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Christmas queens: How Mariah Carey congratulated Brenda Lee for her historic No. 1
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Date:2025-04-12 15:23:53
Mariah Carey may have a bit of competition for that queen of Christmas crown, and her name is Brenda Lee.
Lee's holiday staple "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week, overtaking Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You," which usually sits comfortably at the top all season long. While Lee may have overtaken Carey to hit the top, Lee says the pop diva sent her the sweetest note.
Lee, 78, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the songstress sent flowers to her with congratulations for hitting the No. 1 slot.
Lee's last No. 1 hit was more than 60 years ago, with her hit "I'm Sorry" in 1960.
Here's a look at the resurgence of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and what Lee has achieved with it.
Brenda Lee breaks records with 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree'
Getting to the top spot on the Billboard once again breaks several records — many of which were held by Carey's almost three-decade-old "All I Want for Christmas Is You".
Lee beat out Louis Armstrong's record of the oldest person to top the chart. Armstrong held the record when "Hello, Dolly" hit No. 1 in 1964. He was 62 at the time.
"Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" is only the third holiday No. 1 ever on the Hot 100.
Brenda Lee's 'Rockin' Around the Christma Tree' at Christmas at the Opry
Lee took her chart-topping hit to the Grand Ole Opry for Christmas at the Opry on Wednesday.
The singer spread some holiday cheer on NBC's "Christmas at the Opry," hosted by Wynonna Judd. The musical special is now available to stream on Peacock.
An encore of the special will run on Dec. 20 at 9 p.m. EST.
Watch Lee's performance below.
When was 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' released?
Many people can probably recall the iconic scene from "Home Alone" where Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) threw a party as Lee's song played. (If you need a refresher, you can find it here.)
But Lee's song was considered an oldie even in the '90s.
Lee recorded "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" along with multiple other Christmas songs penned by songwriter Johnny Marks in 1956.
Record's producer and iconic Nashville creator, Owen Bradley, didn't think the song had much staying power, Lee said in an interview last month. But 65 years later, the song is still a Christmas staple and now a No. 1 hit.
Contributing: Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean
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