Esperanza Spalding Earns First No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart with John Legend Holiday Collaboration

Esperanza Spalding is having herself a merry holiday season…

The 34-year-old part-Latina jazz bassist and singer’s Christmas collaboration with John Legend, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” has jingled its way to the top of Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart dated December 8.

Esperanza Spalding

Spalding and Legend’s track soars from No. 6 to No. 1.

The ballad becomes the 22nd AC holiday leader on the ranking since 2000, around the time that a majority of stations in the format began playing seasonal songs heavily, or 24/7, between Thanksgivingand Christmas each year.

The composition is also just the second two-time AC holiday No. 1, as Josh Groban‘s take on the standard led in 2016.

Two interpretations of “This Christmas” have topped the tally.

Here’s a recap of all the holiday songs that have dashed to the top of the AC chart since 2000:

Title, Artist, Chart Date Reached No. 1, Weeks at No. 1
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” John Legend feat. Esperanza Spalding, Dec. 8, 2018, one (to date)
“Santa’s Coming for Us,” Sia, Dec. 23, 2017, three
“Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” Brett Eldredge feat. Meghan Trainor, Jan. 7, 2017, one
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Josh Groban, Dec. 24, 2016, one
“This Christmas,” Train, Dec. 17, 2016, two
“This Christmas,” Seal, Jan. 2, 2016, one
“Baby It’s Cold Outside,” Idina Menzel duet with Michael Buble, Dec. 20, 2014, three
“Underneath the Tree,” Kelly Clarkson, Dec. 2, 2013, four
“Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,” Rod Stewart, Dec. 8, 2012, five
“All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Michael Buble, Dec. 10, 2011, five
“Oh Santa!,” Mariah Carey, Dec. 18, 2010, four
“A Baby Changes Everything,” Faith Hill, Dec. 20, 2008, three
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” Josh Groban, Dec. 22, 2007, three
“Frosty the Snowman,” Kimberley Locke, Dec. 15, 2007, one
“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” Daryl Hall John Oates, Dec. 30, 2006, two
“Jingle Bells,” Kimberley Locke, Dec. 23, 2006, one
“Up on the Housetop,” Kimberley Locke, Dec. 17, 2005, four
“Believe,” Josh Groban, Dec. 11, 2004, five
“Sending You a Little Christmas,” Jim Brickman with Kristy Starling, Jan. 3, 2004, one
“O Holy Night,” Josh Groban, Dec. 28, 2002, two
“Simple Things,” Jim Brickman feat. Rebecca Lynn Howard, Jan. 5, 2002, one
“The Christmas Shoes,” NewSong, Jan. 6, 2001, one

Spalding reigns in her first visit to the chart. Meanwhile, the collab is one of 15 holiday songs on the 30-position chart.

Legend lands his second AC No. 1, after “All of Me” spent 10 weeks on top in 2014.

Andy Garcia Makes Billboard Chart Debut with His Cover of ABBA’s “Fernando” with Cher

It’s a musical first for Andy Garcia

The 62-year-old Cuban actor is making his Billboard music chart as his cover of ABBA’s “Fernando” with music icon Cher debuts at No. 22 on the Adult Contemporary songs chart dated July 7.

Andy Garcia

The track appears on the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again film soundtrack, due July 14 via Decca Records.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again premieres in movie theaters on July 20 and is the sequel to the 2008 film Mamma Mia! Both movies were inspired by ABBA’s catalog of music, and the first film adapted the long-running stage musical of the same name.

Garcia and Cher are both new additions to theMamma Mia!cast. Cher plays Ruby Sheridan, the mother of Donna (Meryl Streep), while Garcia plays Fernando in the romantic comedy musical.


ABBA’s original version of “Fernando” is one of the quartet’s two AC leaders, having spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1976. The act led again with “The Winner Takes It All” in 1981.