12/17/2025
Summit Essentials – A Very Special Christmas (1987)
Originally released in October 1987, A Very Special Christmas would become one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time and, in the process, raise millions of dollars for the Special Olympics.
Assembled by producer Jimmy Iovine, the collection featured a who’s who of pop and rock stars of the era, including Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Eurythmics, U2, Madonna, Sting, and many more, all tackling holiday standards. Critics applauded, radio embraced it, and fans gladly plunked down their dollars in the name of both charity and entertainment.
Tracks like U2’s cover of the Darlene Love classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”—originally from A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector—and Mellencamp’s take on “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” received countless spins on radio, while Run-D.M.C. delivered “Christmas in Hollis” to represent the hip-hop contingent.
Stevie Nicks, Whitney Houston, the Pretenders, Bon Jovi, and others rounded out the set with tracks largely unavailable elsewhere. Also joining in the reindeer games were many of the era’s top session players.
The album became a seasonal favorite and continued to sell its fair share each Christmastime for years to come. A decade after its initial release, it had sold more than four million copies and remains in print nearly 40 years later.
Tune in to the Summit FM all day Thursday, December 18, to hear your favorites from this classic as we feature A Very Special Christmas throughout the day.
