January 9, 2011 An Ode To Elvis: The Top Ten Elvis Presley Songs
Elvis, or the King of Rock N Roll as he is famously known as, was a trail blazer in his own right. Considered one of the pioneers of today’s pop culture, he had a voice that was both distinctive and versatile. While many musicians tend to stick to one genre, Elvis was renowned for his versatility and for crossing the many musical genres. His music covered country, gospel, rock, blues and pop.
January 8th would have been Elvis Presley’s 76th Birthday. It’s hard to believe that he, along with the likes of John Lennon would be that old. It kind of makes you wonder whether he would have approved on today’s music, or even if he would still be contributing.
Elvis, or the King of Rock N Roll as he is famously known as, was a trail blazer in his own right. Considered one of the pioneers of today’s pop culture, he had a voice that was both distinctive and versatile. While many musicians tend to stick to one genre, Elvis was renowned for his versatility and for crossing the many musical genres. His music covered country, gospel, rock, blues and pop.
Known mainly for his singing career, Elvis was also an actor and starred in over 30 films – nearly all of which he was the headline act. Unfortunately bad film choices and poorly written scripts did not allow critics to consider Elvis the serious actor that he would have liked to have been seen as.
His poor movies choices aside, Elvis is still one of the biggest selling artists of all time and thanks to the smarts of Priscilla Presley, Elvis Presley and Graceland are a multimillion dollar enterprise. Graceland, alone, sees fans from all over the world flocking to catch a glimpse of the home of the King in all its glory and excess.
To commemorate the life, the talent and the impact of Elvis music on pop culture of today, I’ve put together a top ten list of the Elvis songs that should be on your ipod.
01. ‘Suspicious Minds’
Written by songwriter Mark James, ‘Suspicious Minds’ is considered the single that shot Presley back into stardom. . At a time when his career was starting to flag, Presley performed ‘Suspicious Minds’ shortly after his ’68 comeback special. The single, released in 1969, rocketed to number #1 and would be his final #1 single in the United States.
A song about mistrust and dysfunctional relationships, ‘Suspicious Minds’ has been re-recorded by many artists over time including Dwight Yoakum, but none do it better than Elvis.
02. ‘Kentucky Rain’
Released in 1970, ‘Kentucky Rain’ was a hit song for Elvis that peaked at #16 in the charts. While it was released as a single, it only appeared on his compilation album Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits Vol 1.
While it’s considered it a hit song, it seems to be a lesser known one – often missed from the many, many greatest Package hits that have been released since his death in 1977. One of the reasons this song stands out with its beautifully written lyrics and could be categorized as a cross between country and pop. It’s without a doubt one of the finer performances of Elvis in his later years.
03. ‘Hound Dog’
‘Hound Dog’ was released as a B Side to ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ in 1956 and is one of his most famous songs. Originally recorded by Big Mama Thornton, it is Elvis’s version that is the more well-known. The overall success of both ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ and ‘Hound Dog’ as it’s B-Side saw the single reissued as a Double A Side. It has been ranked #19 on Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Greatest songs of all time’ and appeared on numerous motion soundtracks including Forrest Gump and A Few Good Men.
‘Hound Dog’ sold 4 million copies on its initial release and spent 11 weeks at #1 in 1956. A rollicking song, Elvis’ performance of it live on shows such as Ed Sullivan saw him dubbed as Elvis the Pelvis.
04. ‘In The Ghetto’
Written by Mac Davis and released in 1969, ‘In the Ghetto’ is a sad narrative of a young boy born in the ghetto, only to grow up to steal, fight and eventually die as another child is born. The songs undertones imply that the newborn’s fate will be identical.
‘In the Ghetto’ reached #3 on the U.S Charts and was Elvis’ first top ten hit in four years. One of his more poignant songs and his soulful voice complements this sorrowful tale of fate, resignation and despair. Backed by a well orchestrated arrangement and soulful backing vocals, this song is not to be missed.
05. ‘Jailhouse Rock’
A hit single for Elvis in 1957, it was released to coincide with Elvis’ film by the same name. ‘Jailhouse Rock’ was a #1 hit in the U.S for seven weeks and a #1 hit in the UK for three weeks. It was released again in 2005 in the UK and shot to #1 immediately before dropping in the charts after a week.
The song’s writers Leiber and Stoller had previously written for Elvis and were considered amongst the greatest songwriters during the rock n roll era and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ is no exception. With its two note guitar riffs, frantic verses, ‘Jailhouse Rock’ shows Elvis had attitude and simply that he could hold his own, especially in his earlier years.
06. ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’
Taken off Blue Hawaii, ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ was released in 1961 was a hit single for Elvis. Since then it has been covered many times, although none so popular as UB40’s version of it, which saw it a hit single in 1993/1994.
Considered one of Elvis’ more heartfelt songs, was also the first indication that the King’s material was maturing. This was also the song Elvis opted to use for his finale song during his live concerts in the late sixties and seventies.
07. ‘Return to Sender’
A hit for Elvis in 1962, ‘Return to Sender’ tells the tale about a man sending a letter to his girlfriend after an argument, only for her to repeatedly write return to sender on his letters. He keeps mailing letters, unable to accept that it is over despite his letters returning with address unknown and no such person marked on them.
‘Return to Sender’ was a hit worldwide, reaching #1 in the UK, #2 on the US charts and #1 in Ireland.
The song is recognizable for its opening bars with its baritone saxophone and is no doubt one of Elvis’ catchier tunes.
08. ‘Are you Lonesome Tonight’
This is one of the most depressing songs Elvis recorded, but it is also one of his most notable. Recorded by Elvis in 1960, at Colonel Parker’s persuasion (It was apparently his wife’s favorite song), his vocals are precise and there is an intimacy to this slow ballad that is not often on others. Perhaps it is the smoldering way Elvis delivers the spoken lyrics ‘All the world’s a stage, and all men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts’ or perhaps it is just the solemnity of it. Whatever it was, it works beautifully and it’s not surprising it was one of the biggest selling hits of the 1960s.
09. ‘Viva Las Vegas’
You can’t have an Elvis top ten list without ‘Viva Las Vegas’, especially since this is Elvis signature tune- whether he wanted it or not. Recorded in 1964 and released in conjunction with the film of (surprise surprise) the same name, ‘Viva Las Vegas’ has been recorded many times over by other artists and is the most widely known Elvis song. Anyone who listens to ‘Viva Las Vegas’ automatically links it to Elvis, which is probably due to his bold live costumes and outrageous style.
A fast-paced tune, it is a delightful listen and one that generates the urge to turn the song up loud and sing-along. Be mindful that singing along while striking the Elvis pose, on a train, may get you strange looks. You might even possibly get locked up. This is the impact this song will have on you. Strangely infectious, the term Viva Las Vegas tends to ignite joy to one’s heart and the urge to shake your hips.
10. ‘Always On My Mind’
I’ve left what I consider the best for last. Released in 1972, it was originally recorded by Brenda Lee and has been covered by many artists since including Willie Nelson, who won best male performance for his rendition.
While it was recorded as a B-side, it still reached #16 on the U.S charts and in my eyes, blows the A-side single ‘Separate Way’s out of the water. At a time where Elvis was beginning to feel the effects of his hard living lifestyle, this song really shows a more poignant and mature side to Elvis. There is also a hint of sadness and resignation to Elvis’ voice and makes the song a little more heartbreaking.
A personal song, ‘Always On My Mind’ could be seen as a reflection of Elvis’ relationships and the toll his career took on him both professionally and personally. Either way, it is a stellar song and one well worthy of this list.
Elvis Presley should be remembered for his music and the impact that he had on music. Like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, he has influenced the style of many artists of today and there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that he should be considered one of the greatest musicians of all time. While people prefer to remember him as the sleek sexy creature in the black leather jumpsuit instead of the overweight rhinestone clad tragedy of his later years, it should be remembered that he still could perform as magically live as he did in his younger years.
Tags: colonel parker, country, Elvis Presley, forrest gump, gospel, John Lennon, kentucky, las vegas, Memphis, Pop, priscilla presley, rock n roll, soul, the beatles, the king, the rolling stones, viva las vegas
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