Jingle Bell Rock :: Billy Idol
from the album, Happy Holidays: A Very Special Christmas Album

Jingle Bell Rock is a popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms, in 1957. It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas time since then. Jingle Bell Rock was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal (1900–1967), and James Ross Boothe (1917–1976).

Beal was a Massachusetts-born public relations man and longtime resident of South Ocean Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Boothe was a Texan writer in the advertising business.

Billy Idol released a Christmas album in 2006 called Happy Holidays. The Jingle Bell Rock music video (see above) plays a bit ridiculous and unbelievable, especially seeing former Rebel Yell  New Wave “bad boy” tossing snow in the air, grinning awkwardly and dancing in front of the tree. Idol is smiling so much, one is left to wonder if he did the entire video as an ironic joke.

Editor’s Note: How is this real? No, seriously, how is this real and how did I never know about this? I cannot help but be reminded of Bill Nighy’s aging rocker “bad boy” Billy Mack, from the holiday film Love Actually, who is pushed by his record label to release a contrived, and awkward, Christmas song. I half expect Billy Idol to wink at the camera at some point in this as if to say “yeah, I can’t believe this either.”