'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer': Listen to Gene Autry's Classic Song - PopCulture.com

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is easily one of the most classic Christmas songs of all-time, and you can listen to the legendary Gene Autry's holiday tune below.

Initially released in 1949, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was first sung by crooner Harry Brannon on New York City radio in November, with Autry's version soaring to No.

1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry — the country singer wasn't too keen on recording the song at first, but the song's writer, Johnny Marks — who also wrote the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story in 1939 — talked Autry's musical director, Carl Cotner, into convincing him.

Juanita quipped that this "was not a good business [decision], but that was Carl." Eventually, "Carl had told Gene, 'I think it's a good song for you,' and Carl did the arrangement.

In 1964, the story took on new life yet again, when Rankin/Bass Productions (formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd.) created the classic stop-motion animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special, which featured Burl Ives as the narrator, voicing the character Sam the Snowman