Christmas Canon

"Christmas Canon"
Single by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
from the album The Christmas Attic
Released	November 20, 2001 (2001-11-20) [1]
Recorded	1998
Genre	Christmas, rock
Length	4:19
Label	Lava
Composer(s)	Johann Pachelbel
Lyricist(s)	Paul O'Neill
Producer(s)	Paul O'Neill Robert Kinkel
Trans-Siberian Orchestra singles chronology
"The World That He Sees" (1998) "Christmas Canon" (2001) "Queen of the Winter Night" (2004)

"Christmas Canon" is a Christmas song by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) from their 1998 album The Christmas Attic .

The song is set to the tune of Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major with new lyrics added. The style is a departure from TSO's usual rock arrangements, instead being performed in the style of a children's choir with light accompaniment from piano and strings. The group would later create a rock version of the song, entitled "Christmas Canon Rock" with Jennifer Cella on lead vocals, which debuted on their 2004 album The Lost Christmas Eve . ^[2]

As of November 25, 2016, total sales of the digital track stand at 918,000 downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan, placing it seventh on the list of all-time best-selling Christmas/holiday digital singles in SoundScan history. ^[3]

Chart history

Chart (2005)	Peak position
US Digital	39 [4]

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Holiday 100	9 [5]

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [6]	2× Platinum	2,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

• "What Child Is This?", a Christmas song based on the classical piece "Greensleeves"

References

1. Christmas Canon (track listing). Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Lava Records. 2001. PRCD 300705.
2. "A Conversation with Jennifer Cella". May 4, 2019. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
3. Billboard Staff (November 25, 2016). "What Are the Top-Selling Holiday Songs?". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
4. "Billboard Digital Songs"
5. "Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas Canon Chart History". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved October 11, 2017.
6. "American single certifications – Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Christmas Canon". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved April 14, 2025.