76-year-old US singer 'Brenda Lee' ranks 1st
Surpasses Mariah Carey after 4 years
A major upheaval has occurred in the U.S. Christmas carol market. A song by a 78-year-old female singer has taken the No. 1 spot, surpassing Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
On the 5th (local time), the U.S. Billboard main singles chart "Hot 100" revealed that American country singer Brenda Lee (78)'s "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" claimed the top position.
This song topped the chart, overtaking Carey's hit, which is often called the "carol pension." Since its release in 1994, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has consistently ranked every year, showcasing its presence. It was the overwhelming No. 1 Christmas season carol.
However, this year was different. Lee's song, which had to settle for No. 2 on the "Hot 100" for the past four years behind Carey, finally reached the top. This was due to active promotional activities by Lee and her label on the occasion of the song's 65th anniversary.
Earlier, Lee released a new music video last month to commemorate the 65th anniversary. She also released a Christmas special repackaged mini-album (EP) and posted commemorative videos on social media platforms such as TikTok.
Thanks to this, Lee became the oldest artist ever to top the Hot 100 chart. She broke the record set by Louis Armstrong in 1964 at the age of 63, nearly 60 years ago.
Regarding this, Lee mentioned in an interview with the New York Times (NYT) last month, "I never dreamed this song would become my signature song, and it seems like I’m making more money now than when I was active."
Having taken the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100, Lee is expected to earn significant royalties this year. Carey has also generated enormous income annually through "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
According to American Songwriter and other U.S. music media, the royalty revenue from this song is estimated to be at least $6.1 million (about 8 billion KRW) by 2023. In the U.S. music market, record companies generate revenue through streaming, downloads, records, and publishing. Carey receives commissions from the record company, which she shares with co-writers.
In addition, actual earnings are expected to be much higher than estimates when including additional income from cover releases by other singers and revenue from the song’s use in television, movies, and other media.
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