Brenda Lee's 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' finally hits No. 1 after 65 years

Lee has also broken several records — most of them belonging to Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey, whose crown just might be in danger from the 78-year-old upstart.

Mariah Carey may have escaped from the diamond-coated, microphone-shaped hyperbaric chamber she resides in 11 months out of the year to take her rightful place atop her Yuletide Throne, but there's a new Queen of Christmas in town. At least this week.

Sixty-five years after Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was released, the holiday classic has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time, taking with it multiple records previously held by the emancipated Mimi.

Lee now holds the record for the longest period between a song’s release and its ascension to No. 1, previously held by Carey and "All I Want for Christmas Is You," which became the elusive chanteuse's 19th chart-topper in 2019, 25 years after she gifted it unto the world.

Lee also breaks Carey's record for longest span between No. 1s, from her first, 1960's "I'm Sorry," to "Rockin'." Carey previously held a 32-year span of No. 1s, from 1990's "Vision of Love" to 2022, when "All I Want for Christmas Is You" again topped the Hot 100.

Furthermore, Lee is now the oldest woman to score a No. 1 on the chart, a record that was also held by Carey, but one which she most surely ignored since, as we know, she does not acknowledge time. And the fact that Billboard had the nerve to even bring it up in the first place is just rude and probably grounds for a frivolous yet highly entertaining lawsuit.

Folks must really be feeling festive this week, as six of the Billboard Hot 100's top 10 songs are Christmas-themed. Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is threatening Lee's dominance at No. 2 while Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" is dancin' and prancin' at No. 4, followed by Wham's "Last Christmas" at No. 5 and Burl Ives' "A Holly Jolly Christmas" at No. 6, with Andy Williams' "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" holding on at No. 10.

Meanwhile, there are still three weeks until Christmas, so let's not blow our wintery wonderland wad just yet.

"Rockin'" also marks Brenda Lee's third No. 1 single, after 1960's "I'm Sorry" and its follow-up, "I Want to Be Wanted," also released in 1960. Written by Johnny Marks, of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" fame, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was recorded by Lee when she was just 13.

Now 78 (she turns 79 on Dec. 11) and still rockin', Lee released a music video for the song last month, featuring cameos by Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood, which no doubt helped raise its profile. She also came out with a new EP, A Rockin’ Christmas With Brenda Lee, featuring "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" and other holiday faves including "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "A Marshmallow World."

"The song came out when I was a young teenager and now to know that it has resonated with multiple generations and continues to resonate — it is one of the best gifts I have ever received," Lee said in a statement.

Lee will perform "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" on the upcoming NBC special Christmas at the Opry, which airs Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will stream the next day on Peacock.

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.