"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)," David Seville and the Chipmunks (Liberty)

This 1958 record was the beginning of an entertainment dynasty; Chipmunks records and videos continue to be made even today. Like The Beatles' experiments with backward tapes on their records, the Chipmunks were the result of a happy accident, a tape played back at the wrong speed. The sound inspired Ross Bagdasarian to do a record that way, "Witch Doctor," released under the name David Seville. Later, he came up with the idea for The Chipmunks, starting with this holiday record. Several more hits followed; it's reputed that the Chipmunks kept Liberty Records from going out of business for many years. For many Baby Boomers, hearing this record is an indication that it's Christmas time. The original Chipmunks later did "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," too, and in the Sixties they "jammed" with Canned Heat on "Christmas Blues," one of the more ludicrous pairings in the history of the record industry. UPDATE: Fred Clemons notes the original release of "The Chipmunk Song" is 1958, with the flip side being "Almost Good;" subsequent releases were backed with "Alvin's Harmonica," as was my 1959 copy. Also, he notes the artistic rendering of the 'Munks shown at left was replaced by the versions of Theodore, Simon and Alvin we're used to seeing in 1961.