what year did rudolph the red nosed reindeer come out

The song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was written in 1948 by Johnny Marks and first performed on the radio in 1949. It quickly became a popular Christmas song and has since been covered by many artists over the years. The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has also been adapted into several movies and television specials, including the famous animated special from 1964.