A Very Special Christmas | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Compilation album by various artists | ||||
Released | October 12, 1987 [1] | |||
Genre | Christmas music, Children's music | |||
Length | 50:57 (Original version) 51:11 (Revised version) | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Producer | ||||
Various artists chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
New Musical Express | 9/10 [3] |
A Very Special Christmas is the first in the A Very Special Christmas series of Christmas-themed compilation albums produced to benefit the Special Olympics. The album was released on October 12, 1987, and production was overseen by Jimmy Iovine for A&M Records. A Very Special Christmas has raised millions of dollars for the Special Olympics. [4] The cover artwork was designed by Keith Haring.
On January 16, 1998, the album was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of four million copies in the United States. [5]
As of November 2014, A Very Special Christmas is the 19th best-selling Christmas/holiday album in the United States during the SoundScan era of music sales tracking (March 1991 – present), having sold 2,520,000 copies according to SoundScan. [6]
According to the liner notes: [7]
Musicians
Technical personnel
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada | — | 210,000 [8] |
United States | — | 2,520,000 [6] |
Home for Christmas is the first Christmas album and second studio album by American boy band NSYNC. The album was released, exclusively in the United States, on November 10, 1998, by RCA Records following the success of their self-titled debut album. On October 27, 1999, Home for Christmas was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA for shipment of two million copies in the United States. Home for Christmas was released on September 30, 2002 in the United Kingdom as The Meaning of Christmas on Ariola Express with an altered track listing.
Heart of Stone is the nineteenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on July 10, 1989 by Geffen Records. As of January 1991, the album had sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. The album was supported by Cher's 1989–1990 Heart of Stone Tour.
Electric Honey is the third studio album by Luscious Jackson, released on June 29, 1999, by Grand Royal. It peaked at number 102 on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as number 99 on the UK Albums Chart.
Heart in Motion is the ninth studio album by Christian singer-songwriter, Amy Grant, released on March 5, 1991. Unlike Grant's previous albums, Heart In Motion contains pop songs mingled with Christian values. The album features Grant's biggest worldwide hit, "Baby Baby" and was certified 5× platinum in the United States, selling over five million copies.
Home for Christmas is the tenth studio album by Christian music and pop music singer Amy Grant, released on October 6, 1992. It is Grant's second holiday album, the first being 1983's A Christmas Album.
The Music of Christmas is the first Christmas album and seventh studio album overall by American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman. It was released on September 26, 1995.
Cher is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on November 10, 1987 by Geffen Records. The album has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA and Gold in Australia by ARIA and the UK by BPI.
Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child is the title of a 1988 album by guitarist Phil Keaggy, released on Myrrh Records and A&M Records simultaneously.
Destination Anywhere is the second solo studio album by Jon Bon Jovi, released on June 16, 1997 and features music from the film Destination Anywhere released in the same year. It follows his successful 1990 soundtrack Blaze of Glory, from the film Young Guns II.
(2) is the eighteenth studio album by British-Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 12 November 2002 in Australia. A duets album, the majority of tracks are with Australian artists, along with two American performers. The Peter Allen and Johnny O'Keefe duets are built around archive recordings, with new vocals added by Newton-John.
All in the Name of Love is the eighth studio album by R&B band Atlantic Starr released in March 1987 by Warner Bros. Records. The album peaked at number 4 on the US Top R&B Albums chart and number 18 on the Billboard 200. All in the Name of Love was also certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Roberta is Roberta Flack's fourteenth album, released in 1994. It consists of cover versions of jazz and soul standards. It was also her final album for Atlantic Records after twenty five years with the label since her debut. As an album Roberta was bestowed with a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.
Christmas Wish is the twenty-second studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John. It is the second original album of Christmas music recorded by Newton-John after 'Tis the Season with Vince Gill, and the compilation partly from that, The Christmas Collection. It is her second album produced by Amy Sky. It features versions of classic Christmas songs and guest appearances from Barry Manilow, Jon Secada, Michael McDonald and others. In 2008, the album was re-released as a Target exclusive and included the bonus track "In the Bleak Midwinter".
In the Swing of Christmas is the third Christmas-themed album by Barry Manilow. Released on November 1, 2007, it was available exclusively at Hallmark Gold Crown stores. The album was certified Gold in the United States by the RIAA in 2008, and was nominated for a Grammy in the 'Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album' category at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.
Rock Solid is the 13th studio album by the Commodores, released in 1988. At this time in the band's career, hits were no longer forthcoming, and this album failed to enter the Billboard albums chart. The single, "Solitaire", reached No. 51 on the R&B chart. It is the last of the band's albums with keyboard player and founding member Milan Williams, who left after a dispute about playing in South Africa.
Roaring Lambs is a collaborative album based on the book, Roaring Lambs: A Gentle Plan to Radically Change Your World, by Bob Briner. Conceived and directed Dave Palmer, and produced by Steve Taylor, the recording includes a number of CCM artists' musical interpretations of Briner's message about the need to have a positive impact on their culture. The work was nominated for three GMA Dove awards, winning for "Recorded Music Packaging of the Year". Critical reception of the album was mixed, but it was noted for its eclectic artist pairings.
The Crossing is the fifth studio album by English singer Paul Young. Released in 1993, the album peaked at No. 27 on the UK Albums Chart.
Maria Vidal is the debut studio album by American singer Maria Vidal, released by A&M in 1987.
Special Love is the second full-length gospel album by American R&B singer Deniece Williams released in 1989 on MCA/Sparrow Records. Special Love peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.
Our Christmas is a 1990 compilation Christmas album released jointly on Reunion Records and Word Records. This is the second of a three-album trilogy from Word Records using the word "Our" following the release of Our Hymns (1989) and the upcoming Our Family (1992). Like Our Hymns,Our Christmas features Christmas songs done by CCM artists' interpretation and styles of music. Highlights include a duet with Amy Grant and Sandi Patti singing a medley of "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "One Small Child" recorded by David Meece, a song he wrote back in 1971 and has since been covered by many Christian artists including Evie, First Call and Rebecca St. James. Our Christmas peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)The Christmas record this year belongs to A&M records, who have sold some 210,000 copies in Canada