| "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" | |
|---|---|
Picture sleeve of children's series 10" single released by Columbia Records (MJV-56) |
|
| Single by Gene Autry & The Pinafores | |
| B-side | "If It Doesn't Snow on Christmas" "Here Comes Santa" "Here Comes Santa Claus" |
| Released | September 1, 1949[1] |
| Format | 7", 10" |
| Recorded | June 27, 1949[1] |
| Genre | Christmas |
| Length | 3:10 |
| Label | Columbia 38610 Columbia MJV-56 Columbia 4-38610 Columbia 33165 Challenge 1010 Challenge 59030 |
| Writer(s) | Johnny Marks |
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is a song written by Johnny Marks based on the 1939 story Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer published by the Montgomery Ward Company.
Contents |
In 1939 Marks' brother-in-law, Robert L. May, created Rudolph as an assignment for Montgomery Ward and Marks decided to adapt the story of Rudolph into a song. Marks (1909–1985), was a radio producer who also wrote several other popular Christmas songs.
The song was first sung commercially by crooner Harry Brannon on New York City radio in early November 1949, before Gene Autry's recording hit #1 in the U.S. charts the week of Christmas 1949. Autry's version of the song also holds the distinction of being the only number one hit to fall completely off the chart after hitting #1. The official date of its #1 status was for the week ending January 7, 1950, making it the first #1 song of the 1950s.[2] Autry's recording sold 2.5 million copies the first year, eventually selling a total of 25 million, and it remained the second best-selling record of all time until the 1980s.[3]
The lyric "All of the other reindeer" can be misheard in dialects with the cot–caught merger as the mondegreen "Olive, the other reindeer", and has given rise to another character featured in her own Christmas television special, Olive, the Other Reindeer. (Coincidentally, she mentions Rudolph by name to one of the reindeer, and the reindeer tells her Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer doesn't exist; it's all an urban legend.)
The song in its Finnish translation, Petteri Punakuono, has led to Rudolph's general acceptance in the mythology as the lead reindeer of Joulupukki, the Finnish Santa.
On the December 23, 2011 edition of WWE SmackDown, Booker T sang a capella the parody of the song, Cody the Red-Nosed Reindeer, with a reference to Cody Rhodes, in order to cost Rhodes the match against Zack Ryder.
| Preceded by "Mule Train" by Frankie Laine |
U.S. Billboard Best Sellers in Stores number-one single January 7, 1950 (Gene Autry) |
Succeeded by "I Can Dream, Can't I" by The Andrews Sisters |