Her memories of recording 91裸聊视频淩ockin91裸聊视频� Around the Christmas Tree91裸聊视频� are a little hazy. She remembers the producer placing decorations around the studio and blasting the air conditioner on a warm Nashville day to create a holiday spirit. The musicians, she recalls, nailed it in a couple of takes.
That91裸聊视频檚 about it. After all, Brenda Lee was 13 years old at the time 91裸聊视频� and it was 66 years ago, in 1958.
Somewhat implausibly, her celebration of a 91裸聊视频淐hristmas party hop91裸聊视频� is more popular today than ever before. It91裸聊视频檚 an unusual trajectory, even accounting for the fact that music listeners during the holiday season tend to embrace songs they91裸聊视频檝e known for years.
91裸聊视频淩ockin91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� eclipsed Mariah Carey91裸聊视频檚 perennial favorite last December to top the Billboard music chart and make Lee, at age 78, the oldest woman to achieve that feat. A week later, following a birthday, she beat her own mark. Kendrick Lamar likely stands in her way of doing it again this year.
Another record: Sixty-five years represented the longest interval between a record being released and making it to No. 1.
91裸聊视频淚t is a good song,91裸聊视频� Lee told The Associated Press. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 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 I91裸聊视频檒l take it.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频楢n ear worm on steroids91裸聊视频�
It91裸聊视频檚 a phenomenon that music journalist Holly Gleason noticed recently while stopping for coffee in Nashville, near the neighborhood where Lee lives. The song came over the loudspeaker and the room 91裸聊视频� parents, kids, hipsters 91裸聊视频� erupted in singing and laughter. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 kind of an ear worm on steroids,91裸聊视频� said Gleason, whose 2017 book 91裸聊视频淲oman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives91裸聊视频� featured Lee, among others.
The song manages the neat trick of sounding retro yet not dated. Sweet guitar licks snake around Lee91裸聊视频檚 voice in the original recording. Boots Randolph91裸聊视频檚 saxophone solo drives it home. The party flies by quickly, the song over in two minutes, six seconds.
Composer Johnny Marks already had some seasonal hits to his credit, including 91裸聊视频淩udolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淎 Holly Jolly Christmas.91裸聊视频� He specifically sought out Lee for his new song in 1958 and it91裸聊视频檚 easy to see why: Who better to convey its innocence and spirit than a 13-year-old girl at the forefront of the Baby Boom? Rock 91裸聊视频榥91裸聊视频� roll was in its infancy then, too.
In the song, Lee sings about 91裸聊视频渕istletoe hung where you can see, every couple tries to stop.91裸聊视频�
In real life, she hadn91裸聊视频檛 experienced her first kiss. 91裸聊视频淟ord, no,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淣ot to say I didn91裸聊视频檛 want to. I wasn91裸聊视频檛 even allowed to date until I was 16.91裸聊视频�
What is the 91裸聊视频榥ew old-fashioned way,91裸聊视频� anyway?
The song hits plenty of holiday reference points 91裸聊视频� pumpkin pie, caroling, boughs of holly. You can overlook the part of the chorus that doesn91裸聊视频檛 make much sense: what is the 91裸聊视频渘ew old-fashioned way,91裸聊视频� exactly?
The simplicity of 91裸聊视频淩ockin91裸聊视频� Around the Christmas Tree91裸聊视频� is a big part of its appeal, said Nathaniel Sloan, a musicologist at the University of Southern California and co-host of the 91裸聊视频淪witched on Pop91裸聊视频� podcast. Like many successful holiday songs, it evokes nostalgia for a happier, more peaceful time 91裸聊视频� even if that91裸聊视频檚 more imagination than reality, he said.
The style is more rockabilly than traditional rock or country, and Sloan believes that has much to do with why it continues to sound fresh.
91裸聊视频淭he thing that has always stunned me about the song is that you91裸聊视频檙e listening to a 13-year-old91裸聊视频檚 performance, and it doesn91裸聊视频檛 sound that way to me,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 a depth to the vocal, even a weathered quality, that I can91裸聊视频檛 believe she was so young. It91裸聊视频檚 pitch-perfect.91裸聊视频�
For all of its success, the song was barely noticed upon its release in 1958. Not until two years later, when Lee91裸聊视频檚 profile was higher through hits like 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 Sorry,91裸聊视频� did it make the music charts. Its biggest boost came 40 years after that, when 91裸聊视频淩ockin91裸聊视频� Around the Christmas Tree91裸聊视频� was featured in the hit movie 91裸聊视频淗ome Alone.91裸聊视频� The movie itself has become a holiday staple, giving more exposure to the song each year.
Her record company continues to push the song, recording a video in 2023 that included guest appearances by Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. This year it has released 91裸聊视频淣oche Buena Y Navidad,91裸聊视频� a Spanish-language version using artificial intelligence to create a vocal derived from Lee91裸聊视频檚 voice.
The record company is throwing Lee a birthday party
Universal Music is holding a party for her in Nashville to celebrate her 80th birthday on Wednesday. 91裸聊视频淪he91裸聊视频檚 just a force and a character,91裸聊视频� said Cindy Mabe, the company91裸聊视频檚 chairwoman and CEO. 91裸聊视频淪he91裸聊视频檚 full of spunk in the same way that 13-year-old girl was.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淩ockin91裸聊视频� Around the Christmas Tree91裸聊视频� made the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2019. It has been streamed more than 2.5 billion times globally and certified seven times Platinum, meaning at least seven million copies sold. Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Meghan Trainor, Kacey Musgraves and the duo of Darlene Love & Ronnie Spector are among the artists who91裸聊视频檝e covered it.
Lee has sung it countless times over the years, most recently at a charity event last year. It made her concert setlist even in the heat of summer. How much money the song has earned is murky; the record company wouldn91裸聊视频檛 talk about it. The bulk of its income would likely go to Marks91裸聊视频� estate.
91裸聊视频淚t has never been a money thing for me,91裸聊视频� Lee said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been a love thing. The money is great, yes, and I91裸聊视频檓 grateful. But I would be singing it on the corner for pennies because that91裸聊视频檚 what I love to do.91裸聊视频�
