In the world of Christmas music, Mariah Carey has been the undisputed queen for decades with her iconic song “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” But 65 years after its release, Brenda Lee's Christmas song “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree” finally landed at number one on playlists.
The song managed to dethrone Mariah Carey and became a phenomenon again, decades after its debut. “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree” has been a Christmas classic since its release in 1958.
For years, this catchy tune continued to make it onto Christmas playlists, although it was always overshadowed by Mariah Carey's dominant “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” However, 2023 marked a radical shift in this dynamic.
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In recent years, streaming playlists have given “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree” a significant boost, sending it to number two several times, always falling short of Carey's ubiquitous hit.
But at the age of 78, this music legend decided to take advantage of new digital platforms like TikTok to keep his musical legacy current. Brenda Lee not only released a new video for her classic song, but also joined the popular short video app where she quickly gained followers He became a sensation on the platform.
In the first week of Christmas 2023, the singer finally overtook Mariah Carey at the top of the playlist, by a narrow margin separated by just a few million streams.
With 34.9 million streams attributed to “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree” this week, it surpassed “All I Want for Christmas Is You”'s figure of 32.4, according to tracking service Luminate.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” became the most played song every holiday season and has maintained its dominance over the last four years to date.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Brenda Lee expressed her surprise and gratitude for this success. “I never in my wildest dreams thought 'Rockin' would be my signature song,” the singer said.The song he released more than six decades ago finally reached the top of playlistsproving that Christmas music has lasting power and that Brenda Lee's talent remains relevant.
The artist's success with “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree” is historic, as it took 65 years for the song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 after its initial release in 1958. This record once again displaces Mariah Carey classic, which took 25 years to reach the same milestone.