It may only have been October, but the atmosphere in Nashville's Quonset Hut Studio on the 19th of that month, way back in 1958, was downright festive.

"We had a Christmas tree up and Christmas lights," recalls four-time GRAMMY nominee Brenda Lee 65 years later, of what would be a fortuitous recording session. "The lights were turned down low. It was wonderful."

Little did she know that one of three songs Lee would cut that day would go onto become an indelible Christmas classic. One of the most instantly-recognizable hits in the holiday music canon, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" has only grown in popularity since its initial release.

Most recently, it vaulted to No. 1 status on the Billboard Hot 100 for the very first time, a record for the longest gap between a song's initial release and hitting No. 1. The milestone also minted Lee as the oldest recording artist to ever top the charts.

"It's honestly still surreal to me whenever I hear it on the radio," Lee told GRAMMY.com mere hours after the jolly news was announced. "It's hard to believe. Of all the songs, I could have never thought that I would have a Christmas standard. But I do, and I'm grateful."

Lee may have been only 13 years-old when she recorded the track, but she  was already a veteran singer by the time she hit her preteen years. After belting out songs weekly in church with a voice respectively husky and sweet, she quickly became a regional success and soon inked a deal with Decca Records.

"When it comes to my label, Decca, I don't have the words," Lee says. "They are the best. And the reason they are the best is that, to this day they don't forget who helped build the label. I'm a part of that, and I'm proud to be a part of that."

Along the way, she joined forces with Owen Bradley, a dynamo producer known for his stable of female singers.

"He was such a songman," says Lee of the country music legend who is considered a chief architect of the Nashville rockabilly sound. "I don't know how he did it, but on his roster he had Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells and me; all the girls." Not that there was any competition: "I don't know how he traveled that road without us having a catfight," she adds, "but we didn't, and we all did well."

Another legendary force who took a liking to Lee was Johnny Marks, the songwriting giant behind classics like "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas." "One of the reasons I got 'Rockin'' was that Johnny said, "I want her to sing it. And if she won't do it, send it back to me.'"

Marks and Lee formed a friendship which would last for the rest of his life. "I used to talk to Johnny just about every day. He was precious. He'd get on the phone and here was his opening line from when I was 13 on was, 'Hi Brenda, it's Johnny! Just wanted to let you know there's not a lot of us older folks left!' I'm like, How old does he think I am?'"

For the "Rockin'" session, Bradley set up a session with a murderer's row of session players, also known as Nashville's A-Team. Among them was the seven-time GRAMMY nominee Floyd Cramer on piano (he'd later top the charts as a solo act with the melancholy piano tune "Last Date") and Hank Garland on the guitar (who can also be heard on the Bobby Helms classic "Jingle Bell Rock" as well as a bevy of Elvis records). Meanwhile, it was Boots Randolph, of "Yakety Sax" fame who ripped through on the song's iconic saxophone solo.

"They were the best of the best, and were like all my big brothers," remembers Lee. "With those guys, nothing was ever written. Whatever they played came from their heart, and that's what you hear in those records. We kept in touch and saw each other over the years, but most of them are not here with us anymore."

Bradley also recruited the Anita Kerr Singers for the back-up vocals which listeners hear right away crooning those carol-esque "Ahhs.". Headed by the three-time GRAMMY-winner Anita Kerr, the vocalists were staples on many of Bradley's productions including notable recordings for Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson and Perry Como.

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was recorded live, on the spot. "Back then that was the way you did it," Lee says of the method, which amounted to a high-wire act. "I recorded that way until I retired. I never wanted to come in and overdub afterwards. I wanted everybody there." Along with "Rockin'," Lee also recorded the southern Christmas classic "Papa Noel" which boasts mile-a-minute lyrics about a New Orleans-style holiday.

Released the Monday before Thanksgiving in 1958, "Rockin'" was by no means a smash during its initial release; in fact, it barely made a blip. The song  didn't gain popular recognition until the early '60s, as Lee's non-seasonal discography began to grow — including songs like "I'm Sorry" and "Break It To Me Gently" and "Sweet Nothin's."

Lee vividly remembers the moment when the song solidified itself as a Christmas classic. "Somebody called me on the phone: 'Brenda, have you seen that new movie Home Alone?' she said. "I said, 'No, I have not.' They said, 'Your song is all over it.' And I said, ''What song?' And they said 'Rockin!' Well, that was the start of it."

In recent years everyone from Kacey Musgraves and Camila Cabelo to Justin Bieber have released their own rollicking covers. But it's Lee's version that has lasted the test of time. 2023 has not only seen "Rockin'" finally hit No. 1, but this year also saw Lee shoot her first-ever music video for the track.

"What can I say? I want to thank everybody out there who's as big a part of that song as I am," Lee marvels. "It's a testament to good family, good fans, good DJs, good publicist and the list goes on and on. Whenever anybody thinks it's just them, they're gonna look around the corner one day and they're not gonna have a career. You can't get heard if you're not played."

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Brenda Lee keeps her golden gramophone where she can see it, but rest assured, "It's nothing to do with vanity," she told the Recording Academy in the latest edition of Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY?

The "I'm Sorry" singer, who became a big pop star in the '60s, has been nominated for a GRAMMY four times, but it was her Lifetime Achievement Award that came as a surprise to her. The award "was far beyond anything I'd ever hoped for," she said.

Lee also reminisces about the period of time when she, Peggy Lee, Elvis Presley and Diana Ross were all over the charts. Though longtime producer Owen Bradley and songwriter Ronnie Self contributed to her success, it was country star Red Foley who ultimately helped her get her start in the music industry. "I was just lucky to be a part of that era, I don't think they'll be another one like it," she said. "I truly don't, so I am so proud to be a part of that and to be recognized as a part of that."

Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY: Michael W. Smith

(Since its inception in 1973, the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame has enshrined nearly 1,000 recordings across all genres. The Making Of … series presents firsthand accounts of the creative process behind some of the essential recordings of the 20th century. You can read more Making Of … accounts, and in-depth insight into the recordings and artists represented in the Hall, in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition book.)

I'm Sorry
Brenda Lee
Decca (1960)
Single
Inducted 1999

(As told to Tammy La Gorce)

["I'm Sorry"] was really the first big ballad we had done. Prior to that we had done "Sweet Nothin's" and I had a hit with that, and we had also done “Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree," and that became a hit, but it really hadn't done anything [on the charts] up to that point.

"I'm Sorry" was one of the first songs to come out of Nashville using strings. It was originally an eight-bar song, and we were trying to figure out how to get it to be a 16-bar song, because that's usually what songs are; at eight bars it would have been too short. In any event, I was a big fan [of the Ink Spots] because of my producer, Owen Bradley. And they used to recite words in their songs. So I said, "Why not do a recitation [to lengthen the song]?" And so that's where the recitation in "I'm Sorry" came from.

So when "I'm Sorry" came out and became such a huge hit, that made "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" start selling. Then that became a huge, huge hit.

I didn't write "I'm Sorry." The [writers were] Ronnie Self, who wrote "Sweet Nothin's," [and Dub Albritton]. We had no formal arrangements or anything. We all met at the studio, and we had the crème de la crème — the Anita Kerr Singers, [saxophonist] Boots Randolph and [pianist] Floyd Cramer. We all sat down and decided, "I think this should go here [and] this would sound pretty there." It was all just us thinking together because back then we didn't have any arrangements.

We did it in two takes. I was going on 16 years old. I look back on that now, and it seems pretty amazing. But you know, I had been singing since I was 3 years old, so my love of singing was always there. But I never expected to have a big old record like that. I didn't really have an agenda for my talent. I just wanted to be able to sing. That I had those hits was the icing on the cake.

I knew the song was great when I first heard it. We all did. We all felt there was something very, very special about the song.

Now, oh my Lord, every show I do I include "I'm Sorry." If I didn't my audience would be upset. Because it's just like with anybody — they come to hear the songs that got them acquainted with the artist in the first place. And that song has withstood the test of time. But you know, with Owen Bradley, who was just a genius with the team, and Anita Kerr and all the rest, all you needed was the song and the singer. Everything else was there for you, ready to go.

(Tammy La Gorce is a freelance writer whose work appears regularly in The New York Times.)

Since 1959, the GRAMMY Award has been music’s most coveted honor. Each year at the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY-winning and -nominated artists are recognized for their musical excellence by their peers. Their lives are forever changed — so are their career trajectories. And when you have questions about the GRAMMYs, we have answers.

Here are seven facts to know about the value of the GRAMMY trophy.

How Much Does A GRAMMY Trophy Cost To Make?

The cost to produce a GRAMMY Award trophy, including labor and materials, is nearly $800. Bob Graves, who cast the original GRAMMY mold inside his garage in 1958, passed on his legacy to John Billings, his neighbor, in 1983. Billings, also known as "The GRAMMY Man," designed the current model in use, which debuted in 1991.

How Long Does It Take To Make A GRAMMY Trophy?

Billings and his crew work on making GRAMMY trophies throughout the year. Each GRAMMY is handmade, and each GRAMMY Award trophy takes 15 hours to produce. 

Where Are The GRAMMY Trophies Made?

While Los Angeles is the headquarters of the Recording Academy and the GRAMMYs, and regularly the home of the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY trophies are produced at Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado, about 800 miles away from L.A.

Is The GRAMMY Award Made Of Real Gold?

GRAMMY Awards are made of a trademarked alloy called "Grammium" — a secret zinc alloy — and are plated with 24-karat gold.

How Many GRAMMY Trophies Are Made Per Year?

Approximately 600-800 GRAMMY Award trophies are produced per year. This includes both GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards for the two Academies; the number of GRAMMYs manufactured each year always depends on the number of winners and Categories we award across both award shows.

Fun fact: The two GRAMMY trophies have different-colored bases. The GRAMMY Award has a black base, while the Latin GRAMMY Award has a burgundy base.

Photos: Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images; Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

How Much Does A GRAMMY Weigh?

The GRAMMY trophy weighs approximately 5 pounds. The trophy's height is 9-and-a-half inches. The trophy's width is nearly 6 inches by 6 inches.

What Is The True Value Of A GRAMMY?

Winning a GRAMMY, and even just being nominated for a GRAMMY, has an immeasurable positive impact on the nominated and winning artists. It opens up new career avenues, builds global awareness of artists, and ultimately solidifies a creator’s place in history. Since the GRAMMY Award is the only peer-voted award in music, this means artists are recognized, awarded and celebrated by those in their fields and industries, ultimately making the value of a GRAMMY truly priceless and immeasurable.

In an interview featured in the 2024 GRAMMYs program book, two-time GRAMMY winner Lauren Daigle spoke of the value and impact of a GRAMMY Award. "Time has passed since I got my [first] GRAMMYs, but the rooms that I am now able to sit in, with some of the most incredible writers, producers and performers on the planet, is truly the greatest gift of all." 

"Once you have that credential, it's a different certification. It definitely holds weight," two-time GRAMMY winner Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter of the Roots added. "It's a huge stamp as far as branding, businesswise, achievement-wise and in every regard. What the GRAMMY means to people, fans and artists is ever-evolving." 

As Billboard explains, artists will often see significant boosts in album sales and streaming numbers after winning a GRAMMY or performing on the GRAMMY stage. This is known as the "GRAMMY Effect," an industry phenomenon in which a GRAMMY accolade directly influences the music biz and the wider popular culture. 

For new artists in particular, the "GRAMMY Effect" has immensely helped rising creators reach new professional heights. Samara Joy, who won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist at the 2023 GRAMMYs, saw a 989% boost in sales and a 670% increase in on-demand streams for her album Linger Awhile, which won the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album that same night. H.E.R., a former Best New Artist nominee, saw a massive 6,771% increase in song sales for her hit “I Can’t Breathe” on the day it won the GRAMMY for Song Of The Year at the 2021 GRAMMYs, compared to the day before, Rolling Stone reports. 

Throughout the decades, past Best New Artist winners have continued to dominate the music industry and charts since taking home the GRAMMY gold — and continue to do so to this day. Recently, Best New Artist winners dominated the music industry and charts in 2023: Billie Eilish (2020 winner) sold 2 million equivalent album units, Olivia Rodrigo (2022 winner) sold 2.1 million equivalent album units, and Adele (2009 winner) sold 1.3 million equivalent album units. Elsewhere, past Best New Artist winners have gone on to star in major Hollywood blockbusters (Dua Lipa); headline arena tours and sign major brand deals (Megan Thee Stallion); become LGBTIA+ icons (Sam Smith); and reach multiplatinum status (John Legend).

Most recently, several winners, nominees and performers at the 2024 GRAMMYs saw significant bumps in U.S. streams and sales: Tracy Chapman's classic, GRAMMY-winning single "Fast Car," which she performed alongside Luke Combs, returned to the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since 1988, when the song was originally released, according to Billboard. Fellow icon Joni Mitchell saw her ‘60s classic “Both Sides, Now,” hit the top 10 on the Digital Song Sales chart, Billboard reports.

In addition to financial gains, artists also experience significant professional wins as a result of their GRAMMY accolades. For instance, after she won the GRAMMY for Best Reggae Album for Rapture at the 2020 GRAMMYs, Koffee signed a U.S. record deal; after his first GRAMMYs in 2014, Kendrick Lamar saw a 349% increase in his Instagram following, Billboard reports. 

Visit our interactive GRAMMY Awards Journey page to learn more about the GRAMMY Awards and the voting process behind the annual ceremony.

2024 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

With spring just around the corner, it’s time to welcome AAPI Month in full blossom. From rising musical artists to inspiring community leaders, it’s essential to recognize AAPI members of the artistic world and their achievements.

While AAPI Month is a U.S. holiday, the Recording Academy takes a global approach in celebrating artists and creators from across the Asian and Asian American diaspora. This aligns with the Recording Academy's growing mission to expand its reach on a global scale and celebrate international creators outside of the U.S.  

Musicians of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage have not only helped establish the music industry, but have transformed it. From Diljit Dosanjh being the first artist to play a Coachella set entirely in Punjabi to Laufey winning a GRAMMY for her jazz-inspired pop, AAPI artists continue to influence music by both honoring tradition and reshaping modern standards.

It’s thrilling to see AAPI musicians continue to take centerstage — from Atarashi Gakko! to Tiger JK’s memorable sets at Coachella, to surprise appearances from Olivia Rodrigo, Dominic Fike, and Towa Bird. As festival season gets underway, examples of the AAPI starpower from every corner of the world abound.

As one of many ways to celebrate AAPI Month, listen to the GRAMMY.com playlist below — as a reminder to give AAPI musicians not just their May flowers, but their flowers all year-round!