2018 NBCUniversal Media, LLC (NEW YORK) — The Christmas season got into full swing on Wednesday, with NBC’s lighting of the iconic Rockefeller Christmas tree, with the help of John Legend, Pentatonix, Rob Thomas, Ella Mai and Diana Ross.
Legend opened with “That’s What Christmas Means to Me,” a cover of the Stevie Wonder song, which is one of the tracks from Legend’s A Legendary Christmas album. He returned later to perform the classic, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
Pentatonix, performed a capella versions of “It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” from their holiday album, Christmas Is Here!
Ella Mai delivered a cover of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” before returning later in the program to sing “Silent Night.”
Thomas performed “Christmas in New York City,” a “love letter” to the city he wrote following the tragic events of September 11.
A highlight of the evening was the legendary Diana Ross performing a medley of songs from her new collection, Wonderful Christmas Time, including the title track — a cover of Paul McCartney’s 1979 holiday tune.
The night, which also featured Radio City Music Hall’s high-stepping Rockettes dance troupe, among others, concluded with the lighting of Rockefeller Center’s 75-foot-tall tree blazing with more than 50,000 multi-colored LEDs.
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