| "Run Rudolph Run" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Chuck Berry | |
| A-side | "Merry Christmas Baby" |
| Released | 1958 |
| Recorded | 1958 |
| Studio | Chess (Chicago)[1] |
| Genre | Christmas, rock and roll |
| Length | 2:37 |
| Label | Chess 1714 |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Leonard Chess, Phil Chess |
"Run Rudolph Run"[2] is a Christmas song written by Chuck Berry but credited to Johnny Marks and M. Brodie due to Marks's trademark on the character of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.[3][note 1] It was published by St. Nicholas Music (ASCAP) and was first recorded by Berry in 1958, released as a single on Chess Records.[9]
It has since been covered by numerous other artists, sometimes with the title "Run Run Rudolph".
Chuck Berry reported that he wrote the song himself, but then discovered that the name Rudolph was trademarked by Johnny Marks. Marks sued and consequently was given songwriting credit, although he "had nothing to do with the song." Berry also said that M. Brodie does not exist, but was a pseudonym created as "a scheme to make more money for Marks and his publisher."[10] Berry's 1958 45-rpm single gives writing credits to "C. Berry Music – M. Brodie". All subsequent cover versions of the song are credited to Marks and Brodie, as published by Marks's St. Nicholas Music (ASCAP).[7]
The song's dialogue between Santa and the children references popular toys of the 1950s.
 | This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: versions may not meet WP:SONGCOVER. (June 2018) |
This song was covered by singer Whitney Wolanin in 2013. Her recording reached the highest chart position of all versions on Billboard, reaching number two on its Adult Contemporary chart. Wolanin starred in a parody music film with the song about the original movie A Christmas Story at the Christmas Story House.
In 2023, Cher recorded a cover of the song for her Christmas album Christmas.[11]
During its initial chart run, Berry's 1958 recording peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1958.[12] Sixty years later, the single re-entered the Hot 100 chart at number 45 (on the week ending January 5, 2019), reaching an overall peak position of number 10 on the week ending January 2, 2021, following its third chart re-entry, becoming Berry's third top-ten hit and his first since 1972's "My Ding-a-Ling". In doing so, it broke the record for the longest climb to the top 10 since its first entry in December 1958, at 62 years and two weeks.[13][14]
Berry's original version first made the UK Singles Chart on the week ending Christmas Day 1963, peaking at number 36 two weeks later (with the song's title misspelled as "Run Rudolf Run").[15]
Bryan Adams recorded a version for A Very Special Christmas, a 1987 compilation album produced to benefit the Special Olympics.
In 2013, Whitney Wolanin released a version of the song that reached number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The only other recordings that charted in the U.S. were by the country music artists Luke Bryan, whose 2008 rendition peaked at number 42 on the Hot Country Songs chart, Justin Moore, whose 2011 version peaked at number 58 on the Hot Country Songs chart, and the pop music artist Mark Ambor, whose 2024 rendition peaked at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
| Chart (1958) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[16] | 69 |
| Chart (2018–2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[17] | 22 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[18] | 71 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[19] | 24 |
| France (SNEP)[20] | 172 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[21] | 22 |
| Greece International (IFPI)[22] | 45 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[23] | 44 |
| Latvia (DigiTop100)[24] | 39 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[25] | 41 |
| Netherlands (Single Tip)[26] | 2 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] | 28 |
| Portugal (AFP)[28] | 114 |
| Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[29] | 78 |
| Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[30] | 78 |
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[31] | 20 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] | 39 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[33] | 36 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[34] | 10 |
| US Holiday 100 (Billboard)[35] | 9 |
| US Rolling Stone Top 100[36] | 5 |
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[37] | 2 |
| Chart (2008–09) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[38] | 42 |
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[39] | 58 |
| Chart (2024–2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[40] | 36 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[41] [42] |
56 |
| Greece International (IFPI)[43] | 67 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[44] | 9 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[45] | 33 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[46] | 96 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[47] | 36 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[48] | 31 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[49] [50] |
78 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[51] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[52] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[53] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Run Rudolph Run
...Rudolph is copyrighted, and Berry had to give the publishing rights to Johnny Marks, who wrote the original Rudolph. Perhaps if Berry had used "Randolph" (another reindeer he mentions), he could have kept the publishing. That's what the makers of the British TV special Robbie the Reindeer did.
(ASCAP's complete catalogue listing for Johnny Marks. "Run Rudolph Run" is listed. "Little Queenie" is not.)
Little Queenie - Composed by Chuck Berry
