About The Song
Gene Autry’s rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” achieved significant popularity, hitting No. 1 on the U.S. charts in Christmas week 1949. The song was written by Johnny Marks based on the 1939 story published by Montgomery Ward Company. Autry first performed the song on his CBS Radio program, Melody Ranch, on October 8, 1949.
Autry’s rendition quickly became a Christmas classic, selling 2.5 million copies within a year. The song’s popularity further increased with its adaptation into a children’s TV special in 1964, narrated by Burl Ives, expanding the story with new elements like the Island Of Misfit Toys.