In January 2019, the song entered the Hot 100's top 10 for the first time reaching No. The Helms version entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the week ending December 24, 2016, and hit No. 11 on Cashbox magazine's Top 60 on the week ending January 11, 1958.Īfter 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. 6 on the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart, and at No.
It also crossed to the pop charts, peaking at No. 13 on Billboard 's Most Played C&W by Jockeys chart, a predecessor to the Hot Country Songs chart. " īilly Garland, brother of Hank Garland, maintains his deceased brother's story, and has long been involved with and vocal about the issue. came up with the "Jingle Bell Rock" America hears every holiday season,' he said. " 'I let it hop back to where it came from,' Garland recalled. So me and one of the musicians, worked on it for about an hour putting a melody to it and we put a bridge to it,' said Helms. " 'I really didn't want to cut it because it was such a bad song. However, neither of them received writing credit or subsequent writing royalties. This new song, they claimed, was the one that is known today. 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. This song, according to Helms and Garland, had little to no resemblance to the current 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. 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. Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert covered the song in 2012. Aaron Tippin covered the song for his album A December to Remember in 2002. In 1999, George Strait covered the song for his album Merry Christmas Wherever You Are. In 1983, Helms released his last recording of "Jingle Bell Rock" on Black Rose 82713.ĭ-TV set this version to the Disney shorts, Once Upon a Wintertime from Melody Time and On Ice. In yet another re-recording, Helms released a version on Ashley AS-4200 (year unknown). He again recorded the song for Gusto Records, it was subsequently released on their "Power Pak" label. 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. 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. Backup singers were the Anita Kerr Singers. An electric guitar played by Hank Garland can be heard playing the first notes of the chorus of "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". The song's title and some of its lyrics are an extension of the old Christmas standard, " Jingle Bells". "Jingle Bell Rock" has been performed by many, but Helms' first version from 1957 produced by Paul Cohen is the best known. 7 Chubby Checker & Bobby Rydell version.