BET WE'LL BE SEEING E ON THIS CHART
Billboard Holiday Chart Debuts
October 19, 2007 - Rock and Pop

By Geoff Mayfield, L.A.

With high profile artists like Josh Groban and Mannheim Steamroller bringing Christmas albums to market in October, Billboard brings Top Holiday Albums for an earlier encore than happens in most years.

The complete 50-title chart went live yesterday on billboard.biz. A 25-title digest also appears on billboard.com.

Groban's "Noel" and Mannheim's "Christmas Song" both hit stores Oct. 9. The enter the seasonal chart at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. With 64,000 sold, Groban's became the first album to debut in The Billboard 200's top 10 this early in the year since 1992, when Garth Brooks' "Beyond the Season" started at No. 5. "Noel" begins at No. 10.

All holiday albums, both new and those released in earlier years, are eligible to appear on the chart. While Hanukkah and Kwanza titles may appear on this chart, none have yet to sell enough to crowd out the Christmas albums.

Top Holiday Albums will return to the magazine's pages in the Nov. 24 issue and run every other week through the first issue of 2008.

I don't think he will because it is a Target exclusive. Billboard doesn't monitor sales for exclusives.

Exclusive may well take a back seat if Elliott gets some Air play on his Christmas CD.. they may just have to make more copies and it could make the list. Let's hope so.... Jingle Bell Jam and Warm Me Up could have this CD smoking with sales...

Mike's right: it won't be on this chart, because store exclusives are not charted, based on current rules. Billboard may have charts that do track exclusive albums, but they aren't on their free website. Soundscan does tabulate them, but we won't be able to track those sales unless we pony up a cool $26K for a SoundScan subscription.

If someone politely asks Ken Barnes, he may inquire with Soundscan and post the info.

And lawsuits awry if that happens. Target and NBC paid him for exclusitivity. You can't just drop out of an agreement because a song or album is doing well.

Target could post the sales. Who knows.I believe if Elliott does sell many, Target would let those #'s be known.. Elliott is in a different mode being independent. He has some say and Target would promote the CD if a big hit would come out of it. I know about contracts, when things change , they talk and what comes out of it is behind closed doors. It is all speculation anyway.

:discuss: I think all of you are right about the tracking with Billboard. I know Bo Bice's new cd is not being tracked on Billboard because it is a Wal-Mart exclusive.

I do a survey with Rose101 every week even though I do not live in that part of the U.S. Today's survey was all about Christmas music with all of the songs being from the past decades. However, they do have a section to make a comment and I requested they play "Warm Me Up" on their station. I also suggested that any song from E's Christmas cd would be an asset to their line-up. Hopefully, they take the hint.

Once the Christmas season gets in full swing I am going to request my local stations to play it. Just possibly E will show up on the charts.

:etrain:

Apparently the cd is being sent out to radio stations. Didn't they mention that they had it in a radio interview, and Elliott responded "I hope you have it." Why would they send it out to radio, if not for play?

really? I missed that......I REALLY hope to hear WMU and AVMXmas on the radio...or This Christmas.....or Merry Chrismtas Baby....or Jingle Bells..... :rotfl:

So does the Billboard rule change that's allowing the Eagles' new album to chart -- even though it's an exclusive Walmart release -- mean that Elliott's holiday album now *will* get on this chart?

It's up to Target to decide whether they want to submit and publicize the three different CDs released by them...seems to me they would want to chart them just to establish how worthwhile they are in the future when they negotiate with other new artists. I bought the KT Tunstall while I was there, and I kinda like it a lot...but the piece that seems likeliest to sell truckloads is Taylor Swift, who is the biggest thing in country besides Carrie. That's the big number, and would chart if any of them would ever chart.

I also bought the KT Tunstall CD as well because she's my favorite female artist, so I hope both Elliott and KT are able to get airplay, even though it's an exclusive CD.

Thanks, skiddlybop. That's what I figured. Guess it depends on whether they're interested in establishing themselves more clearly in the public mind as a music seller or something. Since they always have hot artists on these Christmas cds, I'd think they'd have a good shot at one or two of them charting respectably every year. Maybe they have other things on their minds, though.

I was wondering if anyone here would know about whether there might be legal impediments to getting any song from E's Christmas CD played in radio stations in the Philippines, where there are no Targets and the CD is thus not locally available? The Yaminoys are planning to give certain E-supportive local DJs with copies of the CD (courtesy of our dear US etrainer friends), with hope that we might be able to cajole them into playing any of his songs during the Christmas season (without the station getting into any trouble).

Actually the holiday cd is on the charts, entered this week with 7900 at number 169

If Elliott gets airplay on the holiday stations that could boost sales. Time is limited . That is the drawback. Pretty good numbers considering it is early in the holiday season.