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"Rockin' around the Christmas Tree" is a Christmas song, written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958 on Decca 9-30776. 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 #16 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 as late as 1984. 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.
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 in the scene where Rudolph first arrives at the "Reindeer Games" and meets another reindeer named Fireball.
The song has been covered by numerous artists, with one of the most successful versions being recorded by Kim Wilde and Mel Smith featuring Pete Thomas. It reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart during the 1987 Christmas season.
Other notable covers include:
- Alvin and the Chipmunks, Christmas with the Chipmunks (1963)
- Hanson, Snowed In (1997)
- Jessica Simpson & Rosie O'Donnell, Another Rosie Christmas(2001)
- Vienna Boys' Choir The Christmas Album (2003)
- Arena Venus, Yuletide Swank (2004)
- Donna Fargo, Country Christmas (collection, 2004)
- LeAnn Rimes, What a Wonderful World (2004)
- Alabama, Christmas Collection (2005)
- Terry Buchwald, Home for Christmas (2005)
- Cyndi Lauper Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life! (2005)
- MercyMe, The Christmas Sessions (2005)
- Daniel O'Donnell, The Christmas Album (UK, 2005)
- Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Cool Yule (2005)
- Aly & AJ, Acoustic Hearts of Winter (2006)
- Kayler, Kayler's Christmas (2006)
- Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana, Hannah Montana (Holiday Edition) (2006) & Disney Channel Holiday (2007)
- The Swingle Singers, Unwrapped (2006)
- Arvingarna, Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree (2007)
- Toby Keith, A Classic Christmas (2007)
- Keahiwai
- Superchick, Rockin Around The Christmas Tree Tour
A 1988 cover version in Swedish by Lotta Engberg was called "Fånga en vind" ("Catch a wind").
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