As the format continues to focus heavily on holiday music, Barry Manilow collects his first Adult Contemporary top 10 since 1989, while Richard Marx makes his first appearance in the chart’s top tier since 1998.
Manilow’s “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” zooms 13-2 as the chart’s Greatest Gainer. The song ranks behind only Rod Stewart‘s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,” which leads for a second frame after last week becoming his first AC No. 1 since 1993.
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Manilow had last ranked in the AC top 10 with the No. 7 hit “Keep Each Other Warm” in July 1989. “Santa” marks his 28th top 10 on the survey, tying him with Kenny Rogers for the sixth-best sum in the chart’s 51-year history. Elton John leads with 38 top 10s, followed by Neil Diamond (37), Barbra Streisand (35), Elvis Presley (31) and Dionne Warwick (29). “Santa” represents Manilow’s highest rank since “Read ‘Em and Weep” logged a six-week reign in 1983-84.
“Santa,” Manilow’s milestone 50th AC hit, appears on his new holiday compilation, “The Classic Christmas Album.”
Manilow scored his first 22 AC top 10s with his first 22 singles promoted to the format (excluding the No. 33-peaking holiday single “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve” in 1977), beginning with his introductory two-week No. 1 “Mandy” in 1974. His 13 career AC No. 1s trail only Elton John (16) and the Carpenters (15).
Fellow AC vet Marx returns to the top 10 for the first time since early 1998, as “Little Drummer Boy” beats a 14-7 path. The track is Marx’s 14th top 10 and first since “At the Beginning,” with Donna Lewis, peaked at No. 2 for six weeks in 1997-98. Marx first graced the chart’s top 10 with “Endless Summer Nights” in 1988 and has scored four No. 1s, including the 11-week leader “Now and Forever” in 1994.
“Drummer” is available on Marx’s first seasonal set, “Christmas Spirit,” which debuted on the Holiday Albums chart at No. 21 last month.
Adult Contemporary, along with Billboard.com’s entire menu of charts, will refresh Thursday (Dec. 6).