Brenda Lee landed her third No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” This is more than a new chart-topper for Lee. She also broke multiple chart records with her latest trip to the pinnacle of the survey.
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Lee originally released “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in 1958. However, it didn’t chart until two years later, after she had seen chart success with other songs. It peaked at No. 14 on the Hot 100, per Billboard. More recently, the holiday classic climbed to No. 2 on the all-genre chart. It spent nine weeks there between 2019 and the 2022 holiday season. As a result, it tied Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” for most weeks at No. 2 before reaching the top.
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Brenda Lee Breaks Chart Records with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
Additionally, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” broke the chart record for longest run to No. 1. Interestingly, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” formerly held the title. It took 25 years for the 1994 song to hit the top of the Hot 100 in 2019. Lee’s chart-topper comes 65 years after the song’s initial release.
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This trip to the top of the all-genre chart also puts Lee in a rare club. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is the third holiday song to top the chart. Carey’s Christmas classic and “The Chipmunk Song” by The Chipmunks and Dave Seville were the other two.
Her latest chart-topper also brings Lee the distinction of having the longest span between her first and most recent No. 1 single. She first topped the chart with “I’m Sorry” in 1960. That gives her a gap of 63 years and four months. Additionally, she has a longer gap between No. 1 singles than any other artist. 63 years, one month and two weeks passed between her last No. 1 single “I Want to Be Wanted” in 1960, and this one.
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Additionally, at the age of 78, Lee became the eldest artist to land a single at the top of the Hot 100 chart.
Lee will be among the performers on Christmas at the Opry later this week. Chances are, she’ll perform her record-breaking holiday hit during the special.
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