Happy birthday, Elvis: 30 essential tracks from The King

For decades the King of Rock and Roll needed no introduction. Elvis was indeed everywhere, even after his untimely death, staying in the public eye through imitators, oldies radio, repackages, and rumors of a still-living Elvis Presley visiting a Burger King in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Last summer’s Baz Luhrmann biopic, Elvis, revived Presley’s legacy and introduced him to new generations of would-be fans. But since he released dozens of albums in his lifetime and there’ve been countless compilations and reissues over the years, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by Presley’s discography (recently deceased chart historian Joel Whitburn named Presley as the number one artist in Billboard history, with over 160 singles on the charts over the years). To help both newcomers and longtime fans navigate that extensive catalog, The A.V. Club has whittled down the King’s daunting discography to 30 essential tunes, listed here in chronological order. Use this list as a guide through one of the monumental catalogs in popular music.

That’s All Right (1954)

The single that started it all. At the end of a long, frustrating session at Sam Phillips’ Sun Studio, Elvis Presley decided to blow off some steam by turning Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s slow blues “That’s All Right, Mama” into a jumping country number. Banging out the rhythm on his acoustic guitar, he was joined by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, the trio finally falling into a rhythm together. Their spontaneous joy is palpable and that sense of discovery makes the record still seem alive.