Top Five Holiday Songs: Hall and Oates Jingle Bell Rock (The Oates Version)

Oates. That was a response I used to give when people asked me who was my favorite singer. Just Oates. THIR. Anyway lets take a trip back to the days when Oates was Mackin' bigger than Michael Jackson.

#4 on the TC and M Holiday Song list is a video I can distinctly remember from the WTBS Night Tracks days before my dumb town got MTV. I think it was 1983 or 1984 and the cheezy 80's was just starting to blossom. This is like a time capsule for what music video was all about in the 80's. Song-based story telling, gratutitous attempts of the singers trying to show off their other talents, and most of all really lame concept and direction. The thing is back then, I loved the song but hated the video and found it unbearable. Watching this video now, I find it hillarious, not for the comedy itself, but for the attempt at comedy and it's failings. If you want proof that Hall and Oates were huge back then, this video is proof. You'd have to have a huge ego to think you could pull this video off. Anyway, Hall and Oates released two versions of this song swapping the lead vocals. They even filmed two different videos to reflect the change. Here's #4 on the TC and M Holiday Music Countdown: Jingle Bell Rock by Hall and Oates (Oates Version)