Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ Hits No. 1 on the Charts for First Time at 65th Anniversary
‘Tis the season of Christmas tunes. 78-year-old Brenda Lee has a lot to celebrate this year, as her popular Christmas song “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” has reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, 65 years after it was first released in 1958. Lee was just a teenager when she recorded the classic song and has now made history as the oldest person to top the chart. She also broke the record for the longest time period between the song’s release and reaching No. 1 on the chart and the longest time period between the artist’s No. 1 hits.
Lee has been seen getting into the Christmas spirit and celebrating her accomplishments, appearing in the song’s first-ever music video. In the video, Lee looks stunning in a long red gown as she lip-syncs her classic tune while scenes of families celebrating Christmas pop up. Country singers Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood appear in the video as well. Lee also joined the popular social media app TikTok to promote her song, share memories, and announce that she will be performing the song during NBC’s Christmas at the Opry on December 7.
While the song was released in 1958, it wasn’t on the charts until 1960, when it only reached No. 14. In 2019 and 2022, it made its way up to No. 2, but this is the first time it reached the coveted top spot. It is also only the third holiday song to reach No. 1 including 1958’s “The Chipmunk Song” by The Chipmunks with David Seville and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
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Billboard shared about the momentous occasion, “Lee is 78 years young; her new Hot 100 coronation will add to her birthday celebration Dec. 11. She becomes the senior-most artist to top the chart, surpassing Louis Armstrong, who was 62 when ‘Hello, Dolly!’ led in 1964. Among women, Lee passes the likewise busy Cher, who was 52 when ‘Believe’ ruled the Hot 100.”
@brendaleeofficial #RockinAroundTheChristmasTree ♬ Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
Be sure to check out her new TikTok to learn more about the song and some of Lee’s memories (you don’t even need a TikTok account to watch these!). Now tell us, what’s your favorite Christmas song of all time?
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