Christmas Songs Countdown: #8

Bobby Helms first released Jingle Bell Rock in 1957 and is arguably one of the most famous Christmas-themed popular music songs of all time. It is certainly one of the most covered, with versions having been recorded by acts as diverse as Bill Haley, Ashley Tisdale, the Chipmunks, Girls Aloud, Neil Diamond, Kylie Minogue and even Billy Idol!

To modern audiences the 'rock' aspect of the song can sound more country & western as it follows a style popular in the 50s that merges the two called 'rockabilly'. The single has been included on a number of Bobby's own albums, the most recent (and final) in 1983, and one in 1970 on an album itself titled Jingle Bell Rock.

I've already mentioned the many different cover versions of this song, but to those of us of around my age (28 at the time of typing), arguably the most well-known is the original largely due to its inclusion on the soundtrack of 1990's Christmas movie Home Alone.

Here's a vid:

And because it's Christmas and I'm feeling generous, here's Billy Idol's version, complete with promo-vid. Worth it for the facial expressions, I feel: