Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ Finally Hits #1, 65 Years After Release

I was an on-air disk jockey for about 20 years part-time, and love the music of the 70s and 80s and classic country music. That said, I didn't know that Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree only ever got as far as #2 on the Billboard Charts, until THIS YEAR. (I was so glad to see it displace that awful Mariah Carey song! - I know I'm going to get a lot of hate on this). Brenda's song is THE Christmas song of the modern age. Further, there are so many awesome Christmas songs by Dolly Parton that should be at #1.... Here's the story from Billboard Magazine.

 

New Old-Fashioned No. 1: Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ Tops Hot 100, 65 Years After Its Release 

Lee leads for the first time since 1960, with only the third holiday No. 1 in the chart's history.

Brenda Lee dances merrily to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with her holiday classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” The song rewrites multiple records as it tops the chart for the first time – 65 years after its release. Lee, meanwhile, adds her third No. 1 – and her first since 1960. 

FOUR OTHER HISTORIC HITS ON TOP

 Plus, four other carols return to the Hot 100’s top 10: Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” up from No. 12 to No. 4; Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (13-5); Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (16-6); and Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (28-10).

Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” on Decca/MCA Nashville/UMe, becomes the 1,161st No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 65-year archives. Below, let’s unwrap the coronation of the song, whose history dates back just as long.

NEW 2023 65th ANNIVERSARY VIDEO! https://youtu.be/TFsZy9t-qDc?si=DbiwhFFdoza-bUA6

 

WHAT IS THE HOT 100? 

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated Dec. 9, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 5). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

TODAY'S AIRPLAY/ON-LINE PLAY 

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” drew 34.9 million streams (up 69%, as it wins top Streaming Gainer honors on the Hot 100) and 20.7 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 35%) and sold 3,000 downloads (up 39%) in the Nov. 24-30 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The single jumps 5-1 for a second week atop the Streaming Songs chart, after it first ruled the last frame of the 2022 holiday season; re-enters Digital Song Sales at No. 12, having reached a No. 4 high; and ascends 47-33 on Radio Songs, where it has hit a No. 17 best.

SONG CHART HISTORY 

 Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was originally recorded and released in 1958. Written by Johnny Marks and produced by Owen Bradley, it first hit the Hot 100 (at No. 64) dated Dec. 12, 1960 – after Lee had notched her first four top 10s that year – and reached an original No. 14 peak two weeks later.

The song went on to spend nine weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 between December 2019 and last holiday season. (Notably, it ties for the most weeks logged at No. 2 before rising to No. 1 at last, matching Billie Eilish’s wait with “Bad Guy” in 2019.)

For its 65th anniversary, Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” received its first official video, featuring cameos from country stars Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood, Nov. 3. Plus, Lee is set to perform it on NBC’s Christmas at the Opry, airing Dec. 7. As previously reported, Lee has also joined TikTok, where she’s been sharing posts about the song and her career. (She even took to the mic – a.k.a., a plane intercom – on a recent flight to perform the song.)