Noël (Josh Groban album)

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.^{[citation needed]}

Noël
Studio album by Josh Groban
Released	October 9, 2007 November 3, 2017 (deluxe edition)
Recorded	April–July 2007
Genre	Pop Christmas classical
Length	56:01
Label	143 Reprise
Producer	David Foster Humberto Gatica
Josh Groban chronology
Awake (2006) Noël (2007) Awake Live (2008)
Josh Groban studio album chronology
Awake (2006) Noël (2007) Illuminations (2010)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
ARTISTdirect	^[2]

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 US 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 US 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 August 14, 2017, Noël was certified Sextuple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, recognizing shipment of six million copies in the United States.^[7]

On October 12, 2017, Groban announced a tenth-anniversary deluxe edition, released on November 3. It includes six songs not featured in the initial release, including four new recordings.^[8]

Track listing

Standard and vinyl:

1. "Silent Night" – 4:11
2. "Little Drummer Boy" – 4:20 (featuring Andy McKee)
3. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" – 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 Noel" – 4:34 (duet with Faith Hill)
10. "Petit Papa Noël" – 4:05
11. "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" – 4:13
12. "Panis angelicus" – 4:19
13. "O Come All Ye Faithful" – 4:38 (with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir)

2017 deluxe edition bonus tracks

1. "White Christmas" – 3:57
2. "Christmas Time Is Here" – 3:31 (featuring Tony Bennett)
3. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Piano/Vocal Version)" – 4:05
4. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" – 3:27
5. "Believe" (Foster, Groban, Silvestri, Glen Ballard, Page) – 4:18
6. "O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël)" – 4:49

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^[9] 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.^[10]

In its 9th week, the album held the top spot with another 8% increase in sales, moving 581,000 copies,^[11] and increased yet again in its tenth week selling 669,000 copies, and again holding the number one spot.^[12]

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 chart's 51-year history, as well as being only the second Christmas album to ever spend four weeks at No. 1, tying 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.^[12]

In its 11th week it became the first album of 2007 to hold No. 1 for 5 weeks,^{[citation needed]} and the first Christmas album ever to hold No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for 5 weeks in a row.^[13] In that fifth week at No. 1 it outsold Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains, selling about 757,000 copies.^[13]

As of December 2022, Noël has sold a total of 6.32 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Music.^[14]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2007) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)^[15] 33 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[16] 25 Canadian Albums (Billboard)^[17] 1 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[18] 26 French Albums (SNEP)^[19] 24 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[20] 3 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[21] 4 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[22] 69 US Billboard 200^[23] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2007) Position French Albums (SNEP)^[24] 183 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[25] 29 US Billboard 200^[26] 135 Chart (2008) Position Canadian Albums (Billboard)^[27] 2 US Billboard 200^[28] 2 Chart (2010) Position US Billboard 200^[29] 85 Chart (2011) Position US Billboard 200^[30] 122 Chart (2012) Position US Billboard 200^[31] 171 Chart (2013) Position US Billboard 200^[32] 179 Chart (2014) Position US Billboard 200^[33] 175

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)^[34]	6× Platinum	600,000^^
Norway (IFPI Norway)^[35]	Platinum	30,000^*
Sweden (GLF)^[36]	Gold	20,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)^[37]	Silver	60,000^‡
United States (RIAA)^[38]	6× Platinum	6,320,000^[14]
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Awards

Year	Ceremony	Award	Result
2008	Dove Awards	Christmas Album of the Year^[39]	Nominated
2009	Grammy Awards	Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album	Nominated

See also

• List of Billboard Top Holiday Albums number ones of the 2000s

References

1. AllMusic review
2. . ArtistDirect. Archived from the original on October 29, 2007.
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. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
5. "The Gifts That Keep on Giving: Biggest Radio and Album Hits of the Holidays". Billboard. December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
6. "Classical Albums | Billboard.com". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
7. "RIAA Searchable Database - Gold & Platinum Certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
8. "JOSH ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF NOËL (DELUXE EDITION) IN CELEBRATION OF ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY - Josh Groban Official Blog". Josh Groban Official Website.
9. Katie Hasty, "'Oprah' Visit Helps Groban Soar To No. 1", Billboard.com, November 28, 2007.
10. Katie Hasty, "Groban Remains No. 1 In Slow Release Week", Billboard.com, December 5, 2007.
11. Katie Hasty, "Groban Ties Elvis With Third Week At No. 1", Billboard.com, December 12, 2007.
12. Geoff Mayfield, "Groban's 'Noel' Makes Chart History", Billboard.biz, December 18, 2007.
13. Chris M. Walsh, "Groban, Blige Enjoy Huge Weeks On Album Chart", Billboard.com, December 27, 2007.
14. Christman, Ed (December 21, 2022). "Why Music Retail Is Having a Blue Christmas". Billboard.
15. "Australiancharts.com – Josh Groban – Noël". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
16. "Ultratop.be – Josh Groban – Noël" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
17. "Josh Groban Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Josh Groban – Noël" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
19. "Lescharts.com – Josh Groban – Noël". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
20. "Norwegiancharts.com – Josh Groban – Noël". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
21. "Swedishcharts.com – Josh Groban – Noël". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
22. "Swisscharts.com – Josh Groban – Noël". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
23. "Josh Groban Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
24. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2007" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
25. "Årslista Album – År 2007" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
26. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
27. "Top Canadian Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
28. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
29. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
30. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
31. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
32. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
33. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
34. "Canadian album certifications – Josh Groban – Noël". Music Canada.
35. (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
36. (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17.
37. "British album certifications – Josh Groban – Noël". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
38. "American album certifications – Josh Groban – Noël". Recording Industry Association of America.
39. Nominations Announced for 39th GMA Dove Awards on CBN.com (February 14, 2008)