A Legendary Christmas

Last updated

A Legendary Christmas
John Legend A Legendary Christmas.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 26, 2018 (2018-10-26)
Genre Christmas
Length49:44
Label Columbia [1]
Producer
John Legend chronology
Darkness and Light
(2016)
A Legendary Christmas
(2018)
Bigger Love
(2020)
Singles from A Legendary Christmas
  1. "Bring Me Love"
    Released: October 11, 2018
  2. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
    Released: October 11, 2018

A Legendary Christmas is the seventh studio album and first Christmas album by American singer John Legend, it was released on October 26, 2018. [3] [4] Featuring artists such as Esperanza Spalding and Stevie Wonder, the album was promoted by a tour of the same name from November to December 2018. [5] [6] It received a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards. [7]

Contents

Background

The album is Legend's first holiday album, which he announced on October 1, 2018, via social media. [8] [9] His tweet wrote "This winter, get ready for A Legendary Christmas! I have a brand new Christmas album coming out accompanied by #ALegendaryChristmas Tour!". [10] [1] Prior to the album's announcement, Legend had just become the first African-American male to win an EGOT – an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. [11] Legend has previously said of his intention to create a Christmas album, he said "I just made a new Christmas album. I've wanted to do this for a long time." On October 11, 2018, Legend premiered two lead singles from the album, "Bring Me Love" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" simultaneously on VEVO. [12] [13] [14] The album was re-released on November 8, 2019 with four additional tracks.

Composition

Wonder features on the first song, "What Christmas Means to Me", in which he plays the harmonica, while Spalding sings on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". [1] Featuring fourteen songs, the album is composed of eight that are "Christmas classics" and six that are original tracks by Legend. [1] The album is executive-produced by neo-soul singer/producer Raphael Saadiq. [1] [15] All string arrangements by Matt Jones, including "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" on the Super Deluxe Edition which featured an improvised solo by violinist Scott Tixier. [16]

Commercial performance

In John Legend's home country of the United States, A Legendary Christmas debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200 with 20,000 album-equivalent units, which included 19,000 pure album sales. [17] Eventually, the album rose to 22

Track listing

All tracks produced by Raphael Saadiq.

A Legendary Christmas [4]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What Christmas Means to Me" (featuring Stevie Wonder)
2:41
2."Silver Bells"3:16
3."Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (featuring Esperanza Spalding)3:43
4."No Place Like Home"3:57
5."Bring Me Love"3:19
6."Merry Christmas Baby/Give Love on Christmas Day"3:50
7."Christmas Time Is Here"3:20
8."Waiting for Christmas"2:35
9."Purple Snowflakes"
2:49
10."The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"4:15
11."Please Come Home for Christmas"
4:08
12."Wrap Me Up in Your Love"
3:45
13."By Christmas Eve"
3:51
14."Merry Merry Christmas"
4:15
Total length:49:44
Japanese bonus tracks [18] [19]
No.TitleLength
15."O Come, All Ye Faithful"4:24
16."No Place Like Home" (acoustic demo)3:54
Total length:58:09
A Legendary Christmas – Deluxe Edition [20]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What Christmas Means to Me" (featuring Stevie Wonder on Harmonica)
2:41
2."Bring Me Love"3:19
3."This Christmas"
3:03
4."My Favorite Things" Rodgers and Hammerstein 2:54
5."Baby, It's Cold Outside" (featuring Kelly Clarkson) Frank Loesser 3:38
6."Christmas in New Orleans"
3:48
7."Silver Bells"3:16
8."Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (featuring Esperanza Spalding)3:43
9."No Place Like Home"3:57
10."Merry Christmas Baby/Give Love on Christmas Day"3:50
11."Christmas Time Is Here"3:20
12."By Christmas Eve"
3:51
13."Purple Snowflakes"
2:49
14."The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"4:15
15."Please Come Home for Christmas"
4:08
16."Wrap Me Up in Your Love"
3:45
17."Waiting for Christmas"2:35
18."Merry Merry Christmas"
4:15
Total length:63:12
iTunes Deluxe Edition bonus track [21]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"3:30

Notes

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [36] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raphael Saadiq</span> American contemporary R&B singer

Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! In addition to his solo and group career, he has also produced songs for such artists as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Total, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, TLC, En Vogue, Kelis, Mary J. Blige, Ledisi, Whitney Houston, Solange Knowles and John Legend. Music critic Robert Christgau has called Saadiq the "preeminent R&B artist of the '90s".

<i>Merry Christmas</i> (Mariah Carey album) 1994 studio album by Mariah Carey

Merry Christmas is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, and her first Christmas album. Released by Columbia Records on October 28, 1994, at the peak of the initial stretch of Carey's career, between Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995), the album features cover versions of popular Christmas songs in addition to original material. Carey worked with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she wrote all of the original tracks, as well as producing Carey's interpretations of the covered material. Three singles were released from the album, of which "All I Want for Christmas Is You" went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time and the best-selling Christmas ringtone in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariah Carey albums discography</span>

American singer Mariah Carey has released fifteen studio albums, two soundtrack albums, eight compilation albums, four extended plays, and one remix album. Carey is one of the best-selling music artists of all-time, having sold over 220 million records globally. She was presented with the Millennium Award at the 2000 World Music Awards for becoming the best-selling female artist of the millennium. According to the RIAA, she is the highest-certified female artist and tenth overall recording artist with shipments of 75 million albums in the US. She is also ranked as the best-selling female artist of the US Nielsen SoundScan era (1991–present) with album sales of 55.5 million.

<i>Once Again</i> (John Legend album) 2006 studio album by John Legend

Once Again is the second studio album by American singer John Legend, released by GOOD Music, Sony Urban Music and Columbia Records on October 24, 2006. Legend co-wrote and co-produced the bulk of the album, working with collaborators such as Kanye West, will.i.am, Raphael Saadiq, Craig Street, Sa-Ra, Eric Hudson, Devo Springsteen, Dave Tozer and Avenue.

<i>Nostradamus</i> (album) 2008 studio album by Judas Priest

Nostradamus is the sixteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, focusing on the 16th-century writer Nostradamus. It is a double album and the band's first concept album. It was originally intended to be released in late 2006 before being pushed back to a 2007 release, and was finally released on 17 June 2008 on Epic Records. It is the last Judas Priest studio album to feature the Painkiller-era lineup with guitarist and founding member K. K. Downing retiring in April 2011.

<i>Noël</i> (Josh Groban album) 2007 studio album by Josh Groban

Noël is a Christmas album and the fourth studio album by Josh Groban that was released on October 9, 2007. In the United States, the album is available as a single CD release in most retail stores. However, Target stores released a limited edition version of the album with a bonus DVD that features a "making of" documentary entitled The Making of Noël.

<i>Merry Christmas, Baby</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Rod Stewart

Merry Christmas, Baby, is the first Christmas album by Rod Stewart and his 27th studio album overall, released on 30 October 2012. The album has proved to be a top 10 success in many countries including the UK, US, Canada and Australia. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in November 2012 with over 1,000,000 copies sold in the US.

<i>Liquid Spirit</i> 2013 studio album by Gregory Porter

Liquid Spirit is the third studio album by American jazz musician Gregory Porter. It was released through Blue Note Records on September 2, 2013. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2014. The record also produced six singles.

<i>The Christmas Album</i> (Human Nature album) 2013 studio album by Human Nature

The Christmas Album is the tenth studio album and first Christmas album by Australian pop vocal group Human Nature, released in November 2013.

<i>In the Lonely Hour</i> 2014 studio album by Sam Smith

In the Lonely Hour is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Sam Smith. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2014 via Capitol UK and Method Records. In the United States, it was released on 17 June 2014 through Capitol Records America. The album includes the hit singles "Money on My Mind" and "Stay with Me", both of which were number one in the UK; the latter becoming a hit worldwide, peaking in the top ten in over 20 countries, including reaching number two in the US. The album's third hit single, "I'm Not the Only One", reached number three in the UK and number five in the US. A deluxe edition of the album contains five bonus tracks, including a solo acoustic version of Disclosure's single "Latch" and Naughty Boy's number-one single "La La La", on both of which Smith provided guest vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Wonder</span> English pop duo

Oh Wonder are an English, London-based alt-pop duo consisting of Anthony Vander West and Josephine Vander West. Since releasing their debut album, they have seen international success with their alt-pop singles. Oh Wonder recorded and released one song a month for a year, starting in September 2014. All of the songs were released together as a self-titled debut album on 4 September 2015. On 14 July 2017, the duo released their second album, Ultralife. On 12 February 2020, they released their third album, No One Else Can Wear Your Crown. On 8 October 2021, the now-married duo released their fourth studio album, 22 Break. All four albums were written, recorded, produced, and mixed by the duo and have seen cross-platform success.

<i>The Wonder of You</i> (Elvis Presley album) 2016 compilation album by Elvis Presley with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

The Wonder of You is a compilation album by American singer Elvis Presley (1935–77). It was released on October 21, 2016 by RCA Records and Legacy Recordings. The album features archival vocal recordings of Elvis accompanied by new orchestral arrangements by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded at the Abbey Road Studios. It also features a duet with German singer Helene Fischer.

<i>A Pentatonix Christmas</i> 2016 studio album by Pentatonix

A Pentatonix Christmas is the fifth studio album by American a cappella group Pentatonix. It is also their second full-length holiday album since That's Christmas to Me in 2014. Featuring two new original songs, "Good to Be Bad" and "The Christmas Sing-Along", A Pentatonix Christmas debuted on the Billboard 200 at number three with 52,000 albums sold in its first week, and later peaked at number one, selling 206,000 units in its best week. A Pentatonix Christmas marks as their second number one album on the Billboard 200 after Pentatonix. The album also debuted atop the Billboard Holiday Albums chart, their second number one on that chart after That's Christmas to Me. The deluxe edition of the album dropped from number 6 to 200 on the Billboard 200 in 2018, the greatest drop for an album that still remained on the chart, in Billboard history. The album also, with a guest appearance by The Manhattan Transfer, marked the first recording by the fourth iteration of the group, as this was Trist Curless' first participation with the group in a recording since the death of Tim Hauser, whom Curless officially replaced in 2014.

<i>Everyday Is Christmas</i> (album) 2017 studio album / Christmas album by Sia

Everyday Is Christmas is the eighth studio album and first Christmas album by Australian singer-songwriter Sia, released on 17 November 2017 by Atlantic Records and Monkey Puzzle. Her first album with Atlantic, it features original Christmas songs. Initially released with ten tracks in 2017, the album has since been reissued in 2018, 2021, and 2022 with new bonus tracks each time. The lead single, "Santa's Coming for Us", was released on 30 October 2017, and "Snowman" was released as the second on 9 November.

<i>The Music...The Memries...The Magic!</i> 2017 live album by Barbra Streisand

The Music...The Mem'ries...The Magic! is the ninth live album by American singer Barbra Streisand, recorded during the concert tour of the same name. Released by Columbia Records on December 8, 2017, the album sold 11,000 units in its first week in the United States. The Music...The Mem'ries...The Magic! received a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

<i>?</i> (XXXTentacion album) 2018 studio album by XXXTentacion

? is the second studio album by American rapper and singer XXXTentacion and his last studio album to be released before his death. Released through Bad Vibes Forever, Caroline Distribution, and Capitol Music Group on March 16, 2018, and primarily produced by frequent collaborator John Cunningham, it includes a wide range of guest appearances from PnB Rock, Travis Barker of Blink-182, Joey Badass, Matt Ox, Rio Santana, Judah, and Carlos Andrez, and also succeeds the release of his debut studio album 17 (2017) and the extended play A Ghetto Christmas Carol (2017).

<i>Legendary</i> (Tyga album) 2019 studio album by Tyga

Legendary is the seventh studio album by American rapper Tyga, released on June 7, 2019, by Last Kings Records and Empire Distribution. It follows the release of his sixth album Kyoto (2018). It includes the singles "Taste" featuring Offset, "Goddamn", and "Haute" featuring Chris Brown and J Balvin. A deluxe version of the album was released on August 23, 2019. It features four previously released singles: "Dip" with Nicki Minaj, "Girls Have Fun" featuring G-Eazy and Rich the Kid, "Swish" and "Floss in the Bank", as well as four new songs.

<i>Chilombo</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Jhené Aiko

Chilombo is the third studio album by American singer Jhené Aiko. It was released on March 6, 2020, by ArtClub International, ARTium Recordings, and Def Jam Recordings. Following the release of Trip and her split with rapper Big Sean, with whom she formed the duo Twenty88, Aiko began work on Chilombo. Recorded as a freestyle in Hawaii, the album was inspired by the island's natural landscape and features traditional singing bowls to create a tranquil effect. In order to create her desired sound, Aiko served as the album's executive producer, enlisting the help of long time collaborators Fisticuffs and Lejkeys, who produced eighteen of the album's songs. The album featured a range of guests including rappers Nas and Future, as well as R&B singers Ty Dolla $ign, John Legend, Miguel, and H.E.R. The deluxe edition of the album was released on July 17, 2020, and includes appearances from Kehlani, Mila J, Chris Brown, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa.

<i>Breezy</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Chris Brown

Breezy is the tenth studio album by American singer Chris Brown, released on June 24, 2022, as the follow-up to his 2019 album Indigo. The artists featured on the album are Lil Wayne, Anderson .Paak, Blxst, Lil Baby, H.E.R., EST Gee, Wizkid, Jack Harlow, Tory Lanez, Fivio Foreign, Ella Mai, Yung Bleu, Capella Grey, Lil Durk, Davido and Bryson Tiller. The album marks his first studio album not being a double-disc since his 2015 album Royalty.

<i>The Lockdown Sessions</i> (Elton John album) 2021 collaborative album by Elton John

The Lockdown Sessions is a collaborative album by English musician Elton John, released through EMI in the United Kingdom and Interscope Records in the United States on 22 October 2021. A collaborative album, it was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, after John was forced to pause his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour due to lockdown. The album includes three singles: "Cold Heart " with Dua Lipa, "After All" with Charlie Puth, and "Finish Line" with Stevie Wonder. A 2022 reissue of the album includes "Merry Christmas" with Ed Sheeran and "Hold Me Closer" with Britney Spears.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "John Legend to release 'A Legendary Christmas' album". CBS News . October 1, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  2. O'Sullivan, Annie (October 5, 2018). "John Legend Announces Christmas Album and Tour, Including Tri-State Stops". NBC New York . Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  3. "John Legend Announces Christmas Album, Tour". Rap-Up . Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Haylock, Zoe (October 1, 2018). "John Legend Announces Christmas Album, A Legendary Christmas". Vulture . Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  5. "John Legend Announces Christmas Album & Tour Dates". Billboard . January 28, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  6. "John Legend announces first Christmas album, Utah concert | Concert Announcements". Herald Extra. October 8, 2018. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  7. "2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List". The Recording Academy . Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  8. "John Legend Announces 'A Legendary Christmas' Album & Accompanying Tour | iHeartRadio". iHeart. October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  9. Schatz, Lake (October 1, 2018). "John Legend Announces First Christmas Album, Tour | Music News". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  10. "Merry Christmas From John Legend". Jezebel . Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  11. "John Legend to release A Legendary Christmas album this month". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  12. "John Legend New Christmas Album and Tour". People . Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  13. "John Legend announces his first-ever Christmas album and tour titled A Legendary Christmas". Times Now . Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  14. Ryan Reed (October 1, 2018). "John Legend Taps Stevie Wonder, Esperanza Spalding for Christmas LP". Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  15. "John Legend Christmas Album Tour". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  16. "A Legendary Christmas - John Legend | Credits | AllMusic" via www.allmusic.com.
  17. Caulfield, Keith (November 10, 2018). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: John Legend & Pentatonix Debut in Top 40 With New 'Christmas' Albums". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  18. "「レジェンダリー・クリスマス」- ジョン・レジェンド". Sony Music Japan. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  19. "Legendary Christmas". Tower Records.com . Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  20. Legend, John. "A Legendary Christmas: Deluxe Edition". Tidal.
  21. "A Legendary Christmas (Deluxe Edition) - album by John Legend (2019)" . Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  22. Schatz, Lake (November 8, 2019). "John Legend Reworks Problematic "Baby It's Cold Outside" on new holiday album: Stream". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  23. "Australiancharts.com – John Legend – A Legendary Christmas". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  24. "Ultratop.be – John Legend – A Legendary Christmas" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  25. "John Legend Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  26. "Dutchcharts.nl – John Legend – A Legendary Christmas" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  27. "Italiancharts.com – John Legend – A Legendary Christmas". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  28. "John Legend". Oricon . Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  29. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  30. "Swedishcharts.com – John Legend – A Legendary Christmas". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  31. "John Legend Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  32. "John Legend Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  33. "John Legend Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  34. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  35. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  36. "American album certifications – John Legend – A Legendary Christmas". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved February 15, 2023.