"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is a Christmas song written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958 on Decca 9-30776.
Background
Although Decca released it in both 1958 and again in 1959, it did not sell well until Lee became a popular star in 1960; that Christmas season, it hit #14 on the Billboard pop chart and turned into a perennial holiday favorite. It continued to sell well during the holiday season, hitting #5 on the Christmas chart. Brenda Lee's recording still receives a great deal of airplay. Despite the song's title, its instrumentation also fits the Country genre which Brenda Lee more fully embraced as her career evolved. Despite her mature-sounding voice, she recorded this song when she was only 13 years old. The recording featured Hank Garland's ringing guitar and Boots Randolph's swinging solo sax break.
For decades, Brenda Lee's recording was the only notable version of the song. Radio stations ranging from Top 40 to Adult Contemporary to Country Music to Oldies to even Adult Standards played this version.
An instrumental version of the song appears as background music in the 1964 television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which exclusively featured music written by Marks. It can be heard first when Donner teaches Rudolph, before the The Abominable Snow Monster is introduced, and in the scene where Rudolph first arrives at the "Reindeer Games" and meets Fireball.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Disney Channel aired a DTV music video of the song, set to clips from Mickey's Christmas Carol.
In 2015, the song featured in the BBC Two comedy-drama A Gert Lush Christmas.
Lyrics
- Rockin' around the Christmas tree
- At the Christmas party hop
- Mistletoe hung where you can see
- Every couple tries to stop
- Rockin' around the Christmas tree
- Let the Christmas spirit ring
- Later we'll have some pumpkin pie
- And we'll do some caroling
- You will get a sentimental feeling
- When you hear
- Voices singing let's be jolly
- Deck the halls with boughs of holly
- Rockin' around the Christmas tree
- Have a happy holiday
- Everyone dancing merrily
- In the new old-fashioned way
- REPEAT THIRD AND FOURTH VERSES
Appearances in Christmas specials
- Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
- Home Alone
- Jingle All the Way
- Nickelodeon's Ho-Ho Holiday Special
- "Road to the North Pole"
- "The Christmas Special"
Album releases
| Album | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Have Yourself a Looney Tunes Christmas | 1994 | Sung by Foghorn Leghorn. This version was reused on Merry Christmas: Animaniacs & Looney Tunes in 1999. |
| Elmo Saves Christmas: Holiday Favorites | 1998 | Sung by Elmo. |
| It's A Hi-5 Christmas | 2001 | Sung by Hi-5 |
| Disney's Merry Little Christmas | 2006 | |
| Nick Jr. Winter Wonderland | 2006 | |
| Acoustic Hearts of Winter | 2006 | |
| Disney Channel Holiday | 2007 | Performed by Hannah Montana. |
| The Archies Christmas Album featuring Betty & Veronica | 2008 | |
| Dora's Christmas | 2009 | |
| Merry Nickmas | 2012 | Performed by Victoria Justice. |
| Disney Channel Holiday Playlist | 2012 | Performed by Bella Thorne. |
| Jingle Bell Fun | 2012 | Sung by Randy Crenshaw |
| Glee: The Music, the Christmas Album Volume 4 | 2013 | Sung by the Glee Cast. |
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