NEW YORK – Her memories of recording “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” are a little hazy. She remembers how, on a warm day in Nashville, the producer placed decorations in the studio and turned up the air conditioning to create a holiday atmosphere. She remembers that the musicians did it in a few takes.

That’s about it. After all, Brenda Lee was 13 years old at the time – 66 years ago, in 1958.

What’s somewhat implausible is that their celebration of a “Christmas party hop” is now more popular than ever. This is an unusual development, even considering that music listeners tend to listen to songs they’ve known for years during the holiday season.

“Rockin'” surpassed Mariah Carey’s all-time favorite “All I Want for Christmas is You” last December to top the Billboard music charts and make Lee, at 78, the oldest woman to achieve the feat. A week later, after a birthday, she surpassed her own mark. Lee has been No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart behind Carey for the past three weeks.

Another record: 65 years was the longest time between a record being released and reaching number one.

“It’s a good song,” Lee told the Associated Press. “It’s a song that anyone can sing. You can join in, you can sing it, everyone is happy. I’m really glad I have it. I never in my life thought a Christmas song would be my legacy. But I’ll take it.”

“A catchy tune on steroids”

It’s a phenomenon that music journalist Holly Gleason recently noticed during a coffee break in Florida. The song came over the speaker and the room – parents, kids, hipsters – erupted in song and laughter. “It’s kind of an earworm on steroids,” said Gleason, whose 2017 book “Woman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives” featured Lee, among others.

The song manages the great trick of sounding retro and yet not outdated. In the original recording, sweet guitar licks snake around Lee’s voice. Boots Randolph’s saxophone solo hits the spot. The party goes by quickly, the song is over in two minutes and six seconds.

Composer Johnny Marks already had several seasonal hits to his name, including “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas.” He specifically sought out Lee for his new song in 1958, and it’s easy to see why: who better to convey his innocence and spirit than a 13-year-old girl at the forefront of the baby boom? Rock ‘n’ Roll was also still in its infancy back then.

In the song, Lee sings about “mistletoe hung where you can see it, and every couple trying to stop.”

In real life she had not experienced her first kiss. “Lord, no,” she said. “Not to say I didn’t want to. I wasn’t allowed to date until I was 16.”

What is the “new, old-fashioned way” anyway?

The song touches on numerous holiday references – pumpkin pie, Christmas carols, sprigs of holly. You may miss the part of the refrain that makes little sense: What exactly is the “new, old-fashioned way”?

The simplicity of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is a big part of its appeal, said Nathaniel Sloan, a musicologist at the University of Southern California and co-host of the “Switched on Pop” podcast. Like many successful Christmas songs, it evokes nostalgia for a happier, more peaceful time – even if that is more imagination than reality, he said.

The style is more rockabilly than traditional rock or country, and Sloan believes that has a lot to do with why it continues to sound fresh.

“What always amazed me about the song is that you hear a 13-year-old performing, and to me it doesn’t sound like that,” he said. “The singing has a depth, even a weathered quality, I can’t believe she was so young. It’s absolutely perfect.”

Despite its success, the song received little attention when it was released in 1958. It wasn’t until two years later, when Lee became better known with hits like “I’m Sorry,” that he made it into the music charts. The biggest boost came 30 years later when “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was featured in the hit film “Home Alone.” The film itself has become a holiday staple, bringing the song more attention each year.

Her record company is pushing the song further, recording a video in 2023 that features guest appearances from Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. This year saw the release of “Noche Buena Y Navidad,” a Spanish-language version that uses artificial intelligence to create vocals derived from Lee’s voice.

The record company throws a birthday party for Lee

Universal Music hosted a party for her in Nashville on December 11 to celebrate her 80th birthday. “She’s just a force and a character,” said Cindy Mabe, the company’s chairman and chief executive. “She’s as full of cum as a 13-year-old girl.”

On Dec. 16, PBS released an “American Masters” documentary titled “Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around,” which delves into the singer’s life, career and enduring holiday classic. The film is available to stream now on pbs.org and features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” made it into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2019. It has been streamed more than 2.5 billion times worldwide and has been certified seven times platinum, meaning it has sold at least seven million copies. Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Meghan Trainor, Kacey Musgraves and the duo Darlene Love & Ronnie Spector are among the artists who have reported on it.

Lee has sung it countless times over the years, most recently at a charity event last year. It was on their concert setlist even in the summer heat. How much money the song made is unclear; The record company didn’t want to talk about it. Most of his income would likely go to Marks’ estate.

“It was never a money thing for me,” Lee said. “It was a matter of love. The money is great, yes, and I’m grateful. But I’d sing it on the corner for pennies because that’s what I love.”

Bauder writes for the Associated Press.