Chart action: The 2024 holiday season

After 2023 produced only a single vinyl edition of A Charlie Brown Christmas, we wondered if the "multiple variants" fad had concluded.

Answer: definitely not.

2024 gave us four variants, as detailed in this earlier post.

And those multiple variants clearly had an impact on sales and chart position. 

The album returned to the Billboard 200 on November 16, entering at #170. The subsequent results: #108 (11/23), #58 (11/30), #29 (12/7), #17 (12/14), #18 (12/21), #12 (12/28) and peaked at #11 (1/4) ... one notch higher than the previous year. It then dropped precipitously to #138 (1/11) and vanished the following week.

It did significantly better in the Jazz Albums chart, debuting at #13 on August 31 (!). The subsequent ride was quite a roller coaster: #15 (9/7), #13 (9/14), #20 (9/21), #18 (9/28), #14 (10/5), #9 (10/12), #7 (10/19 and 10/26), #5 (11/2), #4 (11/9), #3 (11/16), #2 (11/23 and 11/30), #3 (12/7, 12/14, 12/21 and 12/28), #4 (1/4 and 1/11), #7 (1/18), #10 (1/25) and #15 (2/1).

The Traditional Jazz chart was quite similar, starting at #11, also on August 31. The subsequent results: #13 (9/7), #11 (9/14), no appearance on 9/21 (!), #13 (9/28), #12 (10/5), #7 (10/12), #6 (10/19, 10/26 and 11/2), #3 (11/9 and 11/16), #2 (11/23 and 11/30), #3 (12/7, 12/14, 12/21 and 12/28), #4 (1/4 and 1/11), #5 (1/18), #8 (1/25) and #12 (2/1).

Apparently, people continued to purchase the album well past Christmas!

Since it continues to appear in the latter two charts, I'll continue to update this post, if necessary ... so check back occasionally.

Billboard's seasonal Top Holiday Album chart was somewhat frustrating. As expected, A Charlie Brown Christmas did quite well, starting at #3 on November 2, and remaining in the top 10 for the rest of the season: #2 (11/9), #5 (11/16), #4 (11/23 and 11/30), #6 (12/7), #5 (12/14), #6 (12/21), #5 (12/28), #7 (1/4) and #4 (1/11), after which that chart was closed until later this year. Nobody could dislodge Michael Buble from the top spot, and Vince also couldn't beat Nat King Cole!

The news was better, however, in the Hot 100. "Christmas Time Is Here" re-entered the chart at #48, on December 21 ... then rose to #46 the following week, and then #31 on January 4. The latter is an all-time high!

But wait ... there's more!

Thanks to the Lee Mendelson Film Productions' recent release of the soundtrack to Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown on black vinyl and two variants — as detailed in this earlier post — that album also began to chart!

It debuted on the Jazz Albums chart on 2/1, at #9;

It debuted on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart the same day, at #7;

It also debuted on the Top Albums chart that same day, at #48.

(In case you're wondering, Billboard always dates its charts on the Saturday following each Tuesday's fresh set of statistics.)

As I said above, keep checking back ... because I suspect we aren't done yet!