The Peanuts gang remains a holiday tradition for many families across the U.S.
Certain generations may find it have to believe that A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered more than 60 years ago, with its universally beloved soundtrack also hitting the masses that same year.
Following last year’s 75th anniversary celebrations of Peanuts and the 60th anniversary of the holiday special, the album has now been officially certified 6X Platinum by the RIAA, according to a Craft Recordings news release on Thursday, August 13, commemorating 6 million album sales and streaming equivalents in the U.S., and making it the best-selling jazz album of all time.
When A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired on December 9, 1965, few could have guessed that the animated half-hour special would go on to leave such a lasting mark. Based on Charles M. Schulz‘s classic comic strip, the special was later honored with Emmy and Peabody Awards.
Just as the animated special found lasting success year after year, its soundtrack struck a chord right away with the American public, and jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi continued to score Peanuts specials until his passing in 1976.
Decades later, his melodies have become touchstones of American culture, while A Charlie Brown Christmas has earned recognition as one of the most enduring holiday albums ever recorded. Among other honors, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.
Peanuts Fans Weigh in on the Milestone Reissue
Given that it just became the best-selling jazz album ever, Craft Recordings will offer an array of limited-edition vinyl pressings of A Charlie Brown Christmas for all the die-hards this fall. The label took to social media on Thursday to announce the releases.
“The album is available as a liquid-filled collectible ‘Snow Globe’ LP, complete with glitter and floating snowflakes,” reads the caption of Craft’s Instagram post below.
While some fans commented on the post that the “Snow Globe” pressing looks “beautiful” and “amazing,” others think the $150 price tag is “way too expensive.”