Noël (Josh Groban album)

Noël
Studio album by Josh Groban
Released	October 9, 2007
Recorded	2007
Genre	Pop holiday classical
Length	56:01
Label	WEA/Reprise
Producer	David Foster
Josh Groban chronology
Awake (2006) Noël (2007) Awake Live (2008)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
ARTISTdirect	[2]

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.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album sold 3,699,000 copies in 2007 after its release, making it the overall best-selling album in the U.S. for all of 2007.^[3] It was also the best-selling holiday album in 2008 with sales of 915,000 copies.^[3] As of October 2015, the album has sold 5.8 million copies in the United States according to SoundScan,^[4] making it the second best-selling holiday album in the U.S. in the Nielsen SoundScan era (March 1991 – present) behind Kenny G's 1994 holiday set Miracles: The Holiday Album.^[5] According to Billboard, Noël is the second best-selling classical album of the 2000s decade in the US, behind Groban's own Closer.^[6]

On December 12, 2008, Noël was certified Quintuple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, recognizing shipment of five million copies in the United States.^[7]

Apart from the songs included on the album, Groban has also released two other Christmas songs: "O Holy Night" (available as a bonus track on Josh Groban in Concert) and "Noche de Paz" (a Spanish version of "Silent Night" available as a digital download single).

Track listing

1. "Silent Night" - 4:11
2. "Little Drummer Boy" - 4:20 (featuring Guitarist Andy McKee and Gigi Hadid)
3. "I'll Be Home for Christmas (with Messages from real soldiers and voice by Gigi Hadid) - 4:15
4. "Ave Maria" - 5:17
5. "Angels We Have Heard on High" - 3:32 (duet with Brian McKnight)
6. "Thankful" - 4:50
7. "The Christmas Song" - 3:54
8. "What Child Is This?" - 3:53
9. "The First Noël" - 4:34 (duet with Faith Hill)
10. "Petit Papa Noël" - 4:05
11. "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" - 4:13
12. "Panis Angelicus" - 4:19
13. "O Come All Ye Faithful" - 4:38 (with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir)

Chart performance

Seven weeks after its release, Noël reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 on the chart dated December 8, 2007. The album sold about 405,000 copies in the week it reached number one, rising from the number two position with an 81% sales increase. The week's sales corresponded to an appearance by Groban on The Oprah Winfrey Show^[8] during the highly anticipated annual Oprah's Favorite Things feature.

In the next week, the album stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and its sales increased further, by 33%, with 539,000 copies being sold that week.^[9]

In its 9th week, the album held the top spot with another 8% increase in sales, moving 581,000 copies,^[10] and increased yet again in its tenth week selling 669,000 copies, and again holding the number one spot.^[11]

The album has set numerous Billboard 200 records, starting with being the first Christmas album to spend four consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the charts 51-year history, as well as being only the second Christmas album to ever spend four weeks at No. 1, tying it with Elvis Presley's Elvis' Christmas Album. It is also the first album to spend four consecutive weeks at No. 1 and experience a sales increase each of those weeks since No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom album did so in December 1996. The 669,000 copies the album sold in its tenth week was the biggest single week tally for a Christmas album since Kenny G's Miracles: The Holiday Album sold 819,000 copies in the Christmas week of 1994. By its tenth week the album had already become the best selling album of 2007, scanning 2.8 million copies in only a little over two months of release, a rarity in the fast declining physical album market of the past few years.^[11]

In its 11th week it became the first album of 2007 to hold No. 1 for 5 weeks, and the first Christmas album ever to hold No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for 5 weeks in a row.^[12] In that fifth week at No. 1 it outsold Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains, selling about 757,000 copies.^[12] It has so far sold 5.82 million copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[4]

Certifications, peaks and sales

Country	Peak position	Certification (if any)	Sales/shipments
Australia	33[13]	Gold	35,000+
Canada	1	6x Platinum	600,000+
France	24
Ireland	26[13]
Netherlands	26[13]
Poland	1[13]	Gold	10,000+
Sweden	4[13]	Gold	20,000+
United States	1[13]	5x Platinum[7]	5,820,000[4]

Year-end charts

Chart (2010)	Position
US Billboard 200	85[14]

Awards

Year	Ceremony	Award	Result
2008	Dove Awards	Christmas Album of the Year[15]	Nominated
2009	Grammy Awards	Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album	Nominated

References

1. Allmusic review
2. ARTISTdirect review
3. Paul Grein (October 29, 2013). "Chart Watch Extra: What Will Be This Year’s Top Christmas Album?". Chart Watch (Yahoo).
4. Caulfield, Keith (October 23, 2015). "Josh Groban's 'Stages' Hits Half-Million in U.S. Sales". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
5. "The Gifts That Keep on Giving: Biggest Radio and Album Hits of the Holidays". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
6. "Classical Albums | Billboard.com". billboard.com. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
7. "RIAA Searchable Database - Gold & Platinum Certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
8. Katie Hasty, "'Oprah' Visit Helps Groban Soar To No. 1", Billboard.com, November 28, 2007.
9. Katie Hasty, "Groban Remains No. 1 In Slow Release Week", Billboard.com, December 5, 2007.
10. Katie Hasty, "Groban Ties Elvis With Third Week At No. 1", Billboard.com, December 12, 2007.
11. Geoff Mayfield, "Groban's 'Noel' Makes Chart History", Billboard.biz, December 18, 2007.
12. Chris M. Walsh, "Groban, Blige Enjoy Huge Weeks On Album Chart", Billboard.com, December 27, 2007.
13. "Josh Groban - Noel worldwide chart positions and trajectories". aCharts.us. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
14. "Best of 2010 - Billboard Top 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
15. Nominations Announced for 39th GMA Dove Awards on CBN.com (February 14, 2008)