Brenda Lee’s Classic Catalog Coming to Streaming For the First Time
More than a dozen of the singers key albums, including ‘Too Many Rivers’ and ‘New Sunrise,’ will land on DSPs over the coming months.
Brenda Lee‘s robust, decades-spanning back catalog is finally making its way to streaming platforms this year. More than a dozen albums are set to arrive on DSPs over the coming months for the very first time.
The rollout launches today with Decades Vol. 1 — a four-album collection featuring Too Many Rivers (1965), New Sunrise (1973), L.A. Sessions (1976), and Even Better (1980). The installment traces Lee’s artistic evolution across three decades, from her transition into the sophisticated Nashville Sound of the mid-’60s through the ‘70s reinvention that led to her triumphant comeback in the country space in the early ’80s.
“I’m thrilled that these albums are going to be available for streaming,” Lee said in a statement. “Listening through these albums, which span three decades of my career, has brought back so many memories. I hope that my fans are able to relive these memories with me while allowing a new generation of fans to discover these gems for the first time.”
While casual listeners may know Lee best for holiday favorite “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and the 1960 ballad “I’m Sorry,” a treasure trove of deeper-cut classics lies where those came from. She earned 47 U.S. chart hits during the 1960s alone, ranking behind only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Ray Charles for the decade. She is also the first woman to be inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame, with more than 100 million records sold worldwide.
The four albums in Decades Vol. 1 each represent a distinct chapter in Lee’s life and career. Too Many Rivers, produced by longtime collaborator Owen Bradley, yielded a crossover hit that reached No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. New Sunrise spawned two country Top 10 singles. Even Better, meanwhile, delivered Lee’s first country Top 10 hits in several years, including “Tell Me What It’s Like” and “The Cowgirl and the Dandy.”Additional albums from Lee’s catalog are expected to follow throughout the year.
