**Andy Williams Christmas LP: 1963 Original and Reissues (2026)** > Confused by Andy Williams' Christmas LPs? Find the 1963 original, pressing details, and real value guidance — then track your own copy with VinylAI. Source: https://vinylai.app/guides/andy-williams-christmas-album-vinyl/ · updated: 2026-10-12 [Home](https://vinylai.app/) › [Guides](https://vinylai.app/guides/) › The Andy Williams Christmas Album on Vinyl: 1963 Original, Reissues and the Other Andy Williams Christmas LPs (2026) ![The Andy Williams Christmas Album on Vinyl: 1963 Original, Reissues and the Other Andy Williams Christmas LPs (2026)](https://vinylai.app/images/articles/andy-williams-christmas-album-vinyl/featured.png) Rare & Valuable # The Andy Williams Christmas Album on Vinyl: 1963 Original, Reissues and the Other Andy Williams Christmas LPs (2026) The Andy Williams Christmas LP most collectors are searching for is the 1963 Columbia release simply titled The Andy Williams Christmas Album, home to his original recording of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Andy Williams actually released eight separate Christmas albums over his career, which is why copies of Merry Christmas (1965) and Christmas Present (1974) keep turning up in searches for the "original." This guide separates the eight titles, lays out the real pressing history of the 1963 album, and gives an honest answer to what a copy is actually worth. By VinylAI Editorial Updated October 12, 2026 ## Key Takeaways - "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" appears on The Andy Williams Christmas Album, released 14 October 1963 on Columbia (stereo catalogue CS 8887) — the album where the song first appeared. - Andy Williams released eight Christmas albums in total; the two most often confused with the 1963 original are Merry Christmas (1965, Columbia CS 9220) and Christmas Present (1974, Columbia C 33191). - The 1963 album was RIAA-certified Gold in December 1964 and Platinum in November 1986, which means millions of copies were pressed — common pressings are not rare, so condition and correct-era labels matter more than the title itself. - Before buying or selling a copy, check the catalogue number, label design, and runout etching against a verified pressing list rather than relying on memory or a seller's description. ## The Short Answer: Which Andy Williams Christmas LP You Want If you're hunting for the LP with "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," you want **The Andy Williams Christmas Album**, released on Columbia on 14 October 1963. The stereo pressing carries catalogue number CS 8887, and a mono edition was issued alongside it — both are detailed in the pressing table further down this page. This is the album that spent time at No. 1 on Billboard's Christmas Albums chart in 1963, 1964 and 1965, and which unexpectedly climbed back to No. 11 on the Billboard 200 in December 2025, nearly sixty years after release. The confusion is understandable: Williams's warm, orchestral style barely changed across his Christmas catalogue, the cover art often features similar red-and-green Christmas imagery, and reissue labels have repackaged tracks from multiple albums under near-identical titles. Before you buy, confirm the song lineup — specifically, check for "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" as side 1, track 4 — rather than trusting the album title alone. The same rule of cross-checking the actual tracklist applies whenever you're trying to pin down [how to identify rare vinyl](https://vinylai.app/guides/how-to-identify-rare-vinyl/) pressings in any genre. ## Eight Andy Williams Christmas Albums: Which Is Which Andy Williams released eight distinct Christmas albums during his recording career, and that's the single biggest source of search confusion around this LP. Only the first one is the 1963 original most people mean when they say "the Andy Williams Christmas album." The second-most-searched is Merry Christmas, from 1965, which is a different album entirely despite the similar generic title and holiday theme. ![Eight Andy Williams Christmas Albums: Which Is Which - andy williams christmas album vinyl](https://vinylai.app/images/articles/andy-williams-christmas-album-vinyl/img-1.webp) - **The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963)** — Columbia CS 8887 stereo. Contains "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." The one collectors mean by default. - **Merry Christmas (1965)** — Columbia CS 9220, released 18 October 1965. RIAA Gold in 1968, Platinum in 1989. A separate recording session with a different tracklist. - **Christmas Present (1974)** — Columbia C 33191. Only "bubbled under" the Billboard album chart; far less commercially successful than the first two. - Five further Christmas-themed releases followed across later decades, with varying mixes of new recordings and repackaged earlier tracks. If you're building out a broader seasonal shelf, our [best Christmas albums on vinyl](https://vinylai.app/guides/best-christmas-albums-on-vinyl/) guide covers how these compare to other classic holiday LPs worth owning. ## Every Pressing of the 1963 Album in One Table The 1963 album was pressed repeatedly across the 1960s and into later decades, in both mono and stereo, with the catalogue number, label design, and runout details changing between pressings. Rather than guess from a cover photo, the table below — pulled from the album's Discogs master and checked 12 October 2026 — lists every known edition side by side, mono and stereo together. | Year | Country | Label and catalogue no. | Format | Runout (side A) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1963 | US | [Columbia CL 2087](https://www.discogs.com/release/2037162) | LP / Album / Mono | `XLP 75353` | | 1963 | US | [Columbia CS 8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/4423571) | LP / Album / Stereo / Pitman Pressing | `XSM 75355` | | 1963 | US | [Columbia CS 8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/25465756) | LP / Album / Stereo / Hollywood Pressing | `XSM 75355` | | 1963 | US | [Columbia CL 2087](https://www.discogs.com/release/15785808) | LP / Album / Mono | `XLP 75353` | | 1963 | US | [Columbia CS 8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/12883542) | LP / Album / Stereo / Hollywood Pressing | `XSM 75355` | | 1963 | Canada | [Columbia CS 8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/10825228) | LP / Album / Stereo | `XSM 75355` | | 1963 | UK | [CBS BPG 62286](https://www.discogs.com/release/6677124) | LP / Album / Mono | `—` | | 1963 | Canada | [Columbia CL 2087](https://www.discogs.com/release/12063990) | LP / Album / Mono | `XLP 75353` | | 1963 | UK | [CBS BPG 92286](https://www.discogs.com/release/6381846) | LP / Album / Mono | `—` | | 1963 | UK | [CBS SBPG 62286](https://www.discogs.com/release/18392524) | LP / Album / Stereo | `SBPG-62286 1Y` | | 1963 | US | [Columbia CL 2087](https://www.discogs.com/release/31512458) | LP / Album / Mono / Pitman | `XSM 75353` | | 1963 | US | [Columbia CL 2087](https://www.discogs.com/release/11663412) | LP / Album / Promo / Mono | `—` | | 1963 | US | [Columbia JS 7-82](https://www.discogs.com/release/1770939) | 7" / 33 ⅓ RPM / Album / Jukebox / Stereo | `ZSM 75861 JB` | | 1965 | US | [Columbia CL 2087](https://www.discogs.com/release/7992500) | LP / Album / Repress / Mono | `XLP 75353` | | 1966 | US | [Columbia CS 8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/1634293) | LP / Album / Reissue / Stereo | `XSM 75355` | | 1967 | US | [Columbia CS 8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/12807525) | LP / Album / Repress / Stereo | `XSM-75355-1BF` | | 1969 | Netherlands | [CBS S 62286](https://www.discogs.com/release/4007958) | LP / Album | `—` | | 1969 | Japan | [CBS/Sony SONX 60086](https://www.discogs.com/release/6556510) | LP / Album / Stereo / Gatefold | `—` | | 1970 | US | [Columbia CS 8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/3897988) | LP / Album / Repress / Stereo | `XSM 75355` | | 2015 | US | [Friday Music FRM-8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/7869876) | LP / Album / Limited Edition / Reissue / Stereo / Red, 180 gm, Gatefold | `88875129291-A 25153.1(3)...` | | 2019 | US | [Friday Music FRM-8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/14421542) | LP / Album / Limited Edition / Reissue / Stereo / Blue Translucent | `—` | | — | UK | [Hallmark Records SHM 888](https://www.discogs.com/release/2136625) | LP / Album / Reissue | `SHM-888-A-7` | | — | US | [Columbia CS 8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/6042982) | LP / Album / Reissue / Stereo / Pitman Press | `XSM 75355` | | — | Canada | [Columbia CS 8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/7328188) | LP / Album / Reissue / Stereo / Don Mills Pressing | `XSM-75355-1D-2HK:` | | — | US | [Columbia C 8887](https://www.discogs.com/release/12506900) | LP / Album / Repress / Stereo | `XSM 75355` | Source: Discogs database, checked 2026-10-12. 25 of 57 vinyl releases of this title are shown, oldest first. Read this table by matching your copy's catalogue number and country first, then narrowing down by label design and runout etching if more than one pressing shares a catalogue number. The 1963 rows — stereo CS 8887 and its mono counterpart — are the originals; everything else is a later repressing or reissue. For a full walkthrough of what those codes stamped near the run-out groove actually mean, see our guide to [vinyl catalog numbers explained](https://vinylai.app/guides/vinyl-catalog-numbers-explained/). ## Mono or Stereo, and How to Date a Columbia Copy Both mono and stereo versions of the andy williams christmas album vinyl exist from the original 1963 release — Columbia issued most of its major 1963 pop releases in both formats to serve consumers still buying mono hi-fi equipment alongside early stereo adopters. The stereo catalogue number CS 8887 is confirmed; the equivalent mono edition is listed in the pressing table above rather than restated here, since catalogue numbers vary by pressing run. ![Mono or Stereo, and How to Date a Columbia Copy - andy williams christmas album vinyl](https://vinylai.app/images/articles/andy-williams-christmas-album-vinyl/img-2.webp) As a general rule, Columbia's label artwork design changed over the decades the album stayed in print, and those design differences are one of the most reliable ways to date a copy without needing a release year printed anywhere on the sleeve. A later-decade repress will typically show a different label layout than a 1960s pressing of the same catalogue number. Rather than memorizing every label variant by year, cross-reference your copy's specific label text and logo placement against the pressing table, and read our broader guide on [how to date a vinyl record](https://vinylai.app/guides/how-to-date-a-vinyl-record/) for the general method — matrix numbers, runout etchings and label typography together, not any single clue alone. ## Reissues of the Andy Williams Christmas Album Because The Andy Williams Christmas Album has stayed continuously popular — helped along by its recurring chart comeback every December — Columbia kept it in print for years after 1963, and it has appeared on later compilation and reissue runs since. If a copy you're looking at doesn't match the catalogue number, label design, or runout details in the pressing table above, it's most likely one of these later editions rather than the original 1963 stereo or mono pressing. Reissues aren't a problem if you simply want the music — the recordings are the same whichever pressing you own, and a clean later copy will sound close to indistinguishable from an early one on a decent turntable. Where it matters is expectation: a reissue should be bought and valued as a reissue, not priced or described as an "andy williams christmas album original" pressing. Always compare the physical details against the table rather than trusting a seller's listing title, since the keyword "original" gets applied loosely across online marketplaces. ## What a Copy of the Andy Williams Christmas LP Is Worth Here's the honest answer nobody wants but every buyer needs: there is no widely published high-dollar value for this album, and that's by design of its own success. A record certified Gold in 1964 and Platinum in 1986 was pressed in enormous quantities across multiple decades, which puts it firmly in the category of commonly found rather than scarce. Collectors scanning completed and active listings on Discogs or Popsike will notice the same pattern that applies to most Platinum-era holiday records: plentiful supply keeps typical asking prices modest, and condition does almost all the work in separating a low-value copy from a genuinely desirable one. ![What a Copy of the Andy Williams Christmas LP Is Worth - andy williams christmas album vinyl](https://vinylai.app/images/articles/andy-williams-christmas-album-vinyl/img-3.webp) That doesn't mean every copy is worthless or interchangeable. A sealed, unplayed early 1960s stereo pressing in the correct period Columbia sleeve, graded Near Mint under standard [vinyl grading standards](https://vinylai.app/guides/vinyl-grading-guide/), will always attract more interest than a scratched reading-copy repress — the gap is about condition and originality, not rarity. If you want to understand how genuinely scarce records are priced differently from common ones like this, our [most valuable vinyl records](https://vinylai.app/guides/most-valuable-vinyl-records/) guide and our broader list of [Christmas vinyl records worth money](https://vinylai.app/guides/christmas-vinyl-records-worth-money/) are useful points of comparison. ## Grading, Condition and Buying Tips Because this LP is common rather than rare, condition is the single biggest value driver you control as a buyer or seller. Inspect the vinyl under a strong light for the usual culprits — groove wear, hairline scratches, warping and seam splits on the jacket — and grade honestly using the Goldmine-style standard scale running from Mint down through Good, rather than optimistic marketplace self-grading. A Near Mint early pressing in a Very Good+ jacket is a very different purchase than a Good+ record in any jacket, even with identical catalogue numbers. Before paying for any "original," ask for or take clear photos of the label and the deadwax runout area, since that's where catalogue number, pressing plant codes and mastering details live. Tools like VinylAI can help you scan a barcode or snap a photo of a record in a store and cross-check it instantly against known pressing data, which takes the guesswork out of deciding whether that bin copy is the early Columbia stereo pressing or a later repress. If this is one of your first forays into pressing-level detective work, our [how to start a vinyl collection](https://vinylai.app/guides/how-to-start-vinyl-collection/) guide covers the fundamentals of grading and buying with confidence. ## Final Thoughts: Building Your Holiday Vinyl Shelf The Andy Williams Christmas LP most people actually want is the 1963 Columbia original with "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," and now you know exactly how to separate it from the seven other Christmas albums bearing Andy Williams's name — including the genuinely different Merry Christmas from 1965. Use the pressing table, not the title on the cover, to confirm what you're holding, and remember that with an album this widely pressed, condition will almost always matter more than catalogue number when it comes to value. Whether you're chasing the stereo CS 8887 original, happy with a later repress for listening, or simply trying to figure out if that dusty copy at a thrift store is worth the asking price, pair this guide with a quick scan in VinylAI before you buy. It's a far more reliable method than guessing from a faded label across a crowded record store bin. ## Related guides - [What Makes a Vinyl Record Valuable — and Which Ones Are Worth Most](https://vinylai.app/guides/most-valuable-vinyl-records/) - [Steely Dan Aja on Vinyl at 50: Every Pressing Compared, Best Sounding and What It's Worth](https://vinylai.app/guides/steely-dan-aja-vinyl-value-guide/) - [Michael Jackson Bad Vinyl at 40: 1987 Original, Value and Which Pressing to Buy](https://vinylai.app/guides/michael-jackson-bad-vinyl-value-guide/) - [OK Computer Vinyl at 30: 1997 First Pressing vs Reissues, Value and OKNOTOK](https://vinylai.app/guides/ok-computer-vinyl-value-guide/) - [Pink Floyd Animals Vinyl at 50: 1977 First Pressing, Value and Best Edition](https://vinylai.app/guides/pink-floyd-animals-vinyl-value-guide/) - [Hotel California Vinyl at 50: First Pressing, Value and Which Edition to Buy](https://vinylai.app/guides/hotel-california-vinyl-value-guide/) Find vinyl for sale on VinylAI Market - [Browse Rock vinyl for sale →](https://vinylai.app/market/genre/rock/) - [Browse Pop vinyl for sale →](https://vinylai.app/market/genre/pop/) - [Browse Blues vinyl for sale →](https://vinylai.app/market/genre/blues/) Table of Contents - The Short Answer: Which Andy Williams Christmas LP You Want - Eight Andy Williams Christmas Albums: Which Is Which - Every Pressing of the 1963 Album in One Table - Mono or Stereo, and How to Date a Columbia Copy - Reissues of the Andy Williams Christmas Album - What a Copy of the Andy Williams Christmas LP Is Worth - Grading, Condition and Buying Tips - Final Thoughts: Building Your Holiday Vinyl Shelf Related Articles - [What Makes a Vinyl Record Valuable — and Which Ones Are Worth Most](https://vinylai.app/guides/most-valuable-vinyl-records/) - [Steely Dan Aja on Vinyl at 50: Every Pressing Compared, Best Sounding and What It's Worth](https://vinylai.app/guides/steely-dan-aja-vinyl-value-guide/) - [Michael Jackson Bad Vinyl at 40: 1987 Original, Value and Which Pressing to Buy](https://vinylai.app/guides/michael-jackson-bad-vinyl-value-guide/) - [OK Computer Vinyl at 30: 1997 First Pressing vs Reissues, Value and OKNOTOK](https://vinylai.app/guides/ok-computer-vinyl-value-guide/) - [Pink Floyd Animals Vinyl at 50: 1977 First Pressing, Value and Best Edition](https://vinylai.app/guides/pink-floyd-animals-vinyl-value-guide/) - [Hotel California Vinyl at 50: First Pressing, Value and Which Edition to Buy](https://vinylai.app/guides/hotel-california-vinyl-value-guide/) Vinyl Marketplace - [Rock vinyl for sale](https://vinylai.app/market/genre/rock/) - [Pop vinyl for sale](https://vinylai.app/market/genre/pop/) - [Blues vinyl for sale](https://vinylai.app/market/genre/blues/) Download VinylAI Scan barcodes, find stores, track your collection. [Get the App](https://vinylai.app/download/) Free on iOS and Android ## FAQ: andy williams christmas lp Which Andy Williams Christmas album has It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year? It's on The Andy Williams Christmas Album, released by Columbia on 14 October 1963 (stereo catalogue CS 8887), as side 1, track 4. This is where the song first appeared; the later studio albums Merry Christmas (1965) and Christmas Present (1974) are different records, although the 1963 recording turns up on later compilations. How many Christmas albums did Andy Williams make? Andy Williams released eight Christmas albums across his recording career. The first was The Andy Williams Christmas Album in 1963, followed by Merry Christmas in 1965 and Christmas Present in 1974, among others. The 1963 and 1965 albums were his most commercially successful, both earning RIAA Gold and later Platinum certification. Is The Andy Williams Christmas Album worth anything? It has modest value because it's common rather than rare — the album was certified Platinum in 1986 after decades of repressing, meaning supply is plentiful. A well-preserved early stereo copy with correct period labels and a clean jacket will always be worth more than a worn reading copy, but there's no widely published high-dollar figure for this title; condition and originality drive value far more than scarcity here. Is the 1963 Andy Williams Christmas album in stereo? Yes. Columbia issued the 1963 album in stereo under catalogue number CS 8887, alongside a mono edition released the same year. Both formats were common practice for major 1963 Columbia releases, since stereo playback equipment was still spreading to households. Check the pressing table on this page for the mono catalogue number and full label details. What is the difference between The Andy Williams Christmas Album and Merry Christmas? They're two entirely separate albums. The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963, Columbia CS 8887) contains "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Merry Christmas (1965, Columbia CS 9220) is a different recording session with a different tracklist, released two years later and also certified Gold and Platinum by the RIAA, but it is not the same album. How can I tell an original 1963 pressing from a reissue? Compare the catalogue number, label design and runout etching on your copy against a verified pressing list rather than trusting the cover alone, since Columbia kept this album in print for decades. If any detail doesn't match a known early-1960s stereo or mono pressing, it's most likely a later repress — still enjoyable to play, just not an original. ## Get the VinylAI App Scan barcodes, find stores, track your collection, and connect with vinyl lovers worldwide. 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Table of Contents - The Short Answer: Which Andy Williams Christmas LP You Want - Eight Andy Williams Christmas Albums: Which Is Which - Every Pressing of the 1963 Album in One Table - Mono or Stereo, and How to Date a Columbia Copy - Reissues of the Andy Williams Christmas Album - What a Copy of the Andy Williams Christmas LP Is Worth - Grading, Condition and Buying Tips - Final Thoughts: Building Your Holiday Vinyl Shelf --- HTML version: https://vinylai.app/guides/andy-williams-christmas-album-vinyl/ Structured data for this site: https://vinylai.app/api/v1/openapi.json · https://vinylai.app/llms.txt Free to quote and reuse with a link back to the source URL above (CC BY 4.0).