Well-known examples of songs with yodeling include Jimmie Rodgers’ “Blue Yodel No. 1,” Patsy Montana’s “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” Elton Britt’s “Chime Bells,” “Lovesick Blues,” Frank Ifield’s “She Taught Me How to Yodel,” “Hocus Pocus” by Focus and “Dreams” by the Cranberries. Yodeling is singing with rapid, repeated changes of pitch between the low chest voice and the high head voice or falsetto.
The English word comes from the German jodeln, “to utter the syllable jo.” Yodeling is linked with the Swiss Alps and the Austrian Tyrol, but it is used in many cultures and became a major part of American country and western music. Here are 11 examples.
1. “Rock All Our Babies to Sleep” (Riley Puckett)
Riley Puckett, a blind singer from Georgia, recorded this song in 1924. It was the first country yodeling record ever made and one of the top country hits of that year.
2. “Lovesick Blues” (Emmett Miller / Hank Williams)
Emmett Miller, an early yodeler and minstrel performer from Georgia, recorded “Lovesick Blues” in the 1920s. The song later became a major hit for Hank Williams, and Frank Ifield recorded it again in 1962.
3. “Blue Yodel No. 1” (Jimmie Rodgers)
Released in 1928, this record blended Alpine yodeling with African American work songs, blues and folk music. Rodgers’ “blue yodel” created a national craze for yodeling in the United States and influenced many singers who followed.
4. “Blue Yodel No. 9” (Jimmie Rodgers)
Released in 1930, this later blue yodel was recorded with Louis Armstrong on trumpet and Lil Hardin Armstrong on piano, a meeting of country yodeling and jazz.
5. “Chime Bells” (Elton Britt)
Elton Britt recorded his signature song in 1934. Britt learned to yodel from Jimmie Rodgers’ records and became known for sustaining a yodel for an unusually long time.
6. “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” (Patsy Montana)
Recorded in 1935, Patsy Montana’s signature song made her the first female country performer with a million-selling single. In 2012 her record was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
7. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds)
Also known as “Wimoweh,” this yodeling tune was first recorded by Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds in South Africa in 1939, under its original title “Mbube.” It became known around the world.
8. “Tom Tom Yodel” (Betty Cody)
Cowboy singer Betty Cody from Maine learned to yodel by listening to Patsy Montana records. “Tom Tom Yodel” was her hit record in 1952.
9. “She Taught Me How to Yodel” (Frank Ifield)
The Australian-English singer released it in 1962 as a double A-side with “Lovesick Blues.” The single reached number 1 in the UK charts.
10. “Hocus Pocus” (Focus)
The Dutch band Focus released “Hocus Pocus” in 1971. It is an unusual marriage of yodeling and rock music, and probably the most surprising song on this list.
11. “Dreams” (The Cranberries)
Dolores O’Riordan was known for her natural Celtic yodeling, heard in tracks such as “Dreams.” It shows yodeling in a modern rock setting.
What Makes a Yodel
- Two voices. The singer flips between chest voice (low) and head voice or falsetto (high).
- The break. The rapid, repeated jump between the two registers is what makes it a yodel.
- Vowels help. In “Yodel-ay-EEE-oooo,” the “EEE” is sung in head voice and the other syllables in chest voice.
Final Thoughts
Yodeling travelled from Alpine herding calls to Jimmie Rodgers, singing cowboys and even rock bands. Start with “Blue Yodel No. 1” and “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” then jump to “Hocus Pocus” to hear how far the technique has gone.
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