who wrote rudolph the red nosed reindeer

The song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was written by Johnny Marks in 1949. It was based on a poem of the same name, which was written by Marks' brother-in-law Robert May for the Montgomery Ward department store chain. The song quickly became a Christmas classic, and has been recorded by many different artists over the years. Marks also wrote the song "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," which was also based on a Montgomery Ward promotion.