Brenda Lee just broke a couple of records with her holiday hit “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” The song took over the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 a whole 65 years after it was first released.
Many consider Mariah Carey the Queen of Christmas due to her timeless hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” but Lee may be in the running for the title, too. She first recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in 1958, after it was written by Johnny Marks. Marks also wrote the holiday hits “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas.” Unsurprisingly, combining the talents of Lee and Marks resulted in the creation of a true holiday classic with a bluesy rock twist.
It did take several years for the song to gain the recognition it deserved. However, once listeners started to take note of the song, it became apparent that it was here to stay as an evergreen holiday hit.
For the past decade, the song has annually returned to the Billboard Hot 100 as soon as the holidays roll around. The #1 spot has been difficult for the song to nab, though, especially with “All I Want For Christmas Is You” often snatching that coveted position. In fact, for four years in a row, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” reached #2 on the chart in December but couldn’t quite beat Carey’s hit. However, Lee has now officially toppled the Queen of Christmas’ reign.
Brenda Lee’s hit is #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
For the first time since its release 65 years ago, Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. At age 78, Lee is now the oldest female artist to attain the top position on the Hot 100. Additionally, she has broken the record for the longest amount of time between a song’s release and its attainment of the top spot on Billboard‘s chart. Lastly, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is now the third holiday song in history to reach #1.
The exact moment Lee found out that her song was the #1 song in the country was captured on video. In the video, UMG Records CEO Cindy Mabe breaks the news to an emotional Lee, who comments on how many years it has been and how happy Marks must be from the “other side.” Lee also later revealed that Carey sent her flowers to congratulate her. The supportive and positive response to her achievement has been nothing short of heartwarming.
How old was Brenda Lee when she sang “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”?
What makes Lee’s achievement even more remarkable is the history behind “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” One of the reasons why the song is so appealing is because of the uniqueness of Lee’s raspy, mature, rockabilly vocals. However, listeners will be shocked to learn that Lee wasn’t even an adult when she recorded her hit. Lee was just 13 years old when Marks recruited her to record his song. It’s a testimony to her immense talent that listeners today would never guess those powerful vocals came from a child.
Her career had just taken off when her producer, Owen Bradley, suggested she record “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” She recalled that Bradley “really believed” in the song and that she happened to love it, too. Lee also acknowledged that the song didn’t immediately take off. Something that helped bolster its modern success was Home Alone. The song was played in the iconic 1990 holiday movie, which Lee noted gave it “a big, big boost.” It never came down from that boost and kept getting bigger and bigger. Now, that song that was recorded by a 13-year-old newcomer to the industry is the biggest song in America 65 years later.
(featured image: Jason Kempin / Getty)
