Honky Tonk Christmas

Honky Tonk Christmas is the fourth studio album and the first Christmas album by country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released on October 12, 1993, by Arista Records. The title track, "A Holly Jolly Christmas" and "I Only Want You for Christmas" charted on the Hot Country Songs charts.

Honky Tonk Christmas
Studio album (Christmas) by Alan Jackson
Released	October 12, 1993
Genre	Christmas country
Length	31:43
Label	Arista
Producer	Keith Stegall
Alan Jackson chronology
A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love) (1992) Honky Tonk Christmas (1993) Who I Am (1994)

"Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)" was originally recorded by John Denver for his 1973 album Farewell Andromeda. Jackson's version of "A Holly Jolly Christmas" first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, while "Santa's Gonna Come in a Pickup Truck" was also included on the 1994 Alvin and the Chipmunks album A Very Merry Chipmunk.

"Honky Tonk Christmas" was released on vinyl for the first time in October 2023 for the album's 30th anniversary.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B+ [2]
Los Angeles Times	[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]

Track listing

CD

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Duet partner (s)	Length
1.	"Honky Tonk Christmas"	Buddy Brock Zack Turner Kim Williams		2:53
2.	"The Angels Cried"	Harley Allen Debbie Nims	Alison Krauss	2:51
3.	"If We Make It Through December"	Merle Haggard		2:45
4.	"If You Don't Wanna See Santa Claus Cry"	Keith Stegall		3:14
5.	"I Only Want You for Christmas"	Turner Tim Nichols		3:20
6.	"Merry Christmas to Me"	Alan Jackson		2:53
7.	"A Holly Jolly Christmas"	Johnny Marks		2:16
8.	"There's a New Kid in Town"	Don Cook Curly Putman Keith Whitley	Keith Whitley	4:09
9.	"Santa's Gonna Come in a Pickup Truck"	Don Rich Red Simpson	Alvin and the Chipmunks	4:08
10.	"Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)"	Bill Danoff Taffy Nivert		3:20
Total length:				31:49

Personnel

• Alan Jackson – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Vanessa Adiar – choir
• Harley Allen – mandolin
• Cindy Ashcraft – choir
• Ross Bagdasarian Jr. – speaking part
• Eddie Bayers – drums
• Ashley Berry – choir
• Mark Casstevens – banjo
• Angela Chancellor – choir
• Alvin and the Chipmunks – vocals on "Santa's Gonna Come in a Pickup Truck"
• Jennifer Cockrell – choir
• Eric Darken – percussion
• Stuart Duncan – fiddle, mandolin
• Joe Fisher – choir
• Rhonda Forlaw – choir
• Paul Franklin – pedal steel guitar
• Kelly Giedt – choir
• Dottie Hahn – choir
• Frank Hamlin – choir
• Chris Harris – backing vocals
• Mike Haynes – backing vocals
• Steve Hood – choir
• Jim Horn – saxophone
• Roy Huskey Jr. – bass
• Dick Kaiser – choir
• Janice Karmen – speaking part
• Wayne Kirkpatrick – backing vocals
• Alison Krauss – vocals on "The Angels Cried"
• Jimmy Kull – choir
• Brent Mason – electric guitar
• Richard Morris – choir
• Weldon Myrick – pedal steel guitar
• Kerri Pauley – choir
• Jon Robbin – choir
• Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano, backing vocals
• Kara Ross – choir
• Bruce Rutherford – backing vocals
• John Wesley Ryles – backing vocals
• Roxane Stueve – choir
• Kris Sultemeir – choir
• Tom Thornton – choir
• Jim Vest – pedal steel guitar
• Bruce Watkins – acoustic guitar
• Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
• Keith Whitley – vocals on "There's a New Kid in Town"
• Glenn Worf – bass

Charts and certifications

Honky Tonk Christmas peaked at No. 42 on the U.S. Billboard 200, and No. 7 on the Top Country Albums. In January 1998, Honky Tonk Christmas was certified Platinum by the RIAA. It has sold 1,324,800 copies in the U.S. as of November 2017.^[5]

Charts Chart (1993) Peak position U.S. Billboard 200[6] 43 U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums[6] 7 U.S. Billboard Top Holiday Albums 4

Sales and certifications Region Provider Certification Sales/shipments United States RIAA Platinum[7] 1,324,800[5]