This Christmas Song Just Hit a Monumental Milestone
By Movieguide® Contributor
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” just became the first holiday song by a female country artist to surpass 1 billion streams, though the song’s creator, Brenda Lee, remains humble amid the success.
Last year, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” skyrocketed in popularity, dethroning Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” as the No. 1 holiday song for the first time since 2019. Lee seems poised to continue her run at the top with the song surpassing the milestone of 1 billion streams on Dec. 10.
“I was dumbfounded when I heard it,” Lee told PEOPLE. “I can’t even think that high, much less say it!”
Lee’s surprise about her song’s success perhaps comes from its start in obscurity. The song was initially a flop when it was released in the 1950s. However, its popularity slowly began to rise in the ’60s as Lee became a better-known artist. But it wasn’t until the ’90s that the song became truly widespread.
“Somebody called me one day and said, ‘Brenda, have you seen that new movie?’ I said, ‘No, which one?’ And they said, ‘HOME ALONE. Your song is all over it,’” the singer recalled. “And that’s really when it started.”
Last year, however, brought the song to even new heights as it became the holiday music pick for millions. To celebrate the success, Lee released the song’s first music video last winter. This year she has gone even bigger, selling vinyls in Target and releasing a Spanish version with the help of AI. Lee, however, has remained humble and still focuses on her family during the holiday season rather than her fame.
“I’m kind of old fashioned,” she said. “I like to have my family and all my friends come over. We celebrate and have a good time. I always have a live, green tree. I like the smell of it. I have ornaments from the time my kids were little. We always put those on along with the new ones that we add every year.”
READ MORE: BRENDA LEE’S ‘ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE’ HITS NO. 1 FOR THE FIRST TIME
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