Rockin' Robin (song)
{{Short description|1958 rock and roll single}}
{{About|the song|the wrestler|Rockin' Robin (wrestler)|the character named Rockin' Robin|The Radioactive Chicken Heads}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Rockin' Robin
| cover = Bobby Day - Rockin' Robin.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Bobby Day
| album = Rockin' with Robin
| B-side = Over and Over
| released = 1958
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
- Rock and roll{{cite web|first= John |last= Bush |title= Rockin' Robin – Song Review |website= AllMusic |access-date= June 17, 2014 |url= https://www.allmusic.com/song/rockin-robin-mt0009194219}}
- doo-wop{{cite book|first=Dave|last=Marsh|title=The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made|url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Heart_Of_Rock_Soul.html?id=5t5DYDniSHEC|date=1989|publisher=Plume|isbn=0-452-26305-0|page=429}}
- novelty{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: The Dave Clark Five's "Over And Over"|website= Stereogum |date= August 22, 2018 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/2011209/the-number-ones-the-dave-clark-fives-over-and-over/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= Bobby Day wrote the song and used it as the B-side to his 1958 novelty hit "Rockin' Robin".|accessdate= June 12, 2023}}
| length = 2:31 (single version)
| label = Class
| writer = Leon René
| producer = Jimmie Thomas
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Over and Over
| next_year = 1958
}}
"Rockin' Robin" (originally released as "Rock-In Robin" on the Class Records 45 single) is a song written by Leon René under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas, and recorded by American singer Bobby Day in 1958. It was Day's biggest hit single, becoming a number two hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and spent one week at the top of the R&B sales chart.{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |author-link= Joel Whitburn |year= 2004 |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004 |publisher= Record Research |page= 148}} Michael Jackson recorded his own version of the song in 1972, which also achieved success.
Personnel
- Bobby Day – vocals
- Plas Johnson – piccolo{{cite web|first= Dik |last= de Heer |title= Plas Johnson |website= Rockabilly.nl |date= September 2015 |access-date= October 6, 2017 |url= http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/plas_johnson.htm}}
- Earl Palmer – drums{{cite book|first= Tony |last= Scherman |year= 1999 |title= Backbeat: The Earl Palmer Story |page= [https://archive.org/details/backbeatearlpalm00sche/page/174 174] |publisher= Smithsonian Institution Press |location= Washington D.C. |isbn= 978-1-56098-844-1 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/backbeatearlpalm00sche}}
- Barney Kessel – guitar{{cite web|title= Barney Kessel – Credits |website= AllMusic |access-date= September 8, 2019 |url= https://www.allmusic.com/artist/barney-kessel-mn0000784527/credits}}
Copyright status
"Rockin' Robin" is in the public domain, as the owners never renewed the copyright.{{cite web|first= Jeremy |last= Mersereau |title= 6 songs surprisingly in the public domain |publisher= A.Side TV |date= October 30, 2015 |access-date= February 22, 2020 |url= https://ontheaside.com/music/6-songs-surprisingly-in-the-public-domain/}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Chart performance for "Rockin' Robin" !scope="col"|Chart (1958) !scope="col"|Peak |
| scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|title= Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 3 |publisher= Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien |access-date= June 17, 2014 |url= http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=30148&pages=5}}
|align="center"|9 |
|---|
| scope="row"|Canada (CHUM Charts){{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/58-08-11-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - August 11, 1958}}
|align="center"|3 |
| scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|title= Bobby Day – Awards |website= AllMusic |access-date= June 17, 2014 |url= http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-day-mn0000074452/awards}}
|align="center"|2 |
| scope="row"|US Billboard Rhythm & Blues Records
|align="center"|1 |
Michael Jackson version
{{Infobox song
| name = Rockin' Robin
| cover = Michael-Jackson-Rockin-Robin-459738.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Michael Jackson
| album = Got to Be There
| B-side = Love Is Here and Now You're Gone
| released = February 1972{{cite book|first1= Richard |last1= Lecocq |first2= François |last2= Allard |year= 2018 |title= Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track |chapter= Got to Be There |location= London, England |publisher= Cassell |isbn= 9781788400572 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4qJfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT86}}
| recorded =
| studio = Motown Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)
| genre = Bubblegum pop{{cite book|title= Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s|first1=Don|last1=Breithaupt|first2= Jeff|last2= Breithaupt|date= October 15, 1996|chapter=
Post-Nuclear Families: Bubblegum|page= 23|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|isbn=031214704X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RMPCAwAAQBAJ}}
| length = 2:31
| label = Motown
| writer = Leon René
| producer = {{hlist|Mel Larson|Jerry Marcellino}}
| prev_title = Got to Be There
| prev_year = 1971
| next_title = I Wanna Be Where You Are
| next_year = 1972
| misc = {{External music video|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|vFWEaaoYgHk|"Rockin' Robin"}}}}
}}
In 1972, Michael Jackson released his own version of "Rockin' Robin", which was released as a single from his gold-certified solo album titled Got to Be There as a follow-up single to the song of the same name. It was the biggest hit from the album, hitting number 1 on the Cash Box singles chart and peaking at number two on both the Billboard Hot 100, behind "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack,{{cite magazine|title= The Hot 100 |magazine= Billboard |date= April 22, 1972 |access-date= December 11, 2018 |url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1972-04-22}} and the Billboard soul singles chart, behind "In the Rain" by the Dramatics.{{cite magazine|title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs |magazine= Billboard |date= April 15, 1972 |access-date= January 31, 2019 |url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-songs/1972-04-15}}
Record World said that "little Michael rocks in with a revival of the big Bobby Day hit of the rockin' 1950s".{{cite magazine|author=Record World staff|title=Hits of the Week|magazine=Record World|date=March 4, 1972|page=1|accessdate=2023-04-02|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/72/Record-World-1972-03-04.pdf}}
=Track listing=
- A. "Rockin' Robin" – 2:30
- B. "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" – 2:51
=Chart performance=
=Certifications and sales=
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "Rockin' Robin" by Michael Jackson}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Michael Jackson|title=Rockin' Robin|type=single|award=Silver|id=17638-168-1|certyear=2021|relyear=2004|access-date=16 November 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Rockin' Robin|artist=Michael Jackson|type=single|nocert=yes|salesamount=2,000,000|salesref={{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yb_ghov9uEMC&dq=michael+jackson+albums+sales+in+germany&pg=PA12 | isbn=9780755200917 | title=Michael Jackson the Solo Years | year=2003 | publisher=Authors On Line }}}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}
Lolly version
In 1999, English singer Lolly released a cover of "Rockin' Robin" as a double A-side single with "Big Boys Don't Cry". It was a top 10 hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 10 in December of that year and remaining on the chart for a total of 11 weeks.{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/8004/lolly/|title=LOLLY | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=Official Charts}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Michael Jackson songs}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Michael Jackson songs
Category:Songs written by Leon René
Category:Cashbox number-one singles