Jingle Bell Rock

Jingle Bell Rock is the name of a popular Christmas song. It was first released by Bobby Helms in 1957 and has received frequent airplay during every Christmas time since then. Jingle Bell Rock was written by Joe Beal & Jim Boothe. It has gone on to sell 100 million copies.

It has been performed by many, but Helms' version is the best-known. Its title and some of its lyrics are takeoffs on the old Christmas standard, "Jingle Bells". It also 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 can be heard playing the first notes to the chorus from the aforementioned "Jingle Bells".

Despite being titled a Jingle Bell "Rock", Helms' version of the song was performed in the crossover style known as Rockabilly, and to modern ears it sounds a lot more "Country" than it does "Rock and Roll." However, to really modern ears, it sounds more Barbershop than anything else.