THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! Brings Together the Most Popular Christmas Songs of the Modern Era

THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! Brings Together the Most Popular Christmas Songs of the Modern Era

Colbie Caillat's Holiday Hit 'Mistletoe' Available For The First Time On CD

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The 25 most popular holiday songs of the past 50 years, from 1957 to 2007, modern classics and new favorites, are now on one CD, presented by the world's best-selling multi-artist album series. THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS!, released September 23, 2008, is the latest Christmas-themed release from the hugely successful NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC! series of compilation albums that has collectively scanned over 70 million units in the U.S. in the last 10 years. The three previously released volumes of NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! have scanned more than 5.6 million units combined.

Available for the first time on CD and only on THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! is the compilation's most recent track -- "Mistletoe" from Colbie Caillat. The track was a Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit last Christmas, selling more than 116,000 digital downloads. From much-loved recordings from Caillat and two other newer artists, Carrie Underwood and Ledisi, to vintage gems from legends Elvis Presley and John Lennon and Yoko Ono; from traditionalists Andy Williams, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, Gene Autry, the Harry Simeone Chorale and Burl Ives to pop greats Elton John, The Beach Boys and Jackson 5; from R&B superstars The Temptations and Donny Hathaway to children's favorites The Chipmunks and Elmo & Patsy; from Chuck Berry, Paul McCartney, and Jose Feliciano to Amy Grant, Wham!, and Daryl Hall & John Oates, THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! is the musical gift of the season.

THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! is a joint venture from EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and the Zomba Group of labels. THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! will be distributed by Universal Music Group.

   THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS!   1. John Lennon and Yoko Ono   Happy Xmas (War Is Over)   2. Elvis Presley              Blue Christmas   3. Andy Williams              It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year   4. Dean Martin                Baby, It's Cold Outside   5. Johnny Mathis              It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas   6. Harry Simeone Chorale      The Little Drummer Boy   7. Burl Ives                  A Holly Jolly Christmas   8. Gene Autry                 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer   9. The Beach Boys             Little Saint Nick   10. The Chipmunks             The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)   11. Jackson 5                 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town   12. Chuck Berry               Run Rudolph Run   13. Elmo & Patsy              Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer   14. Brenda Lee                Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree   15. Jose Feliciano            Feliz Navidad   16. Donny Hathaway            This Christmas   17. Paul McCartney            Wonderful Christmastime   18. Elton John                Step Into Christmas   19. Wham!                     Last Christmas   20. Daryl Hall & John Oates   Jingle Bell Rock   21. Carrie Underwood          Do You Hear What I Hear   22. Amy Grant                 Breath Of Heaven   23. Colbie Caillat            Mistletoe   24. Ledisi                    This Christmas (Could Be The One)   25. The Temptations           Silent Night    

The NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC! series debuted in the United States in 1998 after the NOW brand had been an enormous, multi-platinum international success for 15 years. With 70 volumes released to date in the U.K., the NOW series has generated sales of over 160 million albums worldwide, including over 70 million copies in the U.S. Every album in the NOW series has reached the Billboard Top 10, with NOW 3 the first non-soundtrack, multi-artist collection in history to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Sales Chart.

   NOW 1 (October 1998, certified platinum)   NOW 2 (July 1999, certified double platinum)   NOW 3 (December 1999, certified double platinum)   NOW 4 (July 2000, the first compilation ever to debut at #1 on the    Billboard Top 200, certified double platinum)   NOW 5 (November 2000, certified quadruple platinum)   NOW 6 (April 2001, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified    triple platinum)   NOW 7 (July 2001, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified triple    platinum)   NOW 8 (November 2001, certified triple platinum)   NOW 9 (April 2002, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified    double platinum)   NOW 10 (July 2002, certified platinum)   NOW 11 (November 2002, certified double platinum)   NOW 12 (March 2003, certified platinum)   NOW 13 (July 2003, certified platinum)   NOW 14 (April 2004, certified triple platinum)   NOW 15 (May 2004, certified double platinum)   NOW 16 (July 2004, certified triple platinum)   NOW 17 (November 2004, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified    triple platinum)   NOW 18 (March 2005, certified platinum)   NOW 19 (July 2005, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified    double platinum)   NOW 20 (November 2005, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified    double platinum)   NOW 21 (April 2006, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, certified    platinum)   NOW 22 (July 2006, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified    platinum)   NOW 23 (November 2006, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified    platinum)   NOW 24 (March 2007, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, certified    platinum)   NOW 25 (July 2007, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified    platinum)   NOW 26 (November 2007, certified platinum)   NOW 27 (March 2008, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, pending    platinum certification)   NOW 28 (June 2008, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, pending    platinum certification)    NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! (October 2001, certified sextuple    platinum)   NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! The Signature Collection (September    2003, certified double platinum)   NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! 3 (October 2006, certified platinum)  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Universal Music Enterprises

CONTACT: Sujata Murthy of Universal Music Enterprises, +1-310-865-7812,
sujata.murthy@umusic.com; or Jennifer Ballantyne of EMI Music Marketing,
+1-323-871-5494, jennifer.ballantyne@emicap.com; or Angela Barkan of Sony BMG
Entertainment, +1-212-833-8575, angela.barkan@sonybmg.com

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Profile: International Entertainment