It is impossible to overstate the pop cultural impact of 1964's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. With its charming stop-motion animation, built-in branding, and memorable songs, the special burst onto the scene 60 years ago this December and has been a part of American Christmas ever since, its mark on the holiday as indelible as Nat King Cole's voice.
Sit back and think about it for a second: Six decades. That makes Rudolph older than A Charlie Brown Christmas, older than Star Wars, older than the damn moon landing. Entire entertainment ecospheres have risen, flourished, and withered in its shadow, and still, like Rudolph's red nose, it shines over generations of holiday entertainment, influencing everything from feature films to commercials.