By this point in the holiday season, you’ve almost certainly heard Bobby Helms singing “Jingle Bell Rock” on the radio. Heck, you might have even heard it today–the 1957 holiday hit is that ubiquitous this time of year.
When it was first released, Helms took “Jingle Bell Rock” to #13 on the Billboard country and western radio play chart, and to #6 on the Best Sellers in Stores chart.
But this is a song that never really goes away–in fact, it only grows more popular with time.
“Jingle Bell Rock” charted in 1996, reaching #60 on the Billboard country singles chart. It charted in 2016, reaching #29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2019, Helms finally broke the Top Ten, peaking at #8 to set a record for the longest time between a recording’s original release and its entry to the Top Ten.
And just this year, Helms’ version of “Jingle Bell Rock” notched its highest chart performance ever, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
That’s one seriously popular song, and that’s not even counting all the cover artists that charted with it, including Chubby Checker and Bobby Rydell, Hall and Oates, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, and more.
So it was probably inevitable that Bruce Springsteen would cover “Jingle Bell Rock” when he started his annual tradition of holiday benefit shows in Asbury Park.
Each night of his sophomore season’s five-night run, Bruce welcomed his audience with a rousing cover of “Jingle Bell Rock,” accompanied by Patti Scialfa, Soozie Tyrell, and Lisa Lowell, and backed by The Max Weinberg 7.
Bruce’s cover was warm, bright, and merry, setting the tone for the festive show to come. It was such a great cover, in fact, that it’s surprising he never reprised it.
Other than a one-off cover at a private holiday party the following year (for which no recording circulates), Bruce hasn’t performed “Jingle Bell Rock” since.
Jingle Bell Rock
First performed: December 3, 2001 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: December 22, 2002 (Asbury Park, NJ)
