Neil Diamond Shines With 38th Adult Contemporary Chart Top 10

The icon's "The Christmas Medley (Acoustic Christmas)" climbs 11-10.

Pop legend Neil Diamond lands his 38th top 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary radio airplay chart, as "The Christmas Medley (Acoustic Christmas)" rises 11-10 (on the survey dated Jan. 7, 2017).

Diamond moves within one of Elton John's record for the most top 10s since the chart premiered in the Billboard issue dated July 17, 1961 (see list, below).

"Medley" is from Diamond's recently-released album Acoustic Christmas. The set hits a new high on the Jan. 7-dated Holiday Albums chart, rising 8-6, and boasts the highest weekly sales of its eight weeks on the ranking (16,000, up 8 percent, in the week ending Dec. 22, according to Nielsen Music).

Diamond earns his first AC top 10 since his last entry on the chart, fellow carol "Cherry Cherry Christmas," hit No. 4 on Jan. 2, 2010. He links his first pair of consecutive top 10s since 1989, when "This Time" and "The Best Years of Our Lives" reached Nos. 9 and 7, respectively.

Among Diamond's 38 AC top 10s are eight No. 1s. He led the list the longest with his first No. 1, "Song Sung Blue," which ruled for seven weeks in 1972.

Diamond is set to begin his 50 Year Anniversary World Tour April 7 in Fresno, California. He first hit the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1966 with "Solitary Man." "People have been loyal and listening for years, so you just want to give them everything," Diamond recently said. "Let it all wash over them, and make sure everybody has a great time."

Here is an updated ranking of the acts with the most top 10s in the AC chart's 55-year history:

Acts With the Most Adult Contemporary Top 10s
39, Elton John
38, Neil Diamond
35, Barbra Streisand
31, Elvis Presley
29, Dionne Warwick
28, Barry Manilow
28, Kenny Rogers
24, Chicago
24, Whitney Houston
24, James Taylor
24, Bobby Vinton