Joy to the World ( Three Dog Night song ) - wikipedia Joy to the World ( Three Dog Night song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2008 ) `` Joy to the World '' 1971 French release Single by Three Dog Night from the album Naturally B - side `` I Can Hear You Calling '' Released February 1971 ( 1971 - 02 ) Format 7 '' 45 RPM Recorded 1970 at American Recording Co. Genre Rock Length 3 : 50 ( album ) 3 : 17 ( single ) Label Dunhill Songwriter ( s ) Hoyt Axton Producer ( s ) Richard Podolor Three Dog Night singles chronology `` One Man Band '' ( 1970 ) `` Joy to the World '' ( 1971 ) `` Liar '' ( 1971 ) `` One Man Band '' ( 1970 ) `` Joy to the World '' ( 1971 ) `` Liar '' ( 1971 ) `` Joy to the World '' is a song written by Hoyt Axton, and made famous by the band Three Dog Night. The song is also popularly known by its opening lyric, `` Jeremiah was a bullfrog ''. Three Dog Night originally released the song on their fourth studio album, Naturally in November 1970 and subsequently released an edited version of the song as a single in February 1971. The song, which has been described by members of Three Dog Night as a `` kid 's song '' and a `` silly song '', topped the main singles charts in North America, was certified gold by the RIAA, and has since been covered by multiple artists. The song is featured prominently in the film The Big Chill. It is sung by a child character at the beginning and the Three Dog Night recording is played over the end credits. It is also played at the end of every Denver Broncos home victory. Notable playings of this song after Broncos victories included then - Chicago Bears head coach Abe Gibron 's singing along with the song in 1973 ; and at the end of Super Bowl XXXII, played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. It was also played at the end of Super Bowl XXXIII at Pro Player ( now Hard Rock ) Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida and Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California. Contents 1 Background and recording 2 Charts and awards 3 In popular culture 4 References 5 External links Background and Recording Some of the words are nonsensical. Axton wanted to persuade his record producers to record a new melody he had written and the producers asked him to sing any words to the tune. A member of Three Dog Night said that the original lyrics to the song were `` Jeremiah was a prophet '' but `` no one liked that ''. When Hoyt Axton performed the song to the group, two of the three main vocalists -- Danny Hutton and Cory Wells -- rejected the song, but Chuck Negron felt that the band needed a `` silly song '' to help bring the band back together as a working unit. Negron also felt that the song `` was n't even close to our best record, but it might have been one of our most honest. '' The song was recorded by Three Dog Night at American Recording Company, produced by Richard Podolor, and engineered by Bill Cooper. Unlike most Three Dog Night songs recorded at that point, instead of having just the three main vocalists singing harmony, the song was recorded with all seven members of the band singing. Drummer Floyd Sneed sings the deep lyric `` I wan na tell you '' towards the end of the song. When the song hit number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1971, Axton and his mother, Mae Axton, became the first mother and son to each have written a number one pop single in the rock era. Mae Axton co-wrote `` Heartbreak Hotel '', which was the first number one hit for Elvis Presley. In a 1994 case, David P. Jackson filed suit claiming co-authorship of the song and alleging that Axton fraudulently claimed sole authorship. In the suit Jackson claimed that Axton regularly credited him with co-authorship. Charts and awards Weekly charts ( 1971 ) Peak position Australia KMR 8 Canadian Top Singles Germany ( Official German Charts ) 17 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 25 New Zealand ( Listener ) 12 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 24 US Billboard Hot 100 Year - end charts ( 1971 ) Rank Australia 50 Canadian Top Singles US Billboard Hot 100 The single had been out less than two months, when on April 9, 1971, `` Joy to the World '' was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of over 1,000,000 units across the United States. The record was also given a Gold Leaf award by RPM magazine for sales of over a million units. The record won the award for the Best Selling Hit Single Record by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers in March 1972. It was also ranked by Billboard magazine as the year - end # 1 pop single of 1971. The single went on to sell 5 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best - selling singles of all time. In popular culture Singer - songwriter Daniel Johnston likes this song, which inspired his own character Jeremiah the bullfrog, whom he often draws in his artwork and advertisements. The frog is also featured on the cover of his album Hi, How Are You ( 1983 ) and has become an official music mascot for Johnston. It is sung by the son of one of the main characters at the start of the film The Big Chill ( 1983 ) and is featured on the soundtrack. In The X-Files TV series ( Detour - S05E04 ), Scully sings this song while she 's lost in a forest with Mulder to show him she is awake and he can rest. It is played during the end credits of the R - rated animated film, Sausage Party ( 2016 ). It appears in 2017 and 2018 TV commercials for Big Lots. Preceded by `` Just My Imagination ( Running Away with Me ) '' by The Temptations Billboard Hot 100 number - one single April 17, 1971 ( six weeks ) Succeeded by `` Brown Sugar '' by The Rolling Stones References ^ Jump up to : Celebrate : The Three Dog Night Story, 1965 -- 1975 ( CD liner ). Three Dog Night. United States : MCA Records. 1993. pp. 27, 30, 31. MCAD2 - 10956. ^ Jump up to : Leaf, David ( 1993 ). Celebrate : The Three Dog Night Story, 1965 -- 1975 ( CD liner ). Three Dog Night. United States : MCA Records. p. 20. MCAD2 - 10956. Jump up ^ `` Three Dog Night Headlines the Fair Tonight ''. Bainbridge Island Review. Entertainment section. August 20, 2008. ISSN 1053 - 2889. Retrieved April 5, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Jackson v. Axton ''. Law.justia.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Forum - 1970 ( ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts ) ''. Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016 - 10 - 20. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 07. Jump up ^ `` 100 Singles '' ( PHP ). RPM. 15 ( 15 ). May 29, 1971. Retrieved April 5, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Musicline.de -- Three Dog Night Single - Chartverfolgung '' ( in German ). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Three Dog Night -- Joy To The World '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Jump up ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 31 May 1971 Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Jump up ^ `` Three Dog Night Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Forum - 1970 ( ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts ) ''. Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016 - 10 - 20. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 07. Jump up ^ `` 100 Top Singles of ' 71 '' ( PHP ). RPM. 16 ( 20 ) : 5. January 8, 1972. Retrieved April 5, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1971 / Top 100 Songs of 1971 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 04. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Three Dog Night -- Joy to the World ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 8, 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ `` Highlights of ABC / Dunhill Convention ''. Billboard. 83 ( 34 ) : 50. August 21, 1971. Retrieved April 6, 2011. Jump up ^ Sippel, John, ed. ( March 18, 1972 ). `` NARM Award Winners ''. Billboard. 84 ( 12 ) : 12. Retrieved April 6, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Year End Charts - Year - end Singles - The Billboard Hot 100 ''. Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2007 - 11 - 03. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 29. Jump up ^ Murrells, Joseph ( 1978 ). The Book of Golden Discs ( 2, illustrated ed. ). Barrie & Jenkins. ISBN 0 - 214 - 20480 - 4. Jump up ^ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/j/johnston_daniel.htm Jump up ^ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/j/johnston_daniel.htm Jump up ^ `` Big Lots TV Commercial, ' Joy : Recliners ' Song by Three Dog Night ''. ispot.tv. Retrieved December 24, 2017. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Three Dog Night Danny Hutton Michael Allsup Paul Kingery Pat Bautz Eddie Reasoner David Morgan Cory Wells Chuck Negron Jimmy Greenspoon Floyd Sneed Joe Schermie Skip Konte Al Ciner Gary Moon Richard Campbell Studio albums Three Dog Night ( 1968 ) Suitable for Framing ( 1969 ) It Ai n't Easy ( 1970 ) Naturally ( 1970 ) Harmony ( 1971 ) Seven Separate Fools ( 1972 ) Cyan ( 1973 ) Hard Labor ( 1974 ) Coming Down Your Way ( 1975 ) American Pastime ( 1976 ) It 's a Jungle ( 1983 ) Live albums Captured Live at the Forum ( 1969 ) Around the World with Three Dog Night ( 1973 ) Compilations Golden Bisquits ( 1971 ) Joy to the World : Their Greatest Hits ( 1975 ) The Best of 3 Dog Night ( 1982 ) Celebrate : The Three Dog Night Story, 1965 -- 1975 ( 1993 ) 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection : The Best of Three Dog Night ( 1999 ) Singles `` Nobody '' `` Try a Little Tenderness '' `` One '' `` Easy to Be Hard '' `` Eli 's Coming '' `` Celebrate '' `` Mama Told Me ( Not to Come ) '' `` Out in the Country '' `` One Man Band '' `` Joy to the World '' `` Liar '' `` An Old Fashioned Love Song '' `` Never Been to Spain '' `` The Family of Man '' `` Black & White '' `` Pieces of April '' `` Shambala '' `` Let Me Serenade You '' `` The Show Must Go On '' `` Sure As I 'm Sittin ' Here '' `` Play Something Sweet ( Brickyard Blues ) '' `` Til the World Ends '' `` Everybody Is a Masterpiece '' `` It 's a Jungle Out There '' Discography Book Billboard Year - End number one singles ( 1960 -- 1979 ) 1960 : `` Theme from A Summer Place '' -- Percy Faith 1961 : `` Tossin ' and Turnin ' '' -- Bobby Lewis 1962 : `` Stranger on the Shore '' -- Mr. Acker Bilk 1963 : `` Sugar Shack '' -- Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs 1964 : `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' -- The Beatles 1965 : `` Wooly Bully '' -- Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs 1966 : `` Ballad of the Green Berets '' -- S / Sgt. Barry Sadler 1967 : `` To Sir, with Love '' -- Lulu 1968 : `` Hey Jude '' -- The Beatles 1969 : `` Sugar, Sugar '' -- The Archies 1970 : `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' -- Simon & Garfunkel 1971 : `` Joy to the World '' -- Three Dog Night 1972 : `` The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face '' -- Roberta Flack 1973 : `` Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree '' -- Tony Orlando and Dawn 1974 : `` The Way We Were '' -- Barbra Streisand 1975 : `` Love Will Keep Us Together '' -- Captain & Tennille 1976 : `` Silly Love Songs '' -- Wings 1977 : `` Tonight 's the Night ( Gonna Be Alright ) '' -- Rod Stewart 1978 : `` Shadow Dancing '' -- Andy Gibb 1979 : `` My Sharona '' -- The Knack Complete list ( 1946 -- 1959 ) ( 1960 -- 1979 ) ( 1980 -- 1999 ) ( 2000 -- 2019 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joy_to_the_World_(Three_Dog_Night_song)&oldid=825925392 '' Categories : 1971 singles Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Three Dog Night songs Dunhill Records singles Songs written by Hoyt Axton Songs about animals Novelty songs RPM Top Singles number - one singles 1970 songs Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from June 2008 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for German Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for UK Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart called without song Talk Contents About Wikipedia 日本 語 Edit links This page was last edited on 16 February 2018, at 05 : 11. 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Question: who wrote the song jeremiah was a bullfrog
Answer: Hoyt Axton