Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" hits #1 on the Hot 100 65 years after its release

[Buster28]

Brenda Lee becomes the oldest (by far) artist to ever have a #1 single on the Hot 100. She turns 79 on the 11th and recorded the song when she was 13, just before becoming a superstar. Lee is one of the few American artists who can say the Beatles opened for HER when they were just starting out and she was playing dates in Europe.

The leap from 8-1 prevents Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" jumping to the top spot as it has for the last several Decembers. The article points out all the history that has been made with this, just the third holiday single to top the Hot 100, annual classic. Also in the top 10 this week: "Jingle Bell Rock" at #4, "Last Christmas" at #5, "Holly Jolly Christmas" at #6, and "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" at #10.

New Old-Fashioned No. 1: Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ Tops Hot 100, 65 Years After Its Release

The song rewrites multiple records as it tops the Hot 100 for the first time – 65 years after its release.

www.billboard.com

 

[pourcyne]

Eartha Kitt, Baby.

 

[Turn2]

Not surprised, considering the state of contemporary music.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Not surprised, considering the state of contemporary music.

The ability to control an endless catalog of music is the greatest advancement in human history since cable tv.

 

[JP4CY]

Love Brenda Lee's version. Stands the test of time.

Chuck Berry's Run Rudolph Run is a close second for me. I can listen to that all year.

 

[HFCS]

Does this mean people are finally getting tired of Mariah Carey? Great news if true. Time to ice that one for a few decades or forever.

 

[MeanDean]

Love Brenda Lee's version. Stands the test of time.

Chuck Berry's Run Rudolph Run is a close second for me. I can listen to that all year.

 

[JP4CY]

I always think of Home Alone when I hear that tune.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Music used to be something that you HAD to be able to do live, raw and natural. Now it's all auto tuned, over produced, super basic in general. It's just to sell records. Not like it was before the industry took hold and started pumping out pretty people, with repetitive crap.

 

[madguy30]

Music used to be something that you HAD to be able to do live, raw and natural. Now it's all auto tuned, over produced, super basic in general. It's just to sell records. Not like it was before the industry took hold and started pumping out pretty people, with repetitive crap.

It's always been about making money. It's why people made records and toured with some exceptions.

And through all the glossy stuff there's always been bands/artists that were not as popular but still needed to keep touring in order to make their money in the business.

 

[bos]

When she sings about the pumpkin pie it sounds like she says f-in pie. I can’t unhear it now that it stuck in my head that way. Great song though!

 

[Buster28]

Not surprised, considering the state of contemporary music.

It *is* the holiday season, though. Ever since Billboard changed their rules for what can chart on the Hot 100, old songs became eligible. That includes literally dozens of Christmas songs that take over the chart in early December through the first week of January. So, it's not so much an indictment of contemporary music, but simply a sign of the season when radio tends to play holiday tunes instead of whatever is current. But I am in no way saying your statement is wrong.

 

[3TrueFans]

Music used to be something that you HAD to be able to do live, raw and natural. Now it's all auto tuned, over produced, super basic in general. It's just to sell records. Not like it was before the industry took hold and started pumping out pretty people, with repetitive crap.

This is true if you only listen to the radio maybe, but the point was always to sell records.

 

[khardbored]

This is true if you only listen to the radio maybe, but the point was always to sell records.

True.
I think a bigger factor is that when the music-video era came along in full force (ie, MTV / VHS in the mid-1980's), how "good you look" became just as important as how "good you sound."

There were a lot of ugly or average looking musicians who made it big pre-1985. Not anymore.

(rant over).

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

True.
I think a bigger factor is that when the music-video era came along in full force (ie, MTV / VHS in the mid-1980's), how "good you look" became just as important as how "good you sound."

There were a lot of ugly or average looking musicians who made it big pre-1985. Not anymore.

(rant over).

Think before that. Before we could push a button and hear music. You either had to play the song yourself on an instrument or go to see it performed. Now everyone just hides behind technology.

 

[khardbored]

Think before that. Before we could push a button and hear music. You either had to play the song yourself on an instrument or go to see it performed. Now everyone just hides behind technology.

That's possible. Maybe music videos were more of a "last straw."

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

That's possible. Maybe music videos were more of a "last straw."

It's more than possible. You can't even record vocals without auto tune modern day because it would stick out like a sore thumb compared to everything else. Think about Boston. Imagine how much time was put into recording that music. You can do similar things with one take and computer aided editing now. Think about all the pop stars now. They started with Disney, have writers, auto tune live.

This lady at the top of the thread recorded into a tin can microphone and sounds amazing. Different levels.

 

[jbhtexas]

Love Brenda Lee's version. Stands the test of time.

Chuck Berry's Run Rudolph Run is a close second for me. I can listen to that all year.

I love Brenda Lee's original. Great production quality. The backing musicians were the top-caliber A-Team, which was Nashville's equivalent of the Wrecking Crew. I think it stands the test of time because it was so well-produced.

The producer was Owen Bradley, who along with Chet Atkins, is rather hated by country music purists for developing the Nashville Sound. I personally don't mind the Nashville sound, and if those two hadn't cleaned up the production quality of country music, it might not have survived. Buck Owens and Merle Haggard came up with the Bakersfield Sound as a reaction to Bradley/Atkins. The music of the Bakersfield Sound was more "raw", but Buck Owens built a top-class recording studio in Bakersfield and required the same excellent production quality and professionalism that Owens/Atkins did.

My favorite cover of Lee's original is the LeAnn Rimes version backed by most of the Brian Setzer Orchestra. It has a nice edge to it.

 

[Turn2]

...recorded into a tin can microphone and sounds amazing.

Hey, the electronics of the day weren't that bad. In fact, consumer electronics from the '70's probably exceeds anything since for performance and durability. Recording studios had even better gear. It's the computerized seasoning since that time that has displaced actual talent. Or maybe covered up the lack thereof. That and of course the visual aspect of who best distracts from the sound. Find a quartet that excels in a barroom/ballroom setting and then you've probably got some real musicians. They'll be nearly broke.

 

[BirdOfWar]

I always think of Home Alone when I hear that tune.

I believe Rockin Around the Christmas Tree was also in Home Alone......some classics.