'A Philly Special Christmas Party' Breaks Billboard Record

PHILADELPHIA — The third and final holiday benefit album from The Philly Specials (Jason Kelce, Joran Mailata, and Lane Johnson) is a Billboard record breaker.

According to Billboard, "A Philly Special Christmas Party" sold 32,000 copies in its first week, with 22,000 vinyl pressings sold, after being released Nov. 22.

These figures made it the debut with the largest sales week for a holiday release on vinyl in the modern era, the outlet said.

The publication also said the album — from which proceeds benefit Operation Snowball, a new initiative to give every Philadelphia public school student a holiday gift — hit No. 1 on its Independent Albums chart.

"A Philly Special Christmas Party" was also No. 2 in Top Album Sales, Top Holiday Albums, and Vinyl Albums. It charted at No. 16 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

These charts are all dated Dec. 7.

"Santa Drives An Astrovan," the album’s third single, features Mt. Joy and Kelce and has reached No. 1 on the iTunes Holiday Charts. The first two singles from A Philly Special Christmas Party include the iTunes No. 1 holiday chart topping Kelce and Stevie Nicks duet, "Maybe This Christmas," and the No. 7 positioned Jason, Travis, and Boyz II Men collaboration, "It’s Christmas Time (In Cleveland Heights)."

The sophomore album, A Philly Special Christmas Special raised over $3M and singles, "This Christmas," "All I Want for Christmas is You," "Fairytale of Philadelphia," and "Pretty Paper," have garnered more than 10 million streams across platforms. "Fairytale of Philadelphia" reached No. 1 on iTunes, 50,000 copies have been sold on vinyl, and the stop-motion special created by unPOP Animation, "A Philly Special Christmas Special," has been viewed more than 700,000 times with 10,000 live viewers tuning in to its premiere on Thanksgiving night.

Its predecessor in 2022, "A Philly Special Christmas," immediately sold out its limited pressing. The record reached four top ten spots on various Billboard Music Charts, including No. 1 on the Compilation Albums Chart. A Philly Special Christmas donated more than $1 million to local charities including Children’s Crisis Treatment Center and fulfilled the wish lists of Philadelphia School District teachers via Donors Choose.