65 Years After Its Release, Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” Hits No. 1

Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” is officially a chart-topping hit 65 years after its release!

Brenda Lee was only 13 when she recorded “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” in 1958. By 2008, the song’s 50 year anniversary, Lee’s recording had sold over 25 million copies and a decade later was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. But, despite its commercial success, “Rockin'” had never topped any chart since its release.

That all changed Monday when the 78-year-old saw the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time. The unexpected news was also history making for Brenda Lee who became the oldest woman to ever top the Hot 100 chart, surpassing Mariah Carey who held the record at 53 for her hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

“Rockin'” also set the record for the longest period of time between a song’s original release and the topping of that chart (65 years); and, the longest period between number one singles by an artist (63 years). Her last No. 1 single was “I Want To Be Wanted” which was released in 1960.

A few days prior to the news of “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” hitting No. 1, Brenda Lee appeared on The Bobby Bones Show where she reminisced about the song and credited the 1990 film Home Alone for the song’s success.

“I had recorded it and it just laid around and really didn’t do anything,” Lee recalled. “It was played, but nobody went crazy over it.”

Lee shared that she didn’t know the song had been used in Home Alone until a friend called to tell her.

“Somebody called me. I’ll never forget. They said, ‘Brenda, have you seen the movie Home Alone?’ I said, ‘No.’ They said, ‘Well, your song is all over it,'” Lee remembered before crediting the movie with being the “catalyst that pushed it to where it went.”

Brenda Lee learned that “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” had reached No. 1 from UMG Nashville CEO, Cindy Mabe, who captured the moment on camera. Lee was immediately in tears over the news. “Oh, that’s fabulous,” the singer said, clearly shocked by the news.

Watch the touching moment Brenda Lee learned that “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” hit No. 1 in the video below.