In 1958, a singing group known as Alvin and the Chipmunks burst onto the national music scene with two hits, "Witch Doctor" and "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)." In the second song, the "chipmunks," with their high, wobbly voices, longed for Christmas to come soon. Their unique singing style was actually created through sped-up recording techniques. The singing captivated the American public and helped the group sell millions of singles. Ever since that first recording, Alvin and the Chipmunks have occupied a rare place in American popular culture as a novelty act that never lost its novelty. The group sold a string of albums and appeared in an animated television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) series in the 1960s and again in the 1980s.

The Chipmunks were the brainchild of Ross Bagdasarian (1919–1972), a prolific composer, producer, impressionist...