AceShowbiz - Soul legend Darlene Love has slammed the producers of NBC's annual "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" special for not inviting her to perform her hit "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)".

The 78-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer first had a hit with the festive favourite back in 1963, but producers at Brad Lachman Productions have picked younger artists for the event, this year going with "Pitch Perfect" star Skylar Astin and "Glee" 's Alex Newell.

Angrily slamming the snub in a post on Facebook, Darlene criticised the younger stars as murdering her Christmas classic by singing it off-key.

"Once again I was snubbed by Brad Lachman Productions who produce the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting ceremony and instead they book another artist to perform my song 'Christmas Baby, Please Come Home' each year," she wrote. "Such an insult and let down!"

Continuing her diatribe, Darlene added, "They book these young artists who can't even hit the notes properly and are off-key. Makes NO sense!! That's my song and I'm still alive. Show me some respect!"

The star went on to claim that her publicist had been trying to book her on the show for a decade but had been told she wasn't a big enough artist and could only perform if Bette Midler or Bruce Springsteen would agree to a duet.

Darlene was known to a younger generation of fans as performing the track annually on David Letterman's talk show from 1986 to 2014, when she would close out the pre-Christmas episode. She now performs a similar role on "The View" - and also sings the new Netflix movie "Holiday Rush".

"The Christmas in Rockefeller Center" aired on NBC on Wednesday, December 4.