Rockin' Robin (song)
"Rockin' Robin" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
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 | ||||
|
"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.
Personnel
- Bobby Day – vocals
- Plas Johnson – piccolo[4]
- Earl Palmer – drums[5]
- Barney Kessel – guitar[6]
Copyright status
"Rockin' Robin" is in the public domain, as the owners never renewed the copyright.[7]
Charts
Chart (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
"Rockin' Robin" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
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) |
| |||
Michael Jackson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
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
- A. "Rockin' Robin" – 2:30
- B. "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" – 2:51
Chart performance
Chart (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
Region | 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
In 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
References
- ^ 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.
- v
- t
- e
- "Got to Be There"
- "Ain't No Sunshine"
- "I Wanna Be Where You Are"
- "Rockin' Robin"
- "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone"
- "You've Got a Friend"
- "Ben"
- "Everybody's Somebody's Fool"
- "My Girl"
- "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day"
- "We've Got a Good Thing Going"
- "With a Child's Heart"
- "Morning Glow"
- "All the Things You Are"
- "Happy"
- "Too Young"
- "Music and Me"
- "We're Almost There"
- "Just a Little Bit of You"
- "You Can't Win"
- "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
- "Rock with You"
- "Working Day and Night"
- "It's the Falling in Love"
- "Off the Wall"
- "Girlfriend"
- "She's Out of My Life"
- "One Day in Your Life"
- "The Girl Is Mine"
- "Billie Jean"
- "Beat It"
- "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
- "Human Nature"
- "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
- "Thriller"
- "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
- "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)"
- "Lonely Teardrops"
- "That's What Love Is Made Of"
- "Farewell My Summer Love"
- "Girl You're So Together"
- "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
- "Bad"
- "The Way You Make Me Feel"
- "Speed Demon"
- "Liberian Girl"
- "Just Good Friends"
- "Another Part of Me"
- "Man in the Mirror"
- "Dirty Diana"
- "Smooth Criminal"
- "Leave Me Alone"
- "Twenty-Five Miles"
- "Black or White"
- "Jam"
- "In the Closet"
- "Remember the Time"
- "Heal the World"
- "Who Is It"
- "Give In to Me"
- "Will You Be There"
- "Gone Too Soon"
- "Dangerous"
- "Come Together"
- "Scream"
- "Childhood"
- "They Don't Care About Us"
- "Stranger in Moscow"
- "This Time Around"
- "Earth Song"
- "D.S."
- "You Are Not Alone"
- "Tabloid Junkie"
- "HIStory"
- "Smile"
- "Mind Is the Magic"
- "Blood on the Dance Floor"
- "Ghosts"
- "Is It Scary"
- "On the Line"
- "Speechless"
- "You Rock My World"
- "Heaven Can Wait"
- "Butterflies"
- "Cry"
- "One More Chance"
- "Cheater"
- "(I Like) The Way You Love Me"
- "Fall Again"
- "This Is It"
- "Hold My Hand"
- "Hollywood Tonight"
- "(I Can't Make It) Another Day"
- "Behind the Mask"
- "Don't Be Messin' 'Round"
- "I'm So Blue"
- "Price of Fame"
- "Love Never Felt So Good"
- "Chicago"
- "Loving You"
- "A Place with No Name"
- "Slave to the Rhythm"
- "Blue Gangsta"
- "A Brand New Day"
- "Ease on Down the Road"
- "Who's Right, Who's Wrong"
- "Night Time Lover"
- "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"
- "State of Independence"
- "Muscles"
- "Say Say Say"
- "Somebody's Watching Me"
- "Don't Stand Another Chance"
- "Centipede"
- "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)"
- "Eaten Alive"
- "Get It"
- "2300 Jackson Street"
- "Do the Bartman"
- "Whatzupwitu"
- "Why"
- "I Need You"
- "We Be Ballin'"
- "Girls, Girls, Girls"
- "All in Your Name"
- "There Must Be More to Life Than This"
- "Low"
- "Don't Matter to Me"
- Category