Rockin' Robin (song)

"Rockin' Robin"
"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
Studio	Motown Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Genre	Bubblegum pop
Length	2:31
Label	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Leon René
Producer(s)	Mel Larson; Jerry Marcellino;
Michael Jackson singles chronology
Official audio
	"Rockin' Robin" on YouTube

"Rockin' Robin"
"Rockin' Robin"
Single by Bobby Day
from the album Rockin' with Robin
B-side	"Over and Over"
Released	1958
Genre	Rock and roll; novelty;
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 performance for "Rockin' Robin"
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

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 performance for "Rockin' Robin" by Michael Jackson
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

Certifications and sales for "Rockin' Robin" by Michael Jackson
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]

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.

[1] Bush, John. "Rockin' Robin – Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

[Breihan_2018-2] 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".

[3] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 148.

[4] Heer, Dik (September 2015). "Plas Johnson". Rockabilly.nl. Retrieved October 6, 2017.

[5] Scherman, Tony (1999). Backbeat: The Earl Palmer Story. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-56098-844-1.

[6] "Barney Kessel – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved September 8, 2019.

[7] Mersereau, Jeremy (October 30, 2015). "6 songs surprisingly in the public domain". A.Side TV. Retrieved February 22, 2020.

[8] "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 3". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

[9] "CHUM Hit Parade - August 11, 1958".

[awards1-10] "Bobby Day – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

[Every-11] 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_1996-12] 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.

[13] "The Hot 100". Billboard. April 22, 1972. Retrieved December 11, 2018.

[14] "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. April 15, 1972. Retrieved January 31, 2019.

[15] Record World staff (March 4, 1972). "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. p. 1. Retrieved April 2, 2023.

[16] "Go-Set Australian charts". Go-Set. July 22, 1972. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012.

[17] "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989, part 2". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

[sc_Canadatopsingles_-18] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7632." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

[sc_Ireland2_-19] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rockin' Robin". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

[sweden-20] "Kvällstoppen 18 Juli 1972 - Hela topplistan, se videos, lyssna på låtarna - NostalgiListan". NostalgiListan. Retrieved May 15, 2024.

[sc_UK_-21] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

[awards2-22] "Got to Be There – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

[United_KingdomMichael_JacksonRockin'_RobinsingleCertRef-23] "British single certifications – Michael Jackson – Rockin' Robin". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 16, 2021.

[24] Michael Jackson the Solo Years. Authors On Line. 2003. ISBN 9780755200917.

[25] "LOLLY | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts.

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Rockin' Robin (song)

Personnel

Copyright status

Charts

Michael Jackson version

Track listing

Chart performance

Certifications and sales

Lolly version

See also

References

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