A Legendary Christmas

A Legendary Christmas
Studio album by
John Legend
Released October 26, 2018
Genre Christmas
Length 49:44
Label Columbia
Producer
John Legend chronology
Darkness and Light
(2016) 		A Legendary Christmas
(2018) 		Bigger Love
(2020)
Singles from A Legendary Christmas
  1. "Bring Me Love"
    Released: October 11, 2018
  2. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
    Released: October 11, 2018

A Legendary Christmas is the seventh studio album and first Christmas album by American singer John Legend, it was released on October 26, 2018. Featuring artists such as Esperanza Spalding and Stevie Wonder, the album was promoted by a tour of the same name from November to December 2018. It received a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

Background

The album is Legend's first holiday album, which he announced on October 1, 2018, via social media. His tweet wrote "This winter, get ready for A Legendary Christmas! I have a brand new Christmas album coming out accompanied by #ALegendaryChristmas Tour!". Prior to the album's announcement, Legend had just become the first African-American male to win an EGOT – an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. Legend has previously said of his intention to create a Christmas album, he said "I just made a new Christmas album. I've wanted to do this for a long time." On October 11, 2018, Legend premiered two lead singles from the album, "Bring Me Love" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" simultaneously on VEVO. The album was re-released on November 8, 2019 with four additional tracks.

Composition

Wonder features on the first song, "What Christmas Means to Me", in which he plays the harmonica, while Spalding sings on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Featuring fourteen songs, the album is composed of eight that are "Christmas classics" and six that are original tracks by Legend. The album is executive-produced by neo-soul singer/producer Raphael Saadiq. All string arrangements by Matt Jones, including "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" on the Super Deluxe Edition which featured an improvised solo by violinist Scott Tixier.

Commercial performance

In John Legend's home country of the United States, A Legendary Christmas debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200 with 20,000 album-equivalent units, which included 19,000 pure album sales. Eventually, the album rose to 22

Track listing

All tracks produced by Raphael Saadiq.

A Legendary Christmas
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "What Christmas Means to Me" (featuring Stevie Wonder)
2:41
2. "Silver Bells"
3:16
3. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (featuring Esperanza Spalding)
3:43
4. "No Place Like Home"
3:57
5. "Bring Me Love"
3:19
6. "Merry Christmas Baby/Give Love on Christmas Day"
3:50
7. "Christmas Time Is Here"
3:20
8. "Waiting for Christmas"
2:35
9. "Purple Snowflakes"
2:49
10. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"
4:15
11. "Please Come Home for Christmas"
4:08
12. "Wrap Me Up in Your Love"
3:45
13. "By Christmas Eve"
3:51
14. "Merry Merry Christmas"
4:15
Total length: 49:44
Japanese bonus tracks
No. Title Length
15. "O Come, All Ye Faithful" 4:24
16. "No Place Like Home" (acoustic demo) 3:54
Total length: 58:09
A Legendary Christmas – Deluxe Edition
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "What Christmas Means to Me" (featuring Stevie Wonder on Harmonica)
2:41
2. "Bring Me Love"
3:19
3. "This Christmas"
3:03
4. "My Favorite Things" Rodgers and Hammerstein 2:54
5. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (featuring Kelly Clarkson) Frank Loesser 3:38
6. "Christmas in New Orleans"
3:48
7. "Silver Bells"
3:16
8. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (featuring Esperanza Spalding)
3:43
9. "No Place Like Home"
3:57
10. "Merry Christmas Baby/Give Love on Christmas Day"
3:50
11. "Christmas Time Is Here"
3:20
12. "By Christmas Eve"
3:51
13. "Purple Snowflakes"
2:49
14. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"
4:15
15. "Please Come Home for Christmas"
4:08
16. "Wrap Me Up in Your Love"
3:45
17. "Waiting for Christmas"
2:35
18. "Merry Merry Christmas"
4:15
Total length: 63:12
iTunes Deluxe Edition bonus track
No. Title Writer(s) Length
9. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
3:30

Notes

  • "Baby, It's Cold Outside" contains additional writing by John Legend and Natasha Rothwell.

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.