List of Billboard Best Bets for Christmas 1963–1973

American music chart publisher Billboard magazine began publishing annual Christmas singles and albums charts, the Billboard Best Bets for Christmas,^[a] in surveys from 1963 to 1973 for a total of 46 weeks. Each survey included a top-selling Christmas LP's and a Christmas Singles chart that ran for 3–5 weeks each holiday season expanding in size as sales activity increased. Before then, Christmas-themed hits were only included on the Hot 100 or on their other weekly charts.^[1] Billboard charted Christmas albums and singles exclusively in this section until 1972.^[2]

Billboard number one Best Bets For Christmas

These are Billboard's Best Bets for Christmas number-one albums and singles:

Issue date	Albums	Artist	Singles	Artist	Ref.
November 30, 1963	The Andy Williams Christmas Album	Andy Williams	"White Christmas"	Andy Williams	[3]
December 7, 1963					[4]
December 14, 1963					[5]
December 21, 1963					[6]
December 28, 1963					[7]
December 5, 1964	The Little Drummer Boy	Harry Simeone Chorale	"Blue Christmas" [8]	Elvis Presley	[9]
December 12, 1964	The Andy Williams Christmas Album	Andy Williams	"The Little Drummer Boy" [10]	Harry Simeone Chorale	[11]
December 19, 1964					[12]
December 26, 1964					[13]
December 11, 1965					[14]
December 18, 1965	The Little Drummer Boy	Harry Simeone Chorale			[15]
December 25, 1965					[16]
December 3, 1966	The Dean Martin Christmas Album	Dean Martin			[17]
December 10, 1966	Merry Christmas	Andy Williams			[18]
December 17, 1966	The Little Drummer Boy	Harry Simeone Chorale			[19]
December 24, 1966	Merry Christmas	Andy Williams	"Sleep in Heavenly Sleep (Silent Night)"	Barbra Streisand	[20]
December 2, 1967	A Christmas Album	Barbra Streisand	"Snoopy's Christmas"	The Royal Guardsmen	[21]
December 9, 1967					[22]
December 16, 1967					[23]
December 23, 1967					[24]
December 30, 1967					[25]
December 7, 1968	Christmas Album	Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass	"The Christmas Song" [26]	Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass	[27]
December 14, 1968					[28]
December 21, 1968	That Christmas Feeling	Glen Campbell			[29]
December 28, 1968			"The Little Drummer Boy"	Harry Simeone Chorale	[30]
December 6, 1969	Give Me Your Love for Christmas	Johnny Mathis	"White Christmas" [31]	Bing Crosby	[32]
December 13, 1969	The Christmas Song	Nat King Cole	"The Christmas Song" [33]	Nat King Cole	[34]
December 20, 1969	Merry Christmas	Andy Williams	"Jingle Bell Rock" [35]	Bobby Helms	[36]
December 27, 1969	Jim Nabors' Christmas Album [37]	Jim Nabors			[38]
December 19, 1970	Jackson 5 Christmas Album[39]	Jackson 5	"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"	Jackson 5	[40]
December 26, 1970			"Merry Christmas, Darling"	Carpenters	[41]
December 18, 1971	A Partridge Family Christmas Card	The Partridge Family	"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" / "Christmas Won't Be the Same This Year"	Jackson 5	[42]
December 25, 1971			"Merry Christmas, Darling"	Carpenters	[43]
December 9, 1972	Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas	Elvis Presley	"Jingle Bells"	The Singing Dogs	[44]
December 16, 1972	The Christmas Song	Nat King Cole	"Please Come Home for Christmas" [45]	Charles Brown	[46]
December 23, 1972	Jackson 5 Christmas Album	Jackson 5	"The Christmas Song"	Nat King Cole	[47]
December 8, 1973	Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas	Elvis Presley	"Merry Christmas, Darling"	Carpenters	[48]
December 15, 1973	A Motown Christmas	Various artists	"Step into Christmas"	Elton John	[49]
December 22, 1973	A Christmas Album	Barbra Streisand	"Blue Christmas"	Elvis Presley	[50]

Top 10 Christmas Albums

These are the LPs that reached the top 10 on Billboard's Christmas Record charts from 1958 until 1973. Record collectors^[51] and holiday music fans^[52][53] believe that every contemporary holiday album owes a debt to one or more of the albums below.^{[54][55][56][57][58]}

Rank	Album	Artist	Year Rlsd.	Peak Date	Peak Pos.	Weeks
						Peak	Top 10	Chart
1	The Andy Williams Christmas Album	Andy Williams	1963	11/30/1963	#1	9	23	30
2	A Christmas Album	Barbra Streisand	1967	12/2/1967		6	16	20
3	The Little Drummer Boy	Harry Simeone Chorale	1959	12/5/1964		4	25	35
4	Merry Christmas	Andy Williams	1966	12/10/1966		3	12	20
5	Jackson 5 Christmas Album	Jackson 5	1970	12/26/1970			10	10
6	The Christmas Song	Nat King Cole	1963	12/13/1969		2	29	35
7	Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas	Elvis Presley	1971	12/9/1972			8	8
8	Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass Christmas Album	Herb Alpert	1968	12/7/1968			6	10
9	That Christmas Feeling	Glen Campbell	1968	12/21/1968				10
10	A Partridge Family Christmas Card	The Partridge Family	1971	12/18/1971			3	5
11	The Dean Martin Christmas Album	Dean Martin	1966	12/3/1966		1	14	19
12	Jim Nabors' Christmas Album [59]	Jim Nabors	1967	12/27/1969			13	21
13	Give Me Your Love For Christmas	Johnny Mathis	1969	12/6/1969			10	12
14	A Motown Christmas	Various Artists	1973	2/15/1973			3	3
15	Music of Christmas[60]	Percy Faith And His Orchestra	1957	11/24/1958			1	2
16	Elvis' Christmas Album	Elvis Presley	1957	12/11/1965	#2	7	23	31
17	Merry Christmas	Johnny Mathis	1958	11/30/1963		6	27	29
18	Merry Christmas	Bing Crosby	1955	12/26/1964		3	34	40
19	Sounds of Christmas	Johnny Mathis	1963	12/21/1963		2	7	20
20	Merry Christmas Ho! Ho! Ho! [61]	Lou Rawls	1967	12/9/1967		1	5	10
21	Christmas with Mahalia [62]	Mahalia Jackson	1968	12/13/1969			2	5
22	Christmas Album [63]	Bobby Sherman	1970	12/19/1970			2	3
23	A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra	Frank Sinatra	1957	11/24/1958			1	11
24	John Gary Christmas Album [64]	John Gary	1964	12/5/1964	#3	1	4	17
25	Handel: Messiah	The Philadelphia Orchestra / The Mormon Tabernacle Choir / Eugene Ormandy	1959	12/13/1969			2	6
26	The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas	Frank Sinatra featuring Frank Sinatra Jr., Nancy Sinatra and Tina Sinatra	1969	12/13/1969				4
27	This Christmas I Spend With You [65]	Robert Goulet	1963	12/21/1963	#4	2	6	13
28	Sound of Christmas	Ramsey Lewis Trio	1961	12/18/1965		1	8	24
29	The Temptations Christmas Card	The Temptations	1970	12/23/1972			5	5
30	Merle Haggard's Christmas Present	Merle Haggard	1973	12/8/1973			2	3
31	Merry Christmas[66]	Jackie Gleason	1956	11/24/1958			1	7
32	We Wish You A Merry Christmas	Ray Conniff	1962	12/9/1972	#5	1	3	20
33	Season's Greetings from Perry Como	Perry Como	1959	12/7/1963		1	2	20
34	O' Bambino — The Little Drummer Boy [67]	Harry Simeone Chorale	1965	2/3/1966				5
35	Merry Christmas!	New Christy Minstrels	1963	12/28/1963			1	8
36	Christmas Carols	Mantovani	1954	11/24/1958				1
37	Noël	Joan Baez	1966	12/3/1966	#6	4	5	13
38	Merry Christmas	The Supremes	1965	12/11/1965		2	3	12
39	Snoopy And His Friends	The Royal Guardsmen	1967	12/23/1967			2	7
40	The Beach Boys' Christmas Album	The Beach Boys	1965	12/18/1965		1	3	13
41	A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector	Various Artists	1963	12/23/1972				6
42	Songs of Christmas[68]	Norman Luboff Choir	1956	11/24/1958			1	1
43	Merry Christmas from the Brady Bunch	The Brady Bunch	1970	12/25/1971
44	Christmas Greetings From Mantovani And His Orchestra [69]	Mantovani	1963	12/21/1963	#7	1	3	14
45	Merry Christmas from Brenda Lee	Brenda Lee	1964	12/16/1972			1	15
46	Christmas with Conniff	Ray Conniff	1959	12/27/1969				11
47	The Christmas Spirit	Johnny Cash	1963	12/13/1969				5
48	Now Is The Caroling Season[70]	Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians	1957	11/24/1958				1
49	Handel's Messiah	Robert Shaw Chorale and Orchestra	1966	12/7/1968	#8	2	2	5
50	Christmas in My Home Town	Charley Pride	1970	12/23/1972		1	3	6
51	More Sounds of Christmas	Ramsey Lewis Trio	1964	12/26/1964			2	15
52	Merry Christmas [71]	Al Martino	1964	12/19/1964				11
53	Christmas with The King Family [72]	The King Family	1965	12/18/1965				2
54	The Joy of Christmas	The Mormon Tabernacle Choir / The New York Philharmonic / Leonard Bernstein	1963	12/11/1965				11
55	Soul Christmas (Atco Records 33-269) [73]	Various artists	1968	12/6/1969				6
56	Beloved Choruses [74]	The Philadelphia Orchestra / The Mormon Tabernacle Choir / Eugene Ormandy	1958	12/18/1965				4
57	Christmas '64	Jimmy Smith	1964	12/5/1964
58	The Voices of Christmas[75]	The Voices of Walter Schumann	1955	11/24/1958				1
59	Ventures' Christmas Album [76]	The Ventures	1965	12/18/1965	#9	2	2	9
60	Christmas Hymns & Carols [77]	Robert Shaw	1957	11/24/1958				8
61	12 Songs Of Christmas	Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Fred Waring	1964	12/19/1964				3
62	Merry Xmas From José Feliciano	José Feliciano	1970	12/8/1973
63	Navidad Means Christmas [78]	Eydie Gorme & Trio Los Panchos	1966	12/17/1966		1	2	4
64	Holiday Sing Along with Mitch	Mitch Miller and The Gang	1961	12/28/1963			1	17
65	Christmas with The Chipmunks Volume 2	David Seville & The Chipmunks	1963	12/21/1963				13
66	A Christmas Treasure [79]	Julie Andrews with Andre Previn	1967	12/2/1967				6
67	A Christmas Festival [80]	Arthur Fiedler & Boston Pops Orchestra	1970	12/19/1970				2
68	Joy to The World[81]	Roger Wagner Chorale	1956	11/24/1958				1
69	Songs For A Merry Christmas [82]	Wayne Newton	1966	12/3/1966	#10	3	3	10
70	Christmas Wonderland	Bert Kaempfert	1963	12/7/1963		2	2	13
71	Christmas Present...And Past [83]	Paul Revere & the Raiders	1967	12/9/1967		1	1	5
72	Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album	Tony Bennett	1968	12/14/1968				3
73	A Soulful Christmas	James Brown	1968	12/13/1969
74	The Perry Como Christmas Album	Perry Como	1968	12/26/1970
75	The Christmas Album: 20 Great Christmas Favorites By 20 Great Artist (Columbia Records 30763) [84]	Various artists	1972	12/8/1973

See also

• Billboard Christmas Hits 1983-1989
• Billboard Christmas Holiday Charts

Notes

1. Known has Christmas Records from 1963 to 1964 and Top Christmas Sellers in 1965.

References

1. "Christmas Hit Records".
2. "Appendix E: All Time Christmas Countdown".
3. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 48, November 30, 1963, p. 11.
4. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 49, December 7, 1963, p. 8.
5. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 50, December 14, 1963, p. 8.
6. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 51, December 21, 1963, p. 8.
7. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 75, no. 52, December 28, 1963, p. 7.
8. First released on the 1957 45 EP entitled Elvis Sings Christmas Songs (EPA-4108). It was first released as a commercially available single in 1964.
9. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 76, no. 49, December 5, 1964, p. 25.
10. First charted on the Hot 100 in 1958 peaking at #13
11. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 76, no. 50, December 12, 1964, p. 22.
12. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 76, no. 51, December 19, 1964, p. 34.
13. “Christmas Records.” Billboard, vol. 76, no. 52, December 26, 1964, p. 36.
14. “Billboard Top Christmas Sellers.” Billboard, vol. 77, no. 50, December 11, 1965, p. 7.
15. “Billboard Top Christmas Sellers.” Billboard, vol. 77, no. 51, December 18, 1965, p. 15.
16. “Billboard Top Christmas Sellers.” Billboard, vol. 77, no. 52, December 25, 1965, p. 12.
17. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 78, no. 49, December 3, 1966, p. 56.
18. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 78, no. 50, December 10, 1966, p. 40.
19. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 78, no. 51, December 17, 1966, p. 36.
20. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 78, no. 52, December 24, 1966, p. 33.
21. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 48, December 2, 1967, p. 8.
22. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 49, December 9, 1967, p. 92.
23. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 50, December 16, 1967, p. 61.
24. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 51, December 23, 1967, p. 50.
25. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 79, no. 52, December 30, 1967, p. 40.
26. The flip side "My Favorite Things" peaked at #45 on the Hot 100 the same year.
27. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 49, December 7, 1968, p. 82.
28. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 50, December 14, 1968, p. 84.
29. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 51, December 21, 1968, p. 69.
30. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 80, no. 52, December 28, 1968, p. 57.
31. First released in 1942 peaking at #1 for 11 weeks
32. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 81, no. 49, December 6, 1969, p. 11.
33. The King Cole Trio version charted at #3 in 1946. This 1953 recording with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra first charted in 1954 peaking at #29.
34. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 81, no. 50, December 13, 1969, p. 10.
35. First charted on Billboard's Top 100 in 1957 peaking at #6.
36. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 81, no. 51, December 20, 1969, p. 12.
37. "Jim Nabors - Jim Nabors Christmas Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
38. “Billboard Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 81, no. 52, December 27, 1969, p. 10.
39. "Jackson 5 gave love on Christmas Day but did not celebrate the holiday themselves".
40. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 82, no. 51, December 19, 1970, p. 12.
41. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 82, no. 52, December 26, 1970, p. 59.
42. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 83, no. 51, December 18, 1971, p. 49.
43. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 83, no. 52, December 25, 1971, p. 49.
44. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 84, no. 51, December 9, 1972, p. 40.
45. First charted on the Hot 100 in 1961 peaking at #76.
46. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 84, no. 52, December 16, 1972, p. 51.
47. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 84, no. 53, December 23, 1972, p. 4.
48. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 85, no. 49, December 8, 1973, p. 28.
49. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 85, no. 50, December 15, 1973, p. 25.
50. “Best Bets For Christmas.” Billboard, vol. 85, no. 51, December 22, 1973, p. 22.
51. "Collecting Christmas records". 14 December 2022.
52. "Billboard's Best Selling Christmas Albums of the 1960s". 9 January 2012.
53. "Billboard's Top-Selling Christmas Album – 1970s". 16 January 2012.
54. "Deejay's Favorite Christmas Disks." The Billboard, vol. 70, no. 47, November 24, 1958, p. 2.
55. "Christmas Records." Billboard, vol. 75-76, no. 48-52 & 49-52, November 30, 1963-December 26, 1964, pp. 11, 8, 8, 7, 25, 22, 22, 34 & 36.
56. "Billboard Top Christmas Sellers." Billboard, vol. 77, no. 50-52, December 11, 1965-December 25, 1965, pp. 7, 15 & 12.
57. "Billboard Best Bets For Christmas." Billboard, vol. 78-81, no. 49-52, 48-52, 49-52 & 49-52, December 3, 1966-December 27, 1969, pp. 56, 40, 36, 33, 8, 92, 61, 50, 40, 82, 84, 69, 57, 11, 10, 12, & 10.
58. "Best Bets For Christmas." Billboard, vol. 82-85, no. 51-52, 51-52, 51-53 & 49-51, December 19, 1970-December 22, 1973, pp. 12, 59, 49, 49, 40, 51, 4, 28, 25 & 22.
59. "Jim Nabors - Jim Nabors' Christmas Album". Discogs. 1967.
60. "Percy Faith and His Orchestra - Music of Christmas". Discogs. 1954.
61. "Lou Rawls - Merry Christmas Ho! Ho! Ho! Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
62. "Mahalia Jackson - Christmas with Mahalia [Columbia] Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
63. "Bobby Sherman - Christmas Album Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
64. "John Gary - the John Gary Christmas Album Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
65. "Robert Goulet - This Christmas I Spend with You Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
66. "Jackie Gleason - Merry Christmas". Discogs. 1956.
67. "Harry Simeone Chorale - O Bambino/The Little Drummer Boy Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
68. "The Norman Luboff Choir - Songs of Christmas". Discogs. 1956.
69. "Mantovani - Christmas Greetings from Mantovani and His Orchestra Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
70. "Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians, Fred Waring - Now is the Caroling Season Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
71. "Al Martino - Merry Christmas Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
72. "King Family - Christmas with the King Family Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
73. https://www.hipchristmas.com/albums/s/soul.php
74. https://music.metason.net/artistinfo?name=Mormon%20Tabernacle%20Choir%2C%20Richard%20P.%20Condie%20-%20The%20Philadelphia%20Orchestra%2C%20Eugene%20Ormandy&title=The%20Beloved%20Choruses
75. "The Voices of Walter Schumann - the Voices of Christmas". Discogs. 1955.
76. "The Ventures - the Ventures' Christmas Album Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
77. "Robert Shaw, Robert Shaw Chorale - Christmas Hymns and Carols, Vol. 1 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
78. "Eydie Gorme, Eydie Gorme y Trio los Panchos, el Trio los Panchos - Navidad Means Christmas Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
79. "Julie Andrews - A Christmas Treasure Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
80. "Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops Orchestra - A Christmas Festival [Polygram] Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
81. "The Roger Wagner Chorale - Joy to the World". Discogs. 1956.
82. "Wayne Newton - Songs for a Merry Christmas Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
83. "Paul Revere & the Raiders - A Christmas Present...And Past Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
84. https://musicbrainz.org/release/80a8d1a9-09d6-4935-83fd-ea45a2d1ca0b