65 Years Later, Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ Soars to No. 1

This week's No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 is one you've probably heard before — over and over again. For decades. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"— sung by Brenda Lee, and first released 65 years ago, during the Eisenhower administration — has gone to No. 1 on the singles chart, for the first time ever.

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was written by Johnny Marks — who, as part of a long, great tradition of American Christmas songwriters, was himself actually Jewish. (Marks also wrote "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas.") Lee recorded the song when she was just 13 years old, not long after she signed a contract with Decca Records.