
| Worldwide | — | 12,000,000 |
| * Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis (Album)
| Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Studio album by Johnny Mathis | |
| Released | September 23, 1986 |
| Recorded | July 1986 |
| Studio | One on One Studios, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, Conway Studios, Hollywood, California, Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, California |
| Genre | Vocal holiday |
| Length | 33:28 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Producer | Denny Diante |
| Johnny Mathis chronology | |
| 16 Most Requested Songs (1986)Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis (1986)The Hollywood Musicals (1986) | |
Professional ratings
Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis is the fourth Christmas album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on September 23, 1986, by Columbia Records. This was Mathis’s fourth holiday-themed LP and focused exclusively on secular material.
The album spent a week on Billboard magazine’s Christmas Albums chart in the issue dated December 12, 1992, (no such chart was published in 1986) and two weeks on its Top Pop Catalog Albums chart in December 1994.
The recording of “Jingle Bells” on this release is subtitled “(Let’s Take a Sleigh Ride)” on the front and back covers of the album jacket. (The CD booklet does not include song titles on the cover.) The track opens with background vocalists singing, “Let’s take a sleigh ride, a merry sleigh ride,” and the subtitle is inserted into each refrain of the chorus. Although no credit for additional lyrics is cited, the credit for the arranger of this rendition, Ray Ellis, is listed with the songwriter’s name on the LP label.
The album’s opener, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas“, was featured in the 1992 holiday release Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and included on its original soundtrack album. In the issue of Billboard dated November 28, 2009, the list of the “Top 10 Holiday Songs (Since 2001)” places the Mathis recording at number 10.
Reception
People magazine’s reviewer, Ralph Novak, describes Mathis’s singing on the album as “characteristically smooth, yet never very engaged”, and feels that the arrangements “tend to big stringy orchestrations that are too much for intimacy and not passionate enough for majesty.”
Track listing
All tracks recorded in July 1986. Personnel information taken from the liner notes for the original album:
- “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (Meredith Willson) – 2:14
- Jeremy Lubbock – arranger, conductor
- John Arrias – recording engineer
- Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
- Jules Chaikin – contractor
2. “Toyland” from Babes in Toyland (Glen MacDonough, Victor Herbert) – 3:41
- Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor
- John Arrias – recording engineer
- Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
- Joe Soldo – contractor
3. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (Edward Pola, George Wyle) – 2:45
- Jeremy Lubbock – arranger, conductor
- John Arrias – recording engineer
- Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
- Jules Chaikin – contractor
4. “Jingle Bells” (James Pierpont) – 2:54
- Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor
- Daren Klein – recording engineer
- Erno Neufeld – concertmaster
- Marion Klein – contractor
5. Medley – 5:09
a. “Christmas Is for Everyone” (Richard Loring, Dorothy Wayne)
b. “Where Can I Find Christmas?” from The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas (Doug Goodwin)
- Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor
- Daren Klein – recording engineer
- Erno Neufeld – concertmaster
- Marion Klein – contractor
- International Children’s Choir (Irene Bayless, director) – backing vocals
- The kids from St. Michael’s School, North Hollywood – backing vocals
6. Medley from Santa Claus: The Movie – 4:03
a. “Every Christmas Eve” (Leslie Bricusse, Henry Mancini)
b. “Giving (Santa’s Theme)” (Bricusse, Mancini)
- Henry Mancini – arranger, conductor
- Henry Mancini Orchestra & Chorus – performers
- Mick Guzauski – recording engineer
- Erno Neufeld – concertmaster
- Marion Klein – contractor
7. “The Christmas Waltz” (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 2:36
- Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor
- John Arrias – recording engineer
- Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
- Joe Soldo – contractor
8. “We Need a Little Christmas” from Mame (Jerry Herman) – 1:54
- Ray Ellis – arranger, conductor
- John Arrias – recording engineer
- Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
- Joe Soldo – contractor
9. Medley – 3:44
a. “Caroling, Caroling” (Alfred Burt, Wilha Hutson)
b. “Happy Holiday” from Holiday Inn (Irving Berlin)
- Jeremy Lubbock – arranger, conductor
- John Arrias – recording engineer
- Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
- Jules Chaikin – contractor
10. “It’s Christmas Time Again” (Sonny Burke, John Elliot, James K. Harwood) – 4:28
- Jeremy Lubbock – arranger, conductor
- John Arrias – recording engineer
- Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
- Jules Chaikin – contractor
Song information
“Jingle Bells” is the oldest of the songs that Mathis covers here and was published under the name “The One Horse Open Sleigh” in 1857.
“Toyland” originated in the 1903 operetta Babes in Toyland,
and “Happy Holiday” was first performed in the 1942 film Holiday Inn.
Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters reached number 19 on Billboard magazine’s Records Most Played by Disc Jockeys chart and number 23 on its list of the Best-Selling Pop Singles of the week in 1951 with the first recording of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas“.
Peggy Lee‘s rendition of “It’s Christmas Time Again” was released in 1953,
and “Caroling, Caroling” first appeared on the 1954 LP The Christmas Mood by The Columbia Choir.
“The Christmas Waltz” was written for Frank Sinatra and debuted as the flipside to his 1954 cover of “White Christmas“.
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” was written for The Andy Williams Show and first appeared on The Andy Williams Christmas Album in 1963.
“We Need a Little Christmas” was first performed in the 1966 Broadway musical Mame.
“Where Can I Find Christmas?” comes from the 1973 TV special The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas,
and the medley of “Every Christmas Eve” and “Giving (Santa’s Theme)” was part of the soundtrack of the 1985 film Santa Claus: The Movie.
Personnel
From the liner notes for the original album:
Johnny Mathis – vocals
Denny Diante – producer
Richard Loring – musical consultant
Monica Mancini – vocal contractor
John Arrias – mixing engineer
Chris Bellman – mastering engineer
Jo-Anne McGettrick – production coordinator
Nancy Donald – art direction
Tony Lane – art direction
Peter Greco – lettering
David Vance – photographer
24 Collection – wardrobe
Jeff Bennett (One on One Studios) – assistant engineer
Greg Dennen (One on One Studios) – assistant engineer
Michael Dubois (One on One Studios) – assistant engineer
Daren Klein (Conway Studios) – assistant engineer
Richard McKernan (Conway Studios) – assistant engineer
Joe Schiff (Ocean Way) – assistant engineer
Toby Wright (One on One Studios) – assistant engineer
Jessie Peck – Conway Studios assistant
Joe Gastwirt (Digital Magnetics Studio) – compact disc preparation
Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, California
Mixed at Conway Studios, Hollywood, California
-Cover.png){kind=link}
-Cover.png){kind=link}
){kind=link}
Comments