The Official Top 20 biggest Christmas albums of the century

We count down the top artist festive collections since 2000 – who's top of the tree?
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We all have our favourite Christmas songs we return to year after year, but for the hardcore Yuletide nut, only a full Christmas album with fresh renditions of festive standards and new future favourites will do.

Few are brave enough to tackle a Christmas album – Jessie J, John Legend, and Eric Clapton are the latest to have a go – but of those that do, who's been filling stockings and soundtracking magic gift-giving moments the most this century? OfficialCharts.com is counting down the top selling festive artists collections of the 21st century, so far…

The star at the very top of the tree is twinkly-eyed crooner Michael Bublé. His seasonal set – entitled Christmas, just to really hammer it home – is the ONLY Christmas Number 1 Album in chart history with the word "Christmas" in the title. Extra festive! It spent three non-consecutive weeks at the top on its release in 2011, and has returned to the Top 10 every year since!

Bublé's Christmas has sold a whopping 2.78 million in the UK according to Official Charts Company data, has spent over seven months in the Top 10 in total over the last seven years and is the UK's 20th biggest selling album since 2000. The record features 14 covers of Christmas classics plus two new songs - the most popular are his takes on It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas and Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). 

MORE: The biggest new Christmas songs: How do they compare to the classics?

Another favourite male artist, Rod Stewart, takes second place with his Number 2-peaking collection Merry Christmas Baby from 2012 (636k sales). Plus, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Sir Cliff, and he's up in third with his 2003 festive collection Cliff At Christmas (409k), which features two of his festive chart-toppers Mistletoe and Wine and Savior's Day.   

The King of Rock n Roll also fills a spot in the UK's Top 20 best selling Christmas Albums. Elvis' Christmas Peace released in 2003 takes fifth position (318k).

MORE: Have a go at this year's Official Charts Christmas Quiz

It may have been released back in 1994, but Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas continues to be a strong seller in the 2000s with 311,000 sales since the turn of the century, placing it seventh on the list. The record includes the million-selling single and one of the most popular festive songs of all time, All I Want For Christmas Is You.

MORE: The UK's Top 20 biggest selling Christmas Number 1s

Elsewhere, there are strong showings for more recent releases including Kylie Minogue's Kylie Christmas (Number 15, 139k sales) and Leona Lewis' Christmas, With Love (Number 18, 122k sales). 

The Top 20 biggest Christmas albums of the 21st Century

POS TITLE ARTIST YEAR
1 CHRISTMAS MICHAEL BUBLE 2011
2 MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY ROD STEWART 2012
3 CLIFF AT CHRISTMAS CLIFF RICHARD 2003
4 ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS PARTY JIVE BUNNY & THE MASTERMIXERS 2002
5 CHRISTMAS PEACE ELVIS PRESLEY 2003
6 A CHRISTMAS CORNUCOPIA ANNIE LENNOX 2010
7 MERRY CHRISTMAS MARIAH CAREY 1994
8 MY CHRISTMAS ANDREA BOCELLI 2009
9 ONE CHANCE - CHRISTMAS EDITION PAUL POTTS 2008
10 THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM DANIEL O'DONNELL 2004
11 THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM ALED JONES 1985
12 DREAM A DREAM CHARLOTTE CHURCH 2000
13 UNDER THE MISTLETOE JUSTIN BIEBER 2011
14 THE RAT PACK CHRISTMAS ALBUM RAT PACK 2004
15 KYLIE CHRISTMAS KYLIE MINOGUE 2015
16 HOME FOR CHRISTMAS SUSAN BOYLE 2013
17 THIS IS CHRISTMAS KATHERINE JENKINS 2012
18 CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE LEONA LEWIS 2013
19 CLASSIC CHRISTMAS JOE MCELDERRY 2011
20 THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM FRANK SINATRA 2003

©2018 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

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Bengy

5

What about The Gift by Susan Boyle. It is a Christmas album. A number 1 album certified 2 times platinum - over 600,000 sales.

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Delia Delgado

0

How much has Annie Lennox's "Cornucopia" sold? I didn't think it could be one of the biggest Christmas records. What about Enya's "And Winter Came"? I think it sold much more than "Kylie Christmas" or Lewis' "With Love".

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etin

0

cliff has 2 xmas albums . first was in 91 and it must had been sold more than joe mcelderry

LM

Lee Moore

0

What are Mariah's total sales since its release in 1994?

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Jonathan Gardner

0

Mariah and Leona :D

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Bengy

1

Susan Boyle's The Gift (Syco Music) has been certified Platinum 2x on 22.07.2013 (released 08.11.2010) and should definitely be on this list. Cliff Richard's Together with Cliff has sold in excess of 300,000 but was released in 1991 - thus not in the 21st century.

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Vagner Coser

0

How come Mariah's album sold just 89k in the 90's? It was even certified gold back in 94! I wonder how much her 2nd Christmas album sold.

R

Rafael

0

The Brits always refer to their list as "of all time" but never add the "in the UK" clarifying bit.

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Marzio Pellizzari

0

And what about "The Gift" by Susan Boyle? It is certified two per platinum by the BPI!

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ManuelM

0

What about Pentatonix?

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braindeadpj

0

What about now that's what i call Christmas (or other Christmas ones from the Now series?).
Would Christmas be the No.1 christmas album if all years were included? Anyone know?

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Bengy

0

Thanks for this update. All 20 albums have sold more than 100,000 (including streams).

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Vernon Smithjr

0

Lol So even the UK is getting its fill of social engineering. Elvis only has an album of released Christmas songs. How are there 2 albums worth? More anti religous propaganda. Well at least an attempt at it.

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etin

0

cliff richard's together was #10 in 1991, surprised. celine dion,josh groban,steps,gloria estefan didnt chart also. how much celine sold? Tweenies surpassed The smurfs !

GF

Gary Feld

0

The Official Top 20 biggest selling Christmas albums OF THE CENTURY! :)

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etin

0

i think cliff released a christmas album in every century

GF

Gary Feld

0

He might have!...but not one that sold enough to make this listing, since 2000!

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Sunshine Gal

1

here in america, elvis' original xmas collection from 1957 *or somewhere around there* is still the top selling xmas album of all time...reaching 10x plat. *diamond*. it's still the only xmas album to reach diamond status. since then, there 2 more elvis xmas collections that were certified 3x plat. each. and since there are more elvis xmas compilations over the years, he's def. way over 16x plat. altogether...the all time record.

even acts like mariah, celine, nsync, destiny's child....nope! elvis still tops everyone :)

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Brian Quinn

2

Elvis has two albums in the Top 20 and by Christmas 2017 he should have 3.

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Bengy

1

Afraid not, just one Elvis album in this list. Maybe next year!