Eagles’ ‘A Philly Special Christmas’ tops the album charts

It scored No. 1 on Billboard's Top Compilation Album chart while raising over $250,000 for the Children's Crisis Treatment Center.

Charlie Hall, the drummer for The War on Drugs and Philadelphia Eagles linemen Jason Kelce, Jordan Mailata, and Lane Johnson (and others) at a recording session for 'A Philly Special Christmas.'Read more9.14 Pictures

by Beatrice Forman

Published Jan. 6, 2023, 9:09 a.m. ET

If this whole “going to the Super Bowl” thing doesn’t work out, maybe the Eagles offensive line should pursue music.

The charity holiday album A Philly Special Christmas recorded by center Jason Kelce and his O-line besties Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson topped four Billboard album charts this week.

A Philly Special Christmas sits at No. 1 on Billboard’s Compilation Album chart, which is typically filled with things like movie sound tracks and whatever the Now That’s What I Call Music! series dredges up. It’s also ranked No. 4 on the Top Current Album Sales, No. 8 on Independent Album, and No. 9 on the Top Album Sales charts.

The latter tabulates top-selling albums weekly based on traditional album sales and streaming equivalents. There, our trio of Birds is accompanied by the likes of Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and Fleetwood Mac.

Fortunately for the NOW! franchise, the Eagles’ chart-topping success is likely only a flash in the pan, since A Philly Special Christmas will not have another run of physical copies.

The concept for the seven-track holiday project allegedly started off as a joke between Kelce, Johnson, and Mailata, but became very real — and very successful — when several rounds of preorders for limited-edition green vinyls sold out in minutes. The album sold 3,000 copies before its official release on Dec. 23, and then nearly 11,000 more in the week that followed via digital album sales and streaming equivalents.

What exactly did Birds acolytes rush to buy? A chance to hear Kelce, Johnson, and Mailata harmonize on “White Christmas” and get jazzy on “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” with proceeds raising over $250,000 for the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center.

Produced by The War on Drugs’ drummer Charlie Hall, A Philly Special Christmas is apparently really good — and not just in a “dude bros singing karaoke” sort of way. Inquirer critic Dan DeLuca said the “album rises above novelty status without taking itself too seriously,” buoyed by Mailata, whose silky vocals won The Masked Singer in 2022.