<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Music video </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> "Rudolph the Red - Nosed Reindeer" (audio) on YouTube </Td> </Tr> <P> "Rudolph, the Red - Nosed Reindeer" is a song written by Johnny Marks based on the 1939 story Rudolph the Red - Nosed Reindeer published by the Montgomery Ward Company . Gene Autry's recording hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts the week of Christmas 1949 . </P> <P> In 1939 Marks' brother - in - law, Robert L. May, created the character Rudolph as an assignment for Montgomery Ward, and Marks decided to adapt the story of Rudolph into a song . Marks (1909--1985) was a radio producer who also wrote several other popular Christmas songs . </P>

Who wrote the song rudolph the red-nosed reindeer