Jingle Bell Rock



"Jingle Bell Rock" is an American popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957. It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas season since then. "Jingle Bell Rock" was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal (1900–1967) and James Ross Boothe (1917–1976). Beal was a Massachusetts-born public relations professional and longtime resident of South Ocean Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Boothe was an American writer in the advertising business. Session guitarist Hank Garland claimed up until his death in 2004 that the song recorded by Bobby Helms and himself bore little resemblance to what Beal and Boothe brought to them at first, and that neither he nor Helms received proper writing credit for the finished version.

Helms recordings
"Jingle Bell Rock" has been performed by many, but Helms' version is the best known. The song's title and some of its lyrics are an extension of the old Christmas standard, "Jingle Bells." It makes brief references to other popular songs of the 1950s, such as "Rock Around the Clock," and mentions going to a "Jingle hop." An electric guitar played by Hank Garland can be heard playing the first notes of the chorus of "Jingle Bells." Backup singers were the Anita Kerr Quartet.

Helms' original version, on Decca 9-30513 from 1957, was re-recorded by him on Kapp K-719 in 1965, and yet again in 1967 on Little Darlin' LD-0038. In 1970, Helms recorded an entire album titled Jingle Bell Rock on Certron C-7013, releasing the title track on Certron C-10021, with a picture sleeve. In yet another re-recording, Helms released a version on Ashley AS-4200 (year unknown). In 1983, Helms released his last recording of "Jingle Bell Rock" on Black Rose 82713.

Chart and sales performance
Helms' original version charted at No. 13 on Billboard's Most Played C&W by Jockeys chart, a predecessor to the Hot Country Songs chart. It also crossed to the pop charts, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart, and at No. 11 on Cashbox magazine's Top 60 on the week ending January 11, 1958.

After the song was featured on the soundtrack album to the 1996 film Jingle All the Way, the original Bobby Helms version returned to the Billboard country singles charts in late 1996 and early 1997, reaching a peak of No. 60.

As of November 25, 2016, total sales of the digital track of the original 1957 Helms recording stand at 780,000 downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan, placing it ninth on the list of all-time best-selling Christmas/holiday digital singles in SoundScan history.

Other recordings
A notable cover version of the song was recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets in 1968 for United Artists records. Intended for a seasonal single release, it was not released and it was considered lost for nearly 30 years until it was finally issued in the mid-1990s.

Brenda Lee released a version of "Jingle Bell Rock" which made the Billboard Christmas singles chart in both 1964 and 1967.

In 1997 the song was recorded in Navajo by American singer Tatiana renamed Navidad Rock (Christmas Rock) for album Navidad Mágica; the issue became an immediate success and today considered a classic Christmas song in Mexico.

In 2013, American comedian KopShtick did a parody version entitled "Chanuka Rock".

Other artists to have covered the song include:


 * Aaron Tippin
 * Alvin and the Chipmunks
 * Aly & AJ
 * Amy Grant
 * Arcade Fire
 * Ashanti
 * Ashley Tisdale
 * Avant
 * Billy Gilman
 * Billy Idol
 * Bobby Sherman
 * Bobby Vee
 * Bond
 * Brenda Lee
 * The Brian Jonestown Massacre
 * The Brian Setzer Orchestra
 * The Brothers Cazimero
 * Cascada
 * Charice
 * Chet Atkins
 * China Anne McClain
 * Chris Brown
 * Chubby Checker with Bobby Rydell
 * Connie Talbot
 * Crass
 * Deana Martin on her 2011 album, White Christmas
 * Dion
 * Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
 * Eddie Rabbitt
 * Eddy Arnold
 * Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
 * The Fall
 * Frankie Ford
 * Gary Hoey
 * Gary Lewis & the Playboys
 * Geoff Moore and the Distance
 * George Strait
 * Geri Halliwell
 * GG Allin
 * Gina Jeffreys covered the song on her 1999 album, Christmas Wish.
 * Girls Aloud
 * Glee Cast
 * Glen Campbell
 * Hall & Oates
 * Herb Alpert
 * Hilary Duff
 * Hollyridge Strings (medley with "Jingle Bells")
 * Hot Chelle Rae
 * Jelly
 * Jessica Simpson
 * Jeremy Camp
 * Jillian Hall
 * John Anderson
 * John Roderick
 * John Williams & the Boston Pops Orchestra
 * Johnny Dorelli
 * Johnny Mathis
 * Jonas Brothers
 * Jonathan Coulton
 * Juice Newton
 * Julianne Hough
 * k.d. lang
 * Kenny G
 * Kylie Minogue
 * Laura Pausini
 * Larry Norman
 * Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert - Mean Girls cast
 * Los Campesinos!
 * Los Straitjackets
 * Lou Rawls
 * Ludwig Von Drake
 * Lynn Anderson
 * Mary Wells
 * Max Bygraves
 * Max Schneider, Macy Kate and Kurt Hugo Schneider
 * McClain Sisters
 * Megan and Liz
 * Michael Bublé & Carly Rae Jepsen (medley with "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" )
 * Mike Love & Dean Torrence
 * Mitchel Musso
 * Mo Mowlam
 * Neil Diamond
 * NewSong
 * The Newsboys
 * Piccolo Coro dell'Antoniano
 * The Platters
 * Point of Grace
 * Ralf Mackenbach
 * Randy Travis
 * Rascal Flatts
 * Robin Lynn
 * Rodney Alcala
 * Straight No Chaser
 * Tatsuro Yamashita
 * Taylor Horn
 * Teresa Brewer
 * Thousand Foot Krutch
 * The Vamps
 * Vanessa Hudgens
 * The Ventures
 * Victoria Justice
 * Wayne Newton