Brenda Lee's 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' tops charts 65 years after release
(WJW) — Brenda Lee's 65-year-old holiday classic "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" has reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time. The 78-year-old singer breaks multiple records with the latest ranking.
According to reports from Billboard, it became the third holiday song to ever hold the top spot, following “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)” and Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You." But "Rocki' Around the Christmas Tree" is setting an all-new record, representing the longest that a song has waited to top the charts in Billboard Hot 100 history since it was first released, according to reports.
It's Lee's third No. 1 song in her career and the first since 1960. Then, the child singer's hits “I’m Sorry” and “I Want To Be Wanted” both charted, according to Billboard.
As reported by People, Lee was only 13 years old when she recorded the 1958 classic. Now, she's the oldest artist to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
The top ranking comes after the first-ever music video for "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was released on November 3. So far, the video has more than 3.35 million views on YouTube. On Monday, Lee shared on Facebook that the song is also topping charts on Spotify.
The Atlanta singer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Her introduction on the Rock Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's website reads, "Singers like Brenda Lee are born, not made. Which isn’t to say that Brenda Lee didn’t work hard—you don't get the Beatles as your opening act by resting on your laurels."