Consider This from NPR - 65 Years After Release, A Rockin' Christmas Classic Hits Number One

Episode Date: December 8, 2023

Brenda Lee was just 13 years old when she recorded "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" in 1958. It's a true Christmas classic, a bouncy earworm — and pretty much everyone knows the lyrics. But it's never made it to number one on Billboard's Hot 100 — until now.NPR's Scott Detrow spoke with the 78-year-old about her long career and how she feels now that her iconic holiday tune is finally at the top of the charts.Email us at [e-mail] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In case you don't recognize that famous high note, it's Mariah Carey in a social media video she dropped on November 1st this year. In the video, she breaks out of a frozen vault wearing a skin-tight red Santa outfit to let us know it's time for... All I Want for Christmas is You. For so many people in recent decades, it's become the Christmas song. And it's climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 every single year since 2019. But... 100 every single year since 2019. But there's another holiday classic that's been nipping

at Mariah's heels for years. Brenda Lee's 1958 hit Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. This year, her record label went all in to finally push the song to number one. There was a new music video with a cameo from Trisha Yearwood and Tanya Tucker. And Lee got a TikTok account at 78 years old. Hello, Brenda Maters. Grandmother is here. It worked. This week, 65 years after its release, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

topped the Billboard Hot 100 for the very first time. You will get a sentimental feeling When you hear Voices singing Let's be jolly Deck the halls with boughs of party Coming up, Brenda Lee on her new old-fashioned hit and a remarkable career. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow. It's Friday, December 8th.

It's Consider This from NPR. Brenda Lee has earned a lot of accolades in her career, and she's much bigger than a single Christmas song. She's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and also the Country Music Hall of Fame. But a number one hit is still a big deal, especially all these years later. So that's where we started our conversation. I feel like I need to start the interview by saying congratulations. You did it. You're number one. Well, you know what? That is still not connecting with my brain. I'm just so thrilled for the writer. I was very close to the writer, Johnny Marks,

and I wish he was here to witness all this, but it's a great song. It's a wonderful song, and Lord, has it been good to me. I never thought that a Christmas song would be my signature song, but it is. And I'm proud of it. You know, there's always a moment to me every November where I'm in the store and I hear a Christmas song for the first time and I think, oh, all right, it's Christmas season. I'm wondering, do you have a moment each year where you hear yourself in a store or out there when you hear Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree for the first time for the season? And what does that feel like? It still feels pretty surreal. It really does. And when I say that, people say, oh, Brenda, good Lord, that thing came out when you were 12 or 13 or however old you were. I said, but you know what?

It never gets old. Can we go back to when you first recorded it? Because you just mentioned right there you were 13 when the song came out. And I think this latest generation of fans have been surprised to learn you were so young because your voice sounds so full in the recording. You do not sound like a 13-year-old. I mean, what was going on in your life at that time? What do you remember about going into the recording studio and recording

this song? Well, I remember that my great producer, Owen Bradley, he had the air conditioning turned to zero because we recorded it, of course, in the summer, and he had a Christmas tree up, and we just had a great time doing it. You know, good songs are easy, there's been so much attention. You've been climbing the charts. There's been this push to get this to number one. And, of course, Mariah Carey is the other singer who, in recent years, has been so identified with the number one Christmas hit. Have you and her had any conversation in recent weeks, I'm wondering? No, but I'd love to. I love Mariah. I'm a big fan. Her Christmas song is great. You know, there's room for all of us. And if it's

good, it's everything. Well, I listen to both of you a lot around this time of year, so I appreciate you both. I bet you do. I bet you get tired of us. Not for another few weeks. Well, that's big of you. Thank you so much. You mentioned before you are totally fine with the fact that this is the song that is in people's minds. But I wanted to talk about the rest of your career, if you're up for it for a few minutes. Absolutely. There's an anecdote that's floated around a lot of the profiles that mentions that there was one point in time where the Beatles opened for you. That's exactly right. I used to work with the guys when I first started going to England, touring over there, and just loved them.

I was closest, I guess, to John, knew they were going to be huge, brought back a little acetate that they made for me. And I took it to my record company and I said, I need you to hear these guys and I need you to sign them. Well, they turned them down. And, of course, the next thing you know, it's all about the Beatles. So you just never know. But I knew they were good. You know, you had success so young. And so many people who have success so young have a harder time in life. It seems like you've lived a really fulfilling, long life.

It seems like things have worked out pretty well. What do you think the trick was to navigating being so famous early on in your teen years and coming out of it seemingly pretty okay? Well, I think the greatest thing was nobody ever told me I was famous. I loved what I did. I loved singing. I loved the whole scope of the industry. And I just wanted to be a part of it. I didn't have to be number one to be happy. And I think when you can get to that place in life, in anything that you do, you're going to be number one to be happy. And I think when you can get to that place in life and anything that you do, you're going to be successful. Of your other hits that people these days might not be as much familiar with, what's your favorite? What's one that we should make

sure to include in this segment? Well, you need to include I'm sorry. I'm sorry. So sorry. That I was such a fool. The early stuff. Because that's really how I cut my teeth and learned what I was doing. I appreciate the songwriters that brought them to me. I appreciate the great A-team, the musicians, because they were like my big brothers and the Anita Kerr singers. It's just listening to all these great guys do their thing and share their talent with me.

Love was blind and I was too blind to see. And it just don't get any better than that. Well, Brenda Lee, I've got to say, I get a sentimental feeling every time I hear your song, and it was truly wonderful to talk to you. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to you, and congratulations again.

The number one song in the country right now, rocking around the Christmas tree. Thank you. Keep on rocking. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow.