album · October 6, 1958

Merry Christmas

Johnny Mathis

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A holiday perennial, Merry Christmas was Mathis's first full-length album and established his enduring association with Christmas music.

• The album was recorded in just two days, August 5 and 6, 1958, at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City.
• Merry Christmas was the first Christmas album ever released by a major label.
• The album reached number 1 on Billboard's albums chart in 1958 and has been reissued numerous times.

Johnny Mathis is an American singer known for his romantic, smooth-pop ballads. He rose to fame in the mid-1950s and has since become one of the best-selling artists of all time. In 1958, Mathis was transitioning from jazz and folk influences toward the lush orchestral arrangements that would define his signature sound.