About Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

Jackson 5 Christmas Album is the first Christmas album, and fourth studio album, by Motown family quintet the Jackson 5, released in October 1970. Included on the Christmas Album is the Jackson 5's hit single version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". The Jackson 5's versions of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" remain frequent radio requests during the Christmas season. The album spent all four weeks at the number one position on Billboard magazine's special Christmas Albums chart that the magazine published in December 1970, making it the best-selling Christmas album of that year and also year 1972. This album was a top seller and had the potential to chart high on the Billboard 200, but from 1963 to 1973, holiday albums were not allowed to chart. It has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. The album has also been praised by critics.

In the US, the album was released on CD in 1986. In 2003, Universal Motown re-released the album as part of their 20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection series. This version of the album was remastered and included the Michael Jackson solo song "Little Christmas Tree" as a bonus track (from A Motown Christmas). In 2009, the album was once again re-released as Ultimate Christmas Collection with Christmas greetings from each of the band members, remixes, and a medley of songs from the album.

The release of Jackson 5 Christmas Album in October 1970 marked the end of a successful year for the band. Three albums were released by the group, with ABC in May and Third Album in September, with a tour running from May to December. The group recreated a similar feat the following year, with Maybe Tomorrow hitting record stores in April, the Goin' Back to Indiana soundtrack in September, and a greatest hits collection in December, with a tour which ran from January to August. In addition, Michael Jackson's solo debut single "Got to Be There", also hit the music stands in October, with the complete album of the same name coming out in January 1972.