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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox single
{{Infobox song
| Name = Jailhouse Rock
| name = Jailhouse Rock
| cover = Elvis_Presley_Jailhouse_Rock_Single_Cover.jpeg
| Cover = Jailhouse_rock.jpg
| Artist = [[Elvis Presley]]
| alt =
| type = single
| from Album = [[Jailhouse Rock (EP)|Jailhouse Rock]]
| B-side = "[[Treat Me Nice]]"
| artist = [[Elvis Presley]]
| Released = September 24, 1957
| EP = [[Jailhouse Rock (EP)|Jailhouse Rock]]
| Format = 45 rpm single, 78 rpm single
| B-side = [[Treat Me Nice]]
| released = {{Start date|1957|09|24}}
| Recorded = April 30, 1957, [[Radio Recorders]], [[Hollywood, California]]
| recorded = April 30, 1957
| Genre = [[Rock and roll]], [[rockabilly]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/lis_fwh/book/classic_rock_n_roll/Rockabilly2.htm|title=ROCKABILLY Definition|work=shsu.edu}}</ref>
| studio = [[Radio Recorders]], [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]]
| Length = 2:26
| Writer = [[Leiber/Stoller]]
| genre = * [[Rock and roll]]
| Producer = [[Leiber/Stoller]]
| length = 2:10
| label = [[RCA Victor]]
| Last single = "[[(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear]]" (June 11, 1957)
| writer = [[Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller]]
| This single = "'''Jailhouse Rock'''" <br>(September 24, 1957)
| producer = [[Jeff Alexander]]
| Next single = "[[Don't (Leiber/Stoller song)|Don't]]" (January 7, 1958)
| Misc =
| prev_title = [[(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear]]
| prev_year = 1957
| next_title = [[Don't (Elvis Presley song)|Don't]]
| next_year = 1958
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|PpsUOOfb-vE|"Jailhouse Rock" (audio)}}}}
{{Audio sample
| type = single
| file = Jailhouse Rock sample.ogg
| description = ''Jailhouse Rock''
}}
}}
}}
{{listen
"'''Jailhouse Rock'''" is a [[rock and roll]] song recorded by American singer [[Elvis Presley]] for the [[Jailhouse Rock (film)|film of the same name]]. It was written by [[Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller]]. [[RCA Victor]] released the song on a [[45 rpm single]] on September 24, 1957, as the first single from the film's [[Jailhouse Rock (EP)|soundtrack EP]]. It reached the top of the charts in the U.S. and the top 10 in several other countries. The song has been recognized by the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]], the [[American Film Institute]], and others.
|filename=Jailhouse Rock sample.ogg
|title="Jailhouse Rock"
|description=[[Elvis Presley]]'s "Jailhouse Rock" from the 1957 film ''[[Jailhouse Rock (1957 film)|Jailhouse Rock]]''
|filetype=[[Ogg]]}}
"'''Jailhouse Rock'''" is a song written by [[Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller]] that first became a hit for [[Elvis Presley]]. The song was released as a [[45rpm single]] on September 24, 1957, to coincide with the release of Presley's motion picture, ''[[Jailhouse Rock (film)|Jailhouse Rock]]''.

The song as recorded by Elvis Presley is #67 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]'''s list of [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/elvis-presley-jailhouse-rock-20110525|title=The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|publisher=RollingStone.com|accessdate=2007-06-02}}</ref> and was named one of [[The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll]]. In 2004, it finished at #21 on [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs]] survey of top tunes in American cinema.

Presley's performance of the song in the film, choreographed as a dance routine involving himself and a large group of male prisoners, was featured among other classic [[MGM]] musical numbers in the 1994 documentary ''[[That's Entertainment! III]]''. The film version differs from the single version of the song, featuring backing instrumentation and vocals not heard on the record.


==Characters and themes==
==Characters and themes==
[[File:Jailhouse Rock - Treat Me Nice ad - Cash Box 1957.jpg|thumb|left|160px|''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' advertisement, October 5, 1957]]
Some of the characters named in the song are real people. [[Shifty Henry]] was a well-known [[Los Angeles|LA]] musician, not a criminal. [[The Purple Gang]] was a real mob. "[[Sad Sack]]" was a [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] nickname in [[World War II]] for a loser, which also became the name of a popular [[comic strip]] and comic book character.
Some of the characters named in the song are real people. [[Shifty Henry]] was a well-known [[Los Angeles]] musician, not a criminal. [[The Purple Gang]] was a real mob. "[[Sad Sack]]" was a [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] nickname in [[World War II]] for a loser, which was also the name of a popular [[comic strip]] and comic book character.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/retcon-history-and-meaning |title=A Short History of 'Retcon' |access-date=November 24, 2019 |website=Merriam-webster.com}}</ref>


According to ''Rolling Stone'', Leiber and Stoller's "theme song for Presley's third movie was decidedly silly, the kind of tongue-in-cheek goof they had come up with for [[The Coasters]]. The King, however, sang it as straight rock & roll, overlooking the jokes in the lyrics (like the suggestion of gay romance when inmate Number 47 tells Number 3, 'You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see') and then introducing Scotty Moore's guitar solo with a cry so intense that the take almost collapses."<ref>"Jailhouse Rock". In ''Rolling Stone'', December 9, 2004.</ref> Gender studies scholars cite the song for "its famous reference to homoerotics behind bars,"<ref>Philip Brett, Elizabeth Wood and Gary Thomas, ''Queering the Pitch: The New Gay and Lesbian Musicology'' (Routledge, 2006), p.363.</ref> while music critic Garry Mulholland writes, "'Jailhouse Rock' was always a queer lyric, in both senses."<ref>Garry Mulholland, ''Popcorn: Fifty Years of Rock'n'Roll Movies'' (Orion Books, 2010).</ref> Douglas Brode writes of the filmed production number that it's "amazing that the sequence passed by the censors".<ref>Douglas Brode, ''Elvis Cinema and Popular Culture'' (McFarland & Co., 2006), p.46.</ref>
According to ''Rolling Stone'', Leiber and Stoller's "theme song for Presley's third movie was decidedly silly, the kind of tongue-in-cheek goof they had come up with for [[The Coasters]]. Presley, however, sang it as straight rock & roll, overlooking the jokes in the lyrics (like the suggestion of [[homosexual|gay]] romance when inmate Number 47 tells Number 3, 'You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see') and then introducing Scotty Moore's guitar solo with a cry so intense that the take almost collapses."<ref>"Jailhouse Rock". In ''Rolling Stone'', December 9, 2004.</ref> Gender studies scholars cite the song for "its famous reference to homoerotics behind bars,"<ref>Philip Brett, Elizabeth Wood and Gary Thomas, ''Queering the Pitch: The New Gay and Lesbian Musicology'' (Routledge, 2006), p. 363.</ref> while music critic Garry Mulholland writes, "'Jailhouse Rock' was always a queer lyric, in both senses."<ref>Garry Mulholland, ''Popcorn: Fifty Years of Rock'n'Roll Movies'' (Orion Books, 2010).</ref> Douglas Brode writes of the filmed production number that it's "amazing that the sequence passed by the censors".<ref>Douglas Brode, ''Elvis Cinema and Popular Culture'' (McFarland & Co., 2006), p. 46.</ref>


==Releases and chart performance==
==Releases and chart performance==
The single, with its [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] "[[Treat Me Nice]]" (another song from the film's soundtrack) was a [[No. 1 Hits of 1957|US #1 hit]] for seven weeks in the fall of 1957, and a [[List of Number 1 singles from the 1950s (UK)|UK #1]] hit for three weeks early in 1958.It was the first record to enter the UK charts at No. 1.<ref name="500 Number One Hits">{{cite book
The single, with its [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] "[[Treat Me Nice]]" (another song from the film's soundtrack) was a US number one hit for seven weeks in the fall of 1957, and a [[List of Number 1 singles from the 1950s (UK)|UK number one]] hit for three weeks early in 1958.<ref name="500 Number One Hits">{{cite book
| first= Jo
| first= Jo
| last= Rice
| last= Rice
Line 41: Line 42:
| title= The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits
| title= The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits
| edition= 1st
| edition= 1st
| publisher= Guinness Superlatives Ltd
| publisher= Guinness Superlatives Ltd
| location= Enfield, Middlesex
| location= Enfield, Middlesex
| page= 34
| page= 34
| isbn= 0-85112-250-7}}</ref> In addition, "Jailhouse Rock" spent one week at the top of the US country charts,<ref>{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=272}}</ref> and reached the No. 2 position on the R&B chart.<ref>Billboard December 16, 1957. page 61</ref>
| isbn= 0-85112-250-7}}</ref> In addition, "Jailhouse Rock" spent one week at the top of the US country charts,<ref>{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=272}}</ref> and reached the number one position on the R&B charts.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=_SgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58 Billboard November 4, 1957, page 58.]</ref>


Also in 1957, "Jailhouse Rock" was the lead song in an EP (extended play single), together with other songs from the film, namely "Young and Beautiful," "I Want to be Free," "Don't Leave Me Now," and "[[(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care]]" (but with "Treat Me Nice" omitted). It topped the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' EP charts, eventually selling two million copies and earning a double-platinum [[RIAA]] certification.
Also in 1957, "Jailhouse Rock" was the lead song in an EP (extended play single), together with other songs from the film, namely "Young and Beautiful", "I Want to Be Free", "Don't Leave Me Now" and "[[(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care]]" (but with "Treat Me Nice" omitted). It topped the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' EP charts, ultimately selling two million copies and earning a double-platinum [[RIAA]] certification.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}


== Personnel ==
In 2005, the song was re-released in the UK and reached No. 1 for a single week, when it became the lowest-selling number 1 in uk history, and the first to enter at No. 1 twice.
Credits sourced from AFM union contracts and label records.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elvis Presley Recording Sessions|url=https://keithflynn.com/recording-sessions/570430.html|access-date=2021-08-30|website=keithflynn.com}}</ref>

* [[Elvis Presley]]{{snd}} lead vocals and acoustic guitar
* [[The Jordanaires]]{{snd}} backing vocals
* [[Bill Black]]{{snd}} bass guitar
* [[Scotty Moore]]{{snd}} electric guitar
* [[D. J. Fontana]]{{snd}} drums
* [[Dudley Brooks]]{{snd}} piano

==Legacy==
''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine included "Jailhouse Rock" at number 67 on its list of [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/elvis-presley-jailhouse-rock-20110525|title=The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|website=Rollingstone.com|date=December 11, 2003|access-date=2007-06-02|archive-date=October 23, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023205659/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/elvis-presley-jailhouse-rock-20110525|url-status=dead}}</ref> and it was named one of [[The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll]]. In 2004, it finished at number 21 on [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs]] survey of top tunes in American cinema. On November 27, 2016, the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]] announced its induction, along with that of another 24 songs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nirvana-bowie-r-e-m-songs-among-grammy-hall-of-fames-2017-inductees-187537/|title=Nirvana, Bowie, R.E.M. Songs Among Grammy Hall of Fame's 2017 Inductees|first=Daniel|last=Kreps|website=Rollingstone.com|date=November 29, 2016|access-date=April 27, 2021}}</ref> In 2019, the song ranked number 31 on Spanish radio station Rock FM 500's list of "Five Hundred Rockers of All Time", ahead of any other song of the 1950s.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}


==Charts and certifications==
==Charts and certifications==
Line 60: Line 72:
! scope="col"|Peak<br />position
! scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=auscharts>{{cite book|title=Australian Chart Book: 1940–1969: the Hit Songs and Records from Thirty Years of Specially Compiled Charts|last=Kent|first=David|url=http://books.google.com.pe/books?id=F7KlYgEACAAJ |publisher=Australian Chart Book Limited.|year=2005|accessdate=2013-03-03}}</ref>
|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=auscharts>{{cite book|title=Australian Chart Book: 1940–1969: the Hit Songs and Records from Thirty Years of Specially Compiled Charts|last=Kent|first=David|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F7KlYgEACAAJ |publisher=Australian Chart Book Limited.|year=2005|isbn=9780646444390|access-date=2013-03-03}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|3
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Belgium (Flanders)|8|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=December 1, 1957|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
{{single chart|Belgium (Flanders)|8|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=January 6, 1958|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Finland|7|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=December 1, 1957|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
{{single chart|Finland|7|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=January 16, 1958|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|-
|-
|South Africa ([[Springbok Radio|Springbok]])
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|The Hot 100]]<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/elvis-presley-mn0000180228/awards|title=Elvis Presley – Awards|publisher=[[Allmusic]]|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
{{single chart|United Kingdom|1|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|refname=UK-1958|date=January 30, 1958|access-date=March 3, 2016}}
|-
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/elvis-presley-mn0000180228/awards|title=Elvis Presley – Awards|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=March 3, 2013}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|-
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' ''[[Best Sellers in Stores]]''<ref name="joel whitburn">{{cite book|title=Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955–2006|url=http://books.google.com.pe/books?id=99fXAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Record Research|date=January 8, 2008|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}</ref>
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' ''[[Best Sellers in Stores]]''<ref name="joel whitburn">{{cite book|title=Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955–2006|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=99fXAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Record Research|date=January 8, 2008|isbn = 9780898201727|access-date=March 3, 2013}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|-
Line 90: Line 107:
|US [[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box Magazine Top Country & Western Singles]]<ref name="joel whitburn"/>
|US [[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box Magazine Top Country & Western Singles]]<ref name="joel whitburn"/>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col"|Chart (1971)
! scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
{{single chart|United Kingdom|42|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|refname=UK-1971|date=December 11, 1971|access-date=March 3, 2016}}
|}
|}


Line 97: Line 122:
! scope="col"|Peak<br />position
! scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Belgium (Wallonia)|9|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=March 9, 1974|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
{{single chart|Belgium (Wallonia)|9|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=March 9, 1974|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Dutch100|4|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=February 9, 1974|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|4|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=February 9, 1974|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|-
{{singlechart|Sweden|58|artist=Elvis Presley|song=(You're the) Devil in Disguise|date=April 7, 2005|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
|}
|}


{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! scope="col"|Chart (1977)
! scope="col"|Chart (1977)
! scope="col"|Peak<br />position
! scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|-
{{singlechart|United Kingdom|44|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=September 3, 1977|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
{{single chart|United Kingdom|44|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|refname=UK-1977|date=September 3, 1977|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|}
|}


Line 117: Line 140:
! scope="col"|Peak<br />position
! scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Ireland|23|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|year=2005|week=1|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
{{single chart|Ireland|23|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|year=2005|week=1|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|France|87|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=February 20, 2005|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
{{single chart|France|87|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=February 20, 2005|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Switzerland|96|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=February 20, 2005|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|19|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=January 22, 2005|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|-
|-
{{single chart|Scotland|1|date=20050115|access-date=July 8, 2018}}
{{singlechart|Dutch100|19|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=January 22, 2005|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Sweden|37|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=January 20, 2005|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
{{single chart|Sweden|37|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=January 20, 2005|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|United Kingdom|1|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|refname=UK-2005|date=January 15, 2005|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|96|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|date=February 20, 2005|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|-
{{single chart|United Kingdom|1|artist=Elvis Presley|song=Jailhouse Rock|refname=UK-2005|date=January 15, 2005|access-date=March 3, 2013}}
|}
|}
{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}


===Year-End charts===
===Year-end charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
! scope="col"|Chart (1957)
!Chart (1957)
!Position
! scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=auscharts/>
|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=auscharts/>
| style="text-align:center;"|22
| style="text-align:center;"|22
|-
|-
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' (''[[Best Sellers in Stores]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1957.php |title=Billboard Top 50 – 1957|publisher=Longbored Surfer|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|year=1957|accessdate=2013-03-03}}</ref>
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' (''[[Best Sellers in Stores]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1958.php |title=Billboard Top 50 – 1958 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=Longbored Surfer |year=1958 |access-date=2013-03-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623005006/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1958.php |archive-date=June 23, 2013 }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|16
| style="text-align:center;"|16
|-
|-
|US Singles (''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/50s_files/1957YESP.html |title=The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1957|publisher=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box Magazine]]|year=1957|accessdate=2013-03-03}}</ref>
|US Singles (''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/50s_files/1958YESP.html|title=The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1958|work=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box Magazine]]|year=1958|access-date=2013-03-03|archive-date=September 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924035413/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/50s_files/1958YESP.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|11
| style="text-align:center;"|11
|-
!Chart (1958)
!Position
|-
|South Africa (Springbok)<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 20 Hit Singles of 1959|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/sahits_1959.html|website=Rock.co.za|access-date=26 December 2018}}</ref>
|align="center"|11
|-
!Chart (2005)
!Position
|-
|UK Singles (Official Charts Company)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2005.pdf|title=The Official UK Singles Chart 2005|work=[[UKChartsPlus]]|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref>
|align="center"|134
|}
|}
{{col-end}}


==Certifications==
===Sales and certifications===
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Elvis Presley|title=Jailhouse Rock|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1957|certyear=1992|salesamount=2,000,000|autocat=yes}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|type=single|artist=Elvis Presley|title=Jailhouse Rock|award=Gold|relyear=2004|certyear=2023|id=12340|access-date=April 21, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=single|artist=Elvis Presley|title=Jailhouse Rock|award=Gold|relyear=1957|certyear=2024|access-date=October 30, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes|nounspecified=yes}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|artist=Elvis Presley|title=Jailhouse Rock|award=Gold|relyear=1957|certyear=2021|id=8845|access-date=November 17, 2023}}
{{col-end}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|award=Gold|relyear=1957|certyear=2024|access-date=September 16, 2024|artist=Elvis Presley|title=Jailhouse Rock|type=single}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Elvis Presley|title=Jailhouse Rock|award=Platinum|relyear=2004|certyear=2023|id=14544-2984-1|access-date=January 20, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Elvis Presley|title=Jailhouse Rock|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1957|certyear=1992}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streaming=true}}


==See also==
==Covers and references==
*[[List of Top 25 singles for 1957 in Australia]]
"Jailhouse Rock" was performed regularly in a medley along with many old [[rock and roll]] [[hit record|hits]] by [[Queen (band)|Queen]] as early as 1970<ref>{{cite web|title=Jailhouse Rock|url=http://www.queenpedia.com/index.php?title=Jailhouse_Rock|website=Queenpedia.com|accessdate=September 11, 2014}}</ref> and was the opening song on Queen's 1980 North American tour for ''[[The Game (Queen album)|The Game]]''. It is the last song in the motion picture ''[[The Blues Brothers]]''. The song is featured in the 1995 film ''[[Casper (film)|Casper]]'' and the 2006 direct-to-video animated film ''[[Leroy & Stitch]]''. ''[[American Idol]]'' [[American Idol (season 5)|Season 5]] contestant [[Taylor Hicks]] performed it on May 9, 2006, and [[American Idol (season 7)|Season 7]] contestant [[Danny Noriega]] performed it on February 20, 2008. In an episode of ''[[Full House]]'', Jesse and Becky sing this song at their wedding reception. The song was used on ''[[Dancing with the Stars]]'' for three different jives by [[Lisa Rinna]], [[Lil Kim]], and [[Tommy Chong]]. The song is included in the musical revue ''[[Smokey Joe's Cafe]]''.
*[[List of Billboard number-one rhythm and blues hits#1957|List of ''Billboard'' number-one rhythm and blues hits]]

*[[List of Billboard number-one singles of 1957|List of ''Billboard'' number-one singles of 1957]]
The German rock band [[Spider Murphy Gang]] is named after one of the characters in the lyrics.
*[[Billboard year-end top 50 singles of 1957]]

*[[List of Cash Box Best Sellers number-one singles of 1957]]
In [[Stephen King]]'s novel ''[[Christine (novel)|Christine]]'', "Jailhouse Rock" is playing when the car runs down Buddy Repperton, one of the guys who smashed up the car at the garage.
*[[List of CHUM number-one singles of 1957]]

*[[List of number-one country singles of 1957 (U.S.)]]
American [[rock and roll revival]] act [[Sha Na Na]] performed "Jailhouse Rock" live at the [[Woodstock Festival]] in August 1969.
*[[List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1950s#1958|List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1950s]]

*[[List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 2000s#2005|List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 2000s]]
American band [[Journey (band)|Journey]] frequently covered this song during their 1986 ''[[Raised on Radio Tour]]''.

[[Westlife]] performed the song for the medley part of their ''[[Where the Dreams Come True Tour]]''.

[[Chris Brown (American singer)|Chris Brown]] covered the song at the 2007 ''Movie's Rock.''

Scenes from the music video of the [[Eminem]]'s "We Made You" are based the "Jailhouse Rock" production number from the Elvis film.

[[Scratch Track]] added this song to their live performance of "Love Someone."

[[Dwayne Johnson]] performed a parody of the song that pokes fun at his [[Wrestlemania XXVIII]] opponent [[John Cena]] during the Rock Concert on an episode of [[WWE Raw]] in March 2012. WWE later released this version on iTunes as "Rock's Concert".

Scenes from the music video of the [[One Direction]] single [[Kiss You (One Direction song)|Kiss You]] are based on the "Jailhouse Rock" production number from the Elvis film.<ref>{{cite web|title=One Direction's 'Kiss You' Music Video: Look By Look|url=http://style.mtv.com/2013/01/07/one-direction-kiss-you-music-video/}}</ref>

"Jailhouse Rock" has also been recorded by:
*[[The Residents]]
*[[The Cadets (doo wop)|The Cadets (AKA The Jacks)]]
*[[Jerry Lee Lewis]]
*[[Miranda Lambert]]
*[[Merle Haggard]]
*[[Mötley Crüe]] (This song was a live song only. This song was used as the 10th and final track on their 1987 album ''[[Girls, Girls, Girls (Motley Crue album)|Girls, Girls, Girls]]''.)
*[[Brownsville Station (band)|Brownsville Station]]
*[[The Blues Brothers]] (This version was the ending song of the [[The Blues Brothers (film)|movie]], performed with other musicians such as [[Ray Charles]] and [[Cab Calloway]])
*[[Patti Smith]]
*[[ZZ Top]] (on their ''[[Fandango!]]'' album, recorded live at [[The Warehouse (New Orleans)|The Warehouse]] in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]])
*[[The Animals]]
*[[Twisted Sister]]
*[[The Cramps]]
*[[Judy Nylon]]
*[[Looney Tunes]]<ref>
{{cite web
| last = Donkers
| first = Chuck
| title = Bugs & Friends Sing Elvis – Looney Tunes : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic
| work = www.allmusic.com
| publisher = [[Rovi Corporation]]
| location = Ann Arbor, USA
| url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/bugs-amp-friends-sing-elvis-mw0000053205
| accessdate = August 24, 2012
}}</ref>
*[[John Cougar Mellencamp]] (This version was included in the soundtrack for [[Honeymoon in Vegas]])
*[[Michael Bolton]] and [[Carl Perkins]]
*[[Jeff Beck Group]] (featuring [[Rod Stewart]] and [[Ronnie Wood]])
*[[Billy "Crash" Craddock]]
*[[Adriano Celentano]]
*[[Cliff Richard]] – at concerts
*[[ABBA]] with [[Olivia Newton-John]] and [[Andy Gibb]]
*[[Queen (band)|Queen]]
*[[Frankie Lymon]]
*[[Danny Noriega]]
*[[Enrique Guzmán]] (in Spanish)
*[[Micro Chips]] (In Spanish)<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://soundcloud.com/microchips/rock-de-la-carcel |title=Rock de la Carcel by Micro Chips on SoundCloud – Hear the world's sounds |publisher=Soundcloud.com |date=September 10, 2011 |accessdate=2014-04-03}}</ref>
*Dean Carter (1967)
*[[Mind Garage]] recorded by Elvis Presley's sound engineer Tom Pick and Recording technician Roy Shockley in RCA's "Nashville Sound" studio, under the management of Chet Atkins.
*[[Ibex (band)|IBEX]] pre-Queen era band featuring [[Freddie Mercury]] on the recording ''Live in Liverpool''
*[[Carl Perkins]]
*[[Eilert Pilarm]]
*[[Link Wray]]
*[[Marshall Chapman]]
*[[Abdalá Bucaram]]
*[[Los Iracundos]] (in Spanish)
*[[Telex]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpsUOOfb-vE Full audio of the song] on YouTube
* {{MetroLyrics song|elvis-presley|jailhouse-rock}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->

{{Elvis Presley}}
{{Elvis Presley singles}}
{{Elvis Presley singles}}
{{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1952–1969}}
{{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1952–1969}}


{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jailhouse Rock (Song)}}

[[Category:1957 singles]]
[[Category:1958 singles]]
[[Category:1958 songs]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
[[Category:Billboard Top 100 number-one singles]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Scotland]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in South Africa]]
[[Category:UK singles chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Elvis Presley songs]]
[[Category:Elvis Presley songs]]
[[Category:Billboard Top 100 number-one singles]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related songs]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one singles]]
[[Category:Songs about dancing]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles]]
[[Category:Songs about prison]]
[[Category:ZZ Top songs]]
[[Category:Film theme songs]]
[[Category:Billy "Crash" Craddock songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller]]
[[Category:Songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller]]
[[Category:Mötley Crüe songs]]
[[Category:RCA Victor singles]]
[[Category:Rock-and-roll songs]]
[[Category:NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen songs]]
[[Category:Songs about prison]]

Latest revision as of 19:58, 15 December 2024

"Jailhouse Rock"
Single by Elvis Presley
from the EP Jailhouse Rock
B-side"Treat Me Nice"
ReleasedSeptember 24, 1957 (1957-09-24)
RecordedApril 30, 1957
StudioRadio Recorders, Hollywood
Genre
Length2:10
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Producer(s)Jeff Alexander
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear"
(1957) 		"Jailhouse Rock"
(1957) 		"Don't"
(1958)
Music video
"Jailhouse Rock" (audio) on YouTube
Audio sample
Jailhouse Rock

"Jailhouse Rock" is a rock and roll song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley for the film of the same name. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. RCA Victor released the song on a 45 rpm single on September 24, 1957, as the first single from the film's soundtrack EP. It reached the top of the charts in the U.S. and the top 10 in several other countries. The song has been recognized by the Grammy Hall of Fame, the American Film Institute, and others.

Characters and themes

[edit]
Cashbox advertisement, October 5, 1957

Some of the characters named in the song are real people. Shifty Henry was a well-known Los Angeles musician, not a criminal. The Purple Gang was a real mob. "Sad Sack" was a U.S. Army nickname in World War II for a loser, which was also the name of a popular comic strip and comic book character.[1]

According to Rolling Stone, Leiber and Stoller's "theme song for Presley's third movie was decidedly silly, the kind of tongue-in-cheek goof they had come up with for The Coasters. Presley, however, sang it as straight rock & roll, overlooking the jokes in the lyrics (like the suggestion of gay romance when inmate Number 47 tells Number 3, 'You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see') and then introducing Scotty Moore's guitar solo with a cry so intense that the take almost collapses."[2] Gender studies scholars cite the song for "its famous reference to homoerotics behind bars,"[3] while music critic Garry Mulholland writes, "'Jailhouse Rock' was always a queer lyric, in both senses."[4] Douglas Brode writes of the filmed production number that it's "amazing that the sequence passed by the censors".[5]

Releases and chart performance

[edit]

The single, with its B-side "Treat Me Nice" (another song from the film's soundtrack) was a US number one hit for seven weeks in the fall of 1957, and a UK number one hit for three weeks early in 1958.[6] In addition, "Jailhouse Rock" spent one week at the top of the US country charts,[7] and reached the number one position on the R&B charts.[8]

Also in 1957, "Jailhouse Rock" was the lead song in an EP (extended play single), together with other songs from the film, namely "Young and Beautiful", "I Want to Be Free", "Don't Leave Me Now" and "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" (but with "Treat Me Nice" omitted). It topped the Billboard EP charts, ultimately selling two million copies and earning a double-platinum RIAA certification.[citation needed]

Personnel

[edit]

Credits sourced from AFM union contracts and label records.[9]

Legacy

[edit]

Rolling Stone magazine included "Jailhouse Rock" at number 67 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time[10] and it was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, it finished at number 21 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. On November 27, 2016, the Grammy Hall of Fame announced its induction, along with that of another 24 songs.[11] In 2019, the song ranked number 31 on Spanish radio station Rock FM 500's list of "Five Hundred Rockers of All Time", ahead of any other song of the 1950s.[citation needed]

Charts and certifications

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[32] Gold 45,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[33] Gold 300,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[34] Gold 35,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[35] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[37] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "A Short History of 'Retcon'". Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  2. ^ "Jailhouse Rock". In Rolling Stone, December 9, 2004.
  3. ^ Philip Brett, Elizabeth Wood and Gary Thomas, Queering the Pitch: The New Gay and Lesbian Musicology (Routledge, 2006), p. 363.
  4. ^ Garry Mulholland, Popcorn: Fifty Years of Rock'n'Roll Movies (Orion Books, 2010).
  5. ^ Douglas Brode, Elvis Cinema and Popular Culture (McFarland & Co., 2006), p. 46.
  6. ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 34. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 272.
  8. ^ Billboard November 4, 1957, page 58.
  9. ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions". keithflynn.com. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  10. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rollingstone.com. December 11, 2003. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2007.
  11. ^ Kreps, Daniel (November 29, 2016). "Nirvana, Bowie, R.E.M. Songs Among Grammy Hall of Fame's 2017 Inductees". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book: 1940–1969: the Hit Songs and Records from Thirty Years of Specially Compiled Charts. Australian Chart Book Limited. ISBN 9780646444390. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  13. ^ "Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  14. ^ "Elvis Presley: Jailhouse Rock" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  16. ^ a b c "Elvis Presley – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  17. ^ a b c d e Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955–2006. Record Research. January 8, 2008. ISBN 9780898201727. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  19. ^ "Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  20. ^ a b "Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  22. ^ "Chart Track: Week 1, 2005". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  23. ^ "Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  24. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  25. ^ "Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  26. ^ "Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  27. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  28. ^ "Billboard Top 50 – 1958". Billboard. Longbored Surfer. 1958. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  29. ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1958". Cash Box Magazine. 1958. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  30. ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1959". Rock.co.za. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  31. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2005" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  32. ^ "Danish single certifications – Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  33. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Elvis Presley; 'Jailhouse Rock')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  34. ^ "Italian single certifications – Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  35. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  36. ^ "British single certifications – Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  37. ^ "American single certifications – Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock". Recording Industry Association of America.
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