Few Christmas songs inspire reactions as polarized as “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” For some, it’s an irreverent seasonal classic; for others, an earworm they’d happily never hear again. Love it or hate it, the song’s journey from a quirky idea to a certified holiday juggernaut is as unlikely—and entertaining—as the lyrics themselves.
The song was written by Texas singer-songwriter Randy Brooks, who reportedly came up with the concept after observing a “tipsy relative.” Brooks initially considered recording it himself, but his band talked him out of it. That hesitation turned out to be a pivotal moment in holiday music history.
In December 1978, Brooks sat in with Elmo and Patsy—San Francisco’s beloved novelty duo—during a show at the Hyatt Lake Tahoe. The pair consisted of Elmo Shropshire, a veterinarian by day and banjo-playing bluegrass musician by night, and his then-wife Patsy. After the show, Brooks offered them the song. They were instantly smitten and asked him to commission a cassette so they could learn it.
The following year, the Shropshires self-released “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” in San Francisco under the name Elmo and Patsy. The song might have remained a regional oddity if not for Gene “The Emperor” Nelson, an influential San Francisco DJ who picked up an early recording and began spinning it heavily. Thanks to his enthusiasm, the song became a local sensation.
By the early 1980s, “Grandma” was breaking out beyond San Francisco. It gained traction first on country radio stations and then crossed over to Top 40, cementing its status as a seasonal hit. Dr. Elmo initially pressed just 500 copies on 45 rpm vinyl, but by 1981, demand was growing fast enough that he began to think bigger.
That leap came in 1982, when a Nashville company предложed to press 250,000 copies. Elmo worried he’d be left with a garage full of unsold records—but the gamble paid off. The records flew off the shelves, and with new confidence, Elmo made an even bolder move: he sold his veterinary hospital to finance a music video.
Shot for $30,000 at his own home, the video debuted on MTV in 1983. That same year, the song hit #1 on Billboard’s Christmas Hits chart. It returned to the top spot in 1984 and 1985 and aired on MTV for at least 18 years. Over time, it became a holiday staple across networks including VH1, CMT, TNN, and VH1 Classic.
The song’s notoriety only grew. In 1985, a disc jockey at Davenport, Iowa radio station WLLR played the song 27 times in a row during a morning show before station management intervened. The stunt became part of the song’s legend.
Its divisive nature was later confirmed by listener surveys. In 2007, both Edison Media Research and Pinnacle Media Worldwide found that “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” was the only Christmas song to rank high on both “most loved” and “most hated” lists. Nearly half of respondents in one poll loved it—but a significant minority couldn’t stand it.
The song has continued to echo through pop culture in unexpected ways. In 2000, an animated TV special based on the song was released, narrated by Elmo himself. It remains a fixture of holiday programming, airing every year on Cartoon Network, AMC, and The CW. Even decades later, real-life events spark comparisons: in 2024, when two women in Watertown, New York were injured after being knocked down by a deer during a turkey trot, online commenters were quick to reference the song.
Commercially, the track has been just as enduring. “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” is certified Gold by the RIAA, with over 500,000 copies sold. In a 2006 interview, Elmo Shropshire revealed that royalties from the song made him a millionaire multiple times over—not bad for what’s often labeled a “one-hit wonder.”
More than 40 years after its release, the song remains an unavoidable part of the holiday soundscape. Whether it makes you laugh, groan, or change the station, one thing is certain: “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” has earned its place in Christmas music history.