Elvis Presley’s Annual Chart Comeback Has Begun

Elvis Presley’s seasonal comeback is underway, as both “Blue Christmas” and his The Classic Christmas Album return to multiple Billboard charts at the same time. CULVER CITY, CA – SEPTEMBER 1962: Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley strums an acoustic guitar while posing for a portrait in September 1962 in Culver City, California at MGM Studios. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Americans never stop listening to Elvis Presley, though there are certain times of the year when the country comes together and consumes his music — even if only just a tune or two — in large enough numbers to send him back to the Billboard charts. The multi-genre superstar finds his way to multiple tallies this frame as Christmas music surges once more.

Presley sees his smash “Blue Christmas” emerge as a streaming win and an all-around favorite again among Americans, and it has become so successful all of a sudden that one of the late musician’s albums also manages to bound back onto several rankings, helping Presley’s comeback launch again with a bang.

“Blue Christmas” Returns to the Hot 100

“Blue Christmas” has become a must-hear for millions of Americans every year throughout its lifetime. The track, originally released by Presley in 1964, shows another side of the holiday — one that is not all about presents and joy, but instead how even the jolliest day of the year can be sad.

“Blue Christmas” breaks back onto the Hot 100 this week, the list of the most consumed songs in the U.S., landing right in the middle of the roster at No. 50.

“Blue Christmas” Needed Half a Century to Become a Hot 100 Hit

“Blue Christmas” amazingly required more than half a century before it cracked the Hot 100. Despite the fact that Presley was already one of the most successful artists of all time on the competitive list, with more than 100 placements on the roster to his name. “Blue Christmas” did not make it to the ranking until 2019. The cut peaked at No. 18 last year.

Elvis Presley Cracks the Top 10 on One Billboard Chart

“Blue Christmas” performs significantly better on the other Billboard tallies where it can be found at the moment. Presley’s single reenters both the Rock Streaming Songs and Country Streaming Songs rankings, as Billboard has classified it under both genre labels. The tune performs best on the rock list, finding its way back to No. 5, while on the country-only tally it storms in at No. 11.

“Blue Christmas” can also be found on both the Holiday 100 and Holiday Streaming Songs charts, where it settles at Nos. 22 and 21, respectively.

Elvis Presley’s The Classic Christmas Album Returns

The quick success of “Blue Christmas” powers Presley’s The Classic Christmas Album back to multiple tallies as well. That seasonal favorite rebounds to No. 26 on the Top Country Albums chart, No. 34 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums roster, and No. 158 on the Billboard 200. Previously, The Classic Christmas Album has broken into the top 10 on both genre-specific rankings, and its annual ascent has only just begun.

Elvis Presley Scores Multiple Wins on the Same Chart

Presley fills two spots on the Top Country Albums chart, as Billboard apparently classifies much of his output as country, even though he is largely remembered as a pioneer in the rock style. As The Classic Christmas Album reenters the twangy ranking at No. 26, The Essential Elvis Presley — another compilation built around many of his most famous tracks that are not specific to Christmas — holds at No. 42.

Elvis Presley Joins Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and Check Berry

Presley is one of dozens of artists who return to various Billboard charts with Christmas cuts. Four of the top 10 hits on the Hot 100 this week are yuletide classics. The highest-ranking of the bunch is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which soars to No. 5 and will soon almost certainly reconquer the list. Not far behind come Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms, which improve to Nos. 6, 7, and 8, respectively.

More holiday smashes by Ariana Grande, Andy Williams, Nat King Cole, Kelly Clarkson, The Ronettes, Michael Bublé, Dean Martin, and many others are also on the rise, while stars like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Chuck Berry, and others return to the competitive ranking once more.