No country Christmas playlist is complete without Brenda Lee. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is a staple of any good country holiday celebration. So, naturally, Lee performed the classic during Christmas at the Opry tonight (December 7). The song is about a rockin’ party, so it wouldn’t be right for Lee to sing the song alone. Watch her bring a stage full of talented performers together to spread some Yuletide joy.
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Lee closed out Christmas at the Opry in style. Surrounded by neon lights, Lil’ Miss Dynamite showed that she hadn’t lost a step after all these years. Seeing her, Wynonna Judd, and the rest of the Christmas at the Opry performers dance and sing to close the show was a highlight of the night.
Lee recorded and released “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in 1958. She was only 13 at the time. Since its initial release, the song has become a holiday staple. It even appeared in the modern Christmas classic Home Alone (1990). Some, including Lee herself, believe that its inclusion in the movie helped it reach its current level of popularity.
Brenda Lee Makes History with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
This month, after 65 years of climbing, the song finally reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The achievement added more than a No. 1 single to Lee’s impressive resume. The song’s long run to the top of the chart broke records and made history.
[RELATED: Brenda Lee Reflects on Her History-Making No. 1 Hit “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”]
“Rockin’…” has the longest run to the top of the Hot 100 chart. It took 65 years to get there. Additionally, it made Lee, 78, the oldest artist to land a Hot 100 No. 1. Lee also holds the record for the longest gap between No. 1 singles (63 years, 1.5 months) and the longest gap between first and most recent chart-toppers (63.3 years).
Lee recently spoke to Billboard about the achievement. “I like that God has given me that favor that I can stand aside and look and know that it wasn’t just me. It’s a conglomerate of a lot of people that made the song what it is,” she told the publication.
Lee is currently signed to UMG Nashville. The major label helped to push the song which helped it reach the top of the chart. About that, she said, “I’m happy for everybody here that’s worked so hard to make this happen because, in today’s world, everything moves so fast and furious. But I’m telling you this, my label has come to bat.”
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