Jingle Bell Rock

File:Jingle Bell Rock - Captain Santa Claus - Billboard ad 1957.jpg advertisement, November 25, 1957]]

"Jingle Bell Rock" has been performed by many, but Helms' first version from 1957 produced by Paul CohenDecca Records is arguably the best known.{{cite web|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2014/12/16/jingle-bell-rock-hoosier-bobby-helms/20477989/|author=Lindquist, David|title=Jingle Bell Rock cemented legacy for Hoosier Bobby Helms|website=IndyStar.com|publisher=The Indianapolis Star|access-date=5 December 2012}} 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". Hank Garland plays guitar on the recording. Backup singers were the Anita Kerr Singers.{{cite book | last=Collins | first=A. | title=Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas | publisher=HarperCollins Christian Publishing | year=2010 | isbn=978-0-310-59747-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4a6oMgT8UsEC&pg=PT100 | access-date=December 15, 2024 | page=100}}

Helms' original version, on Decca 9-30513 from October 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 (1971). He again recorded the song for Gusto Records, it was subsequently released on their "Power Pak" label. In 1983, Helms released his last recording of "Jingle Bell Rock" on Black Rose 82713.

D-TV set this version to the Disney shorts, Once Upon a Wintertime from Melody Time and On Ice.

• Bobby Helms – vocals, guitar
• Henry Ade – steel guitar
• Hank Garland – guitar
• Anita Kerr Singers – backing vocals

Brenda Lee recorded the song on June 23, 1964, for her album Merry Christmas from Brenda Lee on the Decca label. It was released on October 19, 1964.{{cite web |url=https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/47640 |title= Jingle Bell Rock by Brenda Lee |last=Quentin |first=Bastien |date=December 29, 2005 |website=secondhandsongs.com/ |publisher=SecondHandSongs |access-date=December 6, 2022 |quote=}} The album reached No. 7 on the Billboard charts with the song "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" reaching No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 in 2023. Lee's recording of "Jingle Bell Rock" has charted every year on the Billboard Top 100 since 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2019-12-07|title=Holiday 100: The week of December 7, 2019|publisher=Billboard|access-date=January 2, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210818011431/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2019-12-07|archive-date= August 18, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2020-12-05|title=Holiday 100: The week of December 5, 2020|publisher=Billboard|access-date=January 2, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210103234728/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2020-12-05|archive-date= January 3, 2021}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2021-12-04|title=Holiday 100 (Week of December 4, 2021)|magazine=Billboard|date=December 4, 2021|access-date=13 December 2021}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-holiday-songs/2022-12-03|title=Holiday 100 (Week of December 3, 2022)|magazine=Billboard|date=December 3, 2022|access-date=November 30, 2022}}

Lindsay Lohan covered the song in 2022 for her Netflix film Falling for Christmas as a nod to her performance of the track in 2004's teen comedy Mean Girls.{{cite news|last=Cohen|first=Anne|date=November 4, 2022|url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/lindsay-lohan-jingle-bell-rock-falling-for-christmas/|title=On Fridays, We Listen to Lindsay Lohan's New Jingle Bell Rock' Cover|publisher=Tudum|access-date=November 4, 2022}}

The Vivienne and Tia Kofi covered the song in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Conor |date=December 6, 2021 |title=Premiere: The Vivienne and Tia Kofi serve camp Christmas realness in Jingle Bell Rock music video |url=https://www.gaytimes.com/music/premiere-the-vivienne-and-tia-kofi-serve-camp-christmas-realness-in-jingle-bell-rock-music-video/ |access-date=January 6, 2025 |website=Gay Times}}

Helms, as well as session guitarist on the song Hank Garland, both claimed until their deaths, that it was they, not Beal and Boothe, who wrote the song. They claimed that the original song by Beal and Boothe was called Jingle Bell Hop, and that it was given to Helms by a Decca executive to record. According to Helms and Garland, that song had little to no resemblance to the current one. Helms did not like it and, as a result, they both proceeded to work on it, changing the music, lyrics and tempo, and also giving it a previously missing bridge. The new song, they claimed, was the one that is known today. However, neither of them received writing credit or subsequent writing royalties.{{cite web |last1=Stuart |first1=Devan |title=No Jingle in His Pockets - Orange Park guitarist sings blues about lost royalties |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2001/08/27/story1.html |website=Jacksonville Business Journal |access-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191210101429/https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2001/08/27/story1.html |archive-date=10 December 2019 |language=en |date=27 August 2001 |quote=(Hank Garland:) 'I'm angry about it... I let it [the original version of the song] hop back to where it came from. It wasn't any good.' Hank and Helms came up with the "Jingle Bell Rock" America hears every holiday season, he (Garland) said. (David Davis, former manager for Bobby Helms:) 'Bobby and I discussed it many times. He (Bobby) said 'We [, Garland and I,] did it. We threw a bridge in, added a couple of verses, changed the words.' Basically, it was a whole new song. Bobby never tried to get royalties. He said [to me], `David, it'd be a joke. You know how the music business is.' And I do.". (Bill Whitacre, Entertainment attorney:) "What I believe happened is that they [Decca] treated this as a session where they owned it and controlled it.' (Billy Garland, Hank Garland's brother who has power of attorney over Hank Garland's estate:) 'The industry owes Garland $100 million in royalties from hits "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Sugarfoot Rag,"'}}{{cite web |title=Jingle Bell Rock |url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/bobby-helms/jingle-bell-rock |website=Songfacts.com |publisher=Songfacts®, LLC |access-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826165237/https://www.songfacts.com/facts/bobby-helms/jingle-bell-rock |archive-date=26 August 2019 |language=en |quote=Before his death, Garland filed suit against the record label, claiming that he and Helms, not Beal and Boothe, wrote the song.}}{{cite book |last1=Davis |first1=David Ward |last2=Brown |first2=Lisa E. |title=Jingle Bell Rock |date=1997 |publisher=Aalida Press USA |isbn=978-1-892642-06-6 |pages=118–119 |language=en |chapter=9 }}{{cite web |last1=Lindquist |first1=David |title='Jingle Bell Rock' cemented legacy for Hoosier Bobby Helms |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2014/12/16/jingle-bell-rock-hoosier-bobby-helms/20477989/ |website=Indystar.com |publisher=IndyStar |access-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825023625/https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2014/12/16/jingle-bell-rock-hoosier-bobby-helms/20477989/ |archive-date=25 August 2019 |language=en |format=Newspaper |date=16 December 2014 |quote="I really didn't want to cut it because it was such a bad song. So me and one of the musicians [Hank Garland] worked on it for about an hour putting a melody to it and we put a bridge to it," said Helms [in a 1992 interview]"}}{{cite web |last1=G O'Leary |first1=John |title=Jingle bell robbery? |url=http://businesslessonsfromrock.com/notes/2013/12/jingle-bell-robbery/ |website=Businesslessonsfromrock.com |access-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421042534/http://businesslessonsfromrock.com/notes/2013/12/jingle-bell-robbery/ |archive-date=21 April 2016 |language=en |date=18 December 2013 |quote=At the very least, Helms and Garland should have been granted co-writer credit, given the new melody, verses, bridge, and lyrics.}}{{cite web |last1=G O'Leary |first1=John |title=Trouble in Jingle Bell Square |url=http://businesslessonsfromrock.com/notes/2016/12/trouble-in-jingle-bell-square/ |website=Businesslessonsfromrock.com |access-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222062104/http://businesslessonsfromrock.com/notes/2016/12/trouble-in-jingle-bell-square/ |archive-date=22 February 2019 |language=en |date=7 December 2016 |quote=This week I spoke with Hank Garland's younger brother Billy ... Neither [Garland nor Helms] received any of the multi-million dollars in songwriting royalties they believed they were due. Billy has been on an indefatigable crusade for nearly six decades to vindicate his brother’s claims}}

{{Blockquote|text="I really didn't want to cut it because it was such a bad song. So me and one of the musicians [Hank Garland] worked on it for about an hour putting a melody to it and we put a bridge to it," said Helms [in a 1992 interview].}}

{{Blockquote|text="I let it hop back to where it came from" Garland recalled. "It wasn't any good. [Bobby and I] came up with the 'Jingle Bell Rock' America hears every holiday season," he [Garland] said [in a 2001 interview].}}

Billy Garland, brother of Hank Garland, maintains his deceased brother's story, and has long been involved with and vocal about the issue.

The original version of Helms 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.

The Helms version entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the week ending January 9, 2016, which was the song's first entry on the chart since its last appearance on the week ending December 29, 1962.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2016-01-09 |title=Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart |magazine=Billboard |access-date=2022-12-13}} On the week ending January 7, 2017, "Jingle Bell Rock" hit at number 29.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2017-01-07|title=Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart |magazine=Billboard |access-date=2022-12-13}} In January 2019, the song entered the Hot 100's top 10 for the first time reaching No. 8.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8491783/mariah-carey-ariana-grande-billboard-hot-100-top-10|title=Mariah Carey's 'Christmas' Climbs to No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100, Ariana Grande's 'Next' Leads for Seventh Week|magazine=Billboard|date=31 December 2018|access-date=2019-08-02}} With this feat, Helms broke the record for the longest wait to the Hot 100's top 10 as he achieved this in 60 years, four months, and two weeks after his first entry back in 1958. Helms' recording reached a new peak of No. 3 on the chart dated January 4, 2020.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8547157/mariah-carey-number-one-hot-100-four-decades-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you|title=Mariah Carey Becomes First Artist at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 in Four Decades, Thanks to 'All I Want for Christmas'|magazine=Billboard|last=Trust|first=Gary|date=December 30, 2019|access-date=December 31, 2019}}

According to Nielsen SoundScan, the digital track of Helms' original Decca recording was ninth on the list of all-time best-selling Christmas/holiday digital singles in SoundScan history in 2016 with 780,000 downloads.{{cite web|author=|date= November 25, 2016 |title= What Are the Top-Selling Holiday Songs? |url= http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7588783/what-are-the-top-selling-christmas-music-holiday-songs |work= Billboard Magazine |access-date= December 2, 2016}} As of December 2019, it has sold 891,000 copies in the United States.{{cite web |last=Bjorke |first=Matt |title=Top 30 Digital Country Tracks - Pure Sales: December 9, 2019 |url=http://roughstock.com/news/2019/12/44071-top-30-digital-country-tracks-pure-sales-december-9-2019 |work=Rough Stock |date=December 8, 2019 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=December 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225190105/http://roughstock.com/news/2019/12/44071-top-30-digital-country-tracks-pure-sales-december-9-2019 |url-status=dead }} Recently, the track was performed by artists like Brenda Lee and Ariana Grande.

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Hall & Oates and their band released a version in 1983 as a non-album single which peaked at number 30 on the Hot 100 Recurrents chart in 2005; it also reached number 6 on the Billboard's Holiday Airplay chart on December 13, 2008, and number 24 on the Hot Holiday Songs chart on December 10, 2011.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/search/charts?f[0]=ts_chart_artistname%3Adaryl%20hall%20%26%20john%20oates&f[1]=itm_field_chart_id%3A352&f[2]=ss_bb_type%3Achart_item&type=2&artist=daryl%20hall%20%26%20john%20oates|title=Daryl Hall & John Oates chart history for Hot 100 Recurrents|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/300339/daryl-hall-john-oates/chart?f=1219|title=Daryl Hall & John Oates - Chart history {{!}} Billboard|magazine=Billboard|language=en|access-date=2017-02-26}} There are two video versions: one with Daryl Hall and another with John Oates singing lead. Both versions feature G. E. Smith as a grandma, playing the guitar with gloves.

{{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Jingle Bell Rock"}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=New Zealand|title=Jingle Bell Rock|artist=Hall And Oates|relyear=1983|certyear=2023|award=Platinum|source=radioscope|access-date=April 20, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|nosales=true|streaming=true}}

Max Bygraves released a version in 1959 with the Eric Rogers Orchestra which peaked at number 7 in the UK Top 30, released on Decca: F11176{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/f11176|title=Max Bygraves - Jingle Bell Rock|via=www.45cat.com}}

Chubby Checker & Bobby Rydell recorded and released a version on their album Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker. In 1961 it reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, No. 3 in Canada,{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/61-12-25-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - December 25, 1961}} and No. 40 on the UK Singles Chart. It was issued on Cameo Parkway C205.{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/c205us|title=Chubby Checker And Bobby Rydell - Jingle Bell Rock|via=www.45cat.com}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|title=Jingle Bell Rock|artist=Bobby Helms|type=single|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1957|certyear=2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|title=Jingle Bell Rock|artist=Bobby Helms|type=single|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1957|certyear=2022|id=11924|access-date=December 20, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|title=Jingle Bell Rock|artist=Bobby Helms|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1957|certyear=2025|access-date=January 11, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|title=Jingle Bell Rock|artist=Bobby Helms|type=single|award=Platinum|number=2|id=11836|relyear=1957|certyear=2023|access-date=December 29, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|source=oldchart|title=Jingle Bell Rock|artist=Bobby Helms|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1957|certyear=2023|id=5278|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122034752/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/singles?chart=5278|archive-date=2023-11-22|access-date=January 28, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Portugal|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2016|certyear=2022|id=file_2023-01-30-17-47-02.pdf|access-date=February 7, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|title=Jingle Bell Rock|artist=Bobby Helms|type=single|award=Gold|id=-113|relyear=1957|certyear=2021|access-date=December 30, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Jingle Bell Rock|artist=Bobby Helms|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=2006|certyear=2024|id=15372-4837-1|access-date=January 3, 2025}}

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=Greece|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1957|certyear=2023|certweek=48|id=20231206113956|access-date=December 6, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streamsonly=true}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Jingle Bell Rock" by Hall & Oates}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1983|certyear=2022|access-date=February 7, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Daryl Hall & John Oates|title=Jingle Bell Rock|award=Gold|relyear=1983|id=2022-12-30|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|certyear=2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Daryl Hall & John Oates|title=Jingle Bell Rock|award=Gold|relyear=2011|certyear=2024|id=15372-1755-1|access-date=January 3, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

{{reflist}}

• {{YouTube|5vyMuxxLsD0|Jingle Bell Rock (Hall & Oates version) [Video]}}

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Category:Songs about rock music

Category:1957 songs

Category:1964 songs

Category:1967 songs

Category:Bobby Helms songs

Category:Bill Haley songs

Category:Brenda Lee songs

Category:Aaron Tippin songs

Category:Bobby Rydell songs

Category:George Strait songs

Category:Hall & Oates songs

Category:American Christmas songs

Category:Decca Records singles