"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.[3] Michael Jackson recorded his own version of the song in 1972, which also achieved success.
"Rockin' Robin" | ||||
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Single by Bobby Day | ||||
from the album Rockin' with Robin | ||||
B-side | "Over and Over" | |||
Released | 1958 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:31 (single version) | |||
Label | Class | |||
Songwriter(s) | Leon René | |||
Producer(s) | Jimmie Thomas | |||
Bobby Day singles chronology | ||||
|
Personnel
edit- Bobby Day – vocals
- Plas Johnson – piccolo[4]
- Earl Palmer – drums[5]
- Barney Kessel – guitar[6]
Copyright status
edit"Rockin' Robin" is in the public domain, as the owners never renewed the copyright.[7]
Charts
editChart (1958) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 9 |
Canada (CHUM Charts)[9] | 3 |
US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 2 |
US Billboard Rhythm & Blues Records[10] | 1 |
Michael Jackson version
edit"Rockin' Robin" | ||||
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Single by Michael Jackson | ||||
from the album Got to Be There | ||||
B-side | "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" | |||
Released | February 1972[11] | |||
Studio | Motown Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)[11] | |||
Genre | Bubblegum pop[12] | |||
Length | 2:31 | |||
Label | Motown | |||
Songwriter(s) | Leon René | |||
Producer(s) |
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Michael Jackson singles chronology | ||||
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Official audio | ||||
"Rockin' Robin" on YouTube |
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,[13] and the Billboard soul singles chart, behind "In the Rain" by the Dramatics.[14]
Record World said that "little Michael rocks in with a revival of the big Bobby Day hit of the rockin' 1950s".[15]
Track listing
edit- A. "Rockin' Robin" – 2:30
- B. "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" – 2:51
Chart performance
editChart (1972) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Go-Set National Top 40)[16] | 23 |
Australia (Kent Music Report)[17] | 16 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[18] | 13 |
Ireland (IRMA)[19] | 16 |
Swedish Singles Chart (Kvällstoppen)[20] | 1 |
UK Singles (OCC)[21] | 3 |
US Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles[22] | 2 |
US Billboard Hot 100[22] | 2 |
Certifications and sales
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States | — | 2,000,000[24] |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Lolly version
editIn 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.[25]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Bush, John. "Rockin' Robin – Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (August 22, 2018). "The Number Ones: The Dave Clark Five's "Over And Over"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
Bobby Day wrote the song and used it as the B-side to his 1958 novelty hit "Rockin' Robin".
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 148.
- ^ de Heer, Dik (September 2015). "Plas Johnson". Rockabilly.nl. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
- ^ Scherman, Tony (1999). Backbeat: The Earl Palmer Story. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-56098-844-1.
- ^ "Barney Kessel – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
- ^ Mersereau, Jeremy (October 30, 2015). "6 songs surprisingly in the public domain". A.Side TV. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 3". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ "CHUM Hit Parade - August 11, 1958".
- ^ a b "Bobby Day – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ a b Lecocq, Richard; Allard, François (2018). "Got to Be There". Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London, England: Cassell. ISBN 9781788400572.
- ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (October 15, 1996). "Post-Nuclear Families: Bubblegum". Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 23. ISBN 031214704X.
- ^ "The Hot 100". Billboard. April 22, 1972. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. April 15, 1972. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
- ^ Record World staff (March 4, 1972). "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. p. 1. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ "Go-Set Australian charts". Go-Set. July 22, 1972. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012.
- ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989, part 2". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7632." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rockin' Robin". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ "Kvällstoppen 18 Juli 1972 - Hela topplistan, se videos, lyssna på låtarna - NostalgiListan". NostalgiListan. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ a b "Got to Be There – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ "British single certifications – Michael Jackson – Rockin' Robin". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ Michael Jackson the Solo Years. Authors On Line. 2003. ISBN 9780755200917.
- ^ "LOLLY | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts.