NEW YORK — Brenda Lee’s recollections of her time in the studio to record “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” are somewhat vague. She recalls how the producer adorned the studio with festive decorations and turned on the air conditioning to simulate a wintry atmosphere on a warm day in Nashville. The talented musicians captured the track in just a few attempts, but such details are mere fragments from when Lee was only 13 years old, back in 1958.
Surprisingly, her upbeat holiday tune has seen a remarkable resurgence in popularity. Despite the general trend that holiday music often consists of time-honored classics, Lee’s song has experienced an exceptional evolution in its reception. In fact, last December, “Rockin’” surpassed Mariah Carey’s iconic hit “All I Want for Christmas is You” to claim the top spot on the Billboard charts, which made Lee, now 78, the oldest woman to achieve this significant milestone. Just a week later, she rewrote the record for the longest duration between the release of a song and its ascent to No. 1. However, this year she may face competition from Kendrick Lamar.
“It is a good song,” Lee stated. “It’s a song that anybody can sing. You can join in, you can sing it, everyone is happy. I sure am glad that I have it. I never thought in my life that a Christmas song would be my legacy. But I’ll take it.”
Music journalist Holly Gleason shared her own observations about the song while enjoying a coffee in Florida. As it played over the speakers, people of all ages, from parents to young adults, began singing and laughing. She described the song as “an ear worm on steroids,” and noted its enduring charm in her book “Woman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives,” which features Lee among other influential artists.
The track has a unique ability to sound both classic and modern. The original features catchy guitar riffs interwoven with Lee’s vocal performance, along with a memorable saxophone solo by Boots Randolph. The song zooms by in a brief two minutes and six seconds, making it a spirited holiday anthem.
Songwriter Johnny Marks, who had previously penned other holiday favorites such as “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” was specifically interested in collaborating with Lee in 1958. The choice was fitting, as her youthful voice perfectly encapsulated the song’s innocent holiday spirit, especially during a time when rock ‘n’ roll was just beginning to emerge. In the lyrics, she sings of mistletoe and couples trying to stop beneath it. Yet amusingly, at the time of recording, Lee had not yet experienced her first kiss, humorously confirming, “Lord, no. I wasn’t even allowed to date until I was 16.”
The song includes a number of common holiday references, like pumpkin pie and caroling, though some lyrics, such as “the new old-fashioned way,” remain somewhat puzzling. The appeal of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” as noted by Nathaniel Sloan, a musicologist at the University of Southern California, lies in its simplicity and nostalgic essence. He explains that holiday songs often conjure comforting memories of a happier past, irrespective of their actual historical context. Furthermore, the rockabilly style contributes significantly to its enduring freshness.
Despite being somewhat overlooked at its initial release in 1958, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” saw a resurgence in popularity two years later when Lee gained broader recognition through her other hits. Its remarkable comeback began 40 years afterward when the song featured prominently in the beloved holiday film “Home Alone,” further solidifying its status as a seasonal classic.
In a bid to maintain the song’s relevance, the record company has produced a new music video in 2023, featuring appearances by artists like Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. Additionally, they released a Spanish-language version titled “Noche Buena Y Navidad,” created using artificial intelligence to replicate Lee’s iconic voice.
Universal Music is planning a special celebration for Lee’s 80th birthday in Nashville. “She’s just a force and a character,” remarked Cindy Mabe, the chairwoman and CEO of the company. “She’s full of spunk in the same way that 13-year-old girl was.”
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2019. The song has amassed over 2.5 billion streams worldwide and has been certified seven times Platinum, indicating at least seven million sales. Numerous artists, including Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, and Kacey Musgraves, have offered their renditions of the holiday favorite.
Lee, having performed her timeless hit countless times throughout the years, recently sang it at a charity event. Remarkably, it even made her summer concert repertoire. While the exact financial earnings from the song remain vague, it’s expected that much of the revenue would go to Marks’ estate. As Lee candidly puts it, “It has never been a money thing for me. It’s been a love thing. The money is great, yes, and I’m grateful. But I would be singing it on the corner for pennies because that’s what I love to do.”