Happy birthday, Elvis: 30 essential tracks from The King
Here's our chronological guide to the best songs from Elvis Presley's remarkable catalog
Music Lists Elvis
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.
56 Comments
That 64 to 66 gap (aka the Beatles came and put Elvis into the retro category – although he really did it to himself listening to the Colonel and making those shitty movies) really stands out. I’m a fan of Elvis, and while I prefer his early Sun years, I’d be lying if I didn’t love his comeback years as well. I wish he could have had the career he should have had, because as great as it was it could have been even better.
The Buzzfeed-ification of a once glorious site continues. How many slides is too many slides? I guess more than 30.
1.) The slideshow format has been going on with AV Club for over a decade. If you don’t like it, you should have jumped off, long ago.2.) It says that it’s exactly 30 items long in the title. If you don’t want a 30 item slideshow, don’t click on a 30 item slideshow. 3.) As many have said for years and years and years, if you don’t like the slideshow format, reformat your browser and they will all appear on one page (or read the article on a tablet like an iPad)
4. ) This particular slideshow is far better written than the standard Buzzfeed slideshow or even the standard AV Club slideshow of the past decade. Grabbing veteran music writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine was a great choice!5.) Comparing a business to a far more successful business is only a insult to children and the feebleminded.
C’mon. Modern AV Club isn’t worth defending unless you’re paid for it.
Even a shambling wreck of a site can produce occasional worthwhile articles; like Uncle Ump, I think this is one of them, even if I also find the slideshow format annoying.
1.) No.
2.) Shouldn’t have to.
3.) See #2
4.) I’m sure he hates slideshows too.
5.) You mean Gawker?
“It says that it’s exactly 30 items long in the title. If you don’t want a 30 item slideshow, don’t click on a 30 item slideshow.”Nah. It’s annoying because you want to see the list, you want to engage with the information, but you don’t want to click through 30 fucking pages to see a list of songs. It’s just the website using you for clicks and ad revenue (which you can call that fair because they are providing free “entertainment,” if you can call it that, but it doesn’t make it any less annoying). Anyway, to the OP, you can get around it by making your window smaller, and it will appear as a list, or clicking on the “show slides” thing at the top of the slideshow and see the whole list that way.
I totally agree about the slideshows but am willing to make an exception for Elvis.
I would love to hear an alternate take of Kentucky Rain from the woman’s perspective, perhaps implying that the male voice in the song is a bit of an unreliable narrator and not quite the loving, patient lover he seems to think he is.
On the other hand: and let’s never forget:
Yeah, no I’m not clicking on a 30 frame slide show when a simple list of songs could do.
Just start the slide show, and then click the “List Slides” button. After seeing the full list you can decide if the slide show is worth exploring fully.
Oh hey…convenient workaround!
I shouldn’t need a Lifehack to view something that works better on a page.
But the List Slides spoils the suspense! ;)I just minimize my browser. The slides collapse into a regular article
-10 internet points as a lot of these 50+ year old songs are actually regionlocked!! (not available in your country)
Ouch, now that’s a serious flaw with the article, true.
I like the one where he appropriated music from an oppressed race.
I was at a 4th of July fireworks event a few years ago, and they played “An American Trilogy”. I’m guessing some guy just randomly picked songs with the word American in them for the playlist, but hearing “Dixie” in that context made me cringe. (Note that this was in a multicultural area in a Northern state, not somewhere that Confederate flags are a thing.)Anyway, I knew most of these songs, but some others I may have to check out.
HE WAS A FUCKING PEDOPHILE.
He stole literally everything from Black folks he never credited.
Why are people just fucking ignoring this?
Because it’s stupid, sorehead jealous bullshit.
Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant shit to me. Straight up racist that sucker was simple and plain. Motherfuck him and John Wayne too.
Whilst quoting the immortal Chuck D can only be applauded… he was wrong about Elvis and also significantly wronger about Farrakhan.
Elvis was no one to put on a pedestal, but the famous “buy my records and shine my shoes” quote is likely apocryphal.
Well, not based on how he lived, but certainly if the sole criterion was his talent. (See also James Brown, Marvin Gaye, John Lennon… most people).However, people who are/were not racist – but are dicks in some other way – should not be tarred with the racist brush.
Chuck D admitted he was wrong and walked that statement back
I just got those lyrics stuck in my head so I let them leak out. Honestly have nothing against Elvis. I thought Bubba Ho-Tep kicked ass.
Fuckin love that movie
Public Enemy has walked that back and acknowledged that he respected the music and the people it came from.Still fuck John Wayne, though.
Presley was a good performer, on stage he was electrifying
When he was ill, his fans got sick and moaned when he had died
To all you pimps making money on his name
How do you sleep, don’t you feel the shame?
He went through the test, he’s out of this mess
Be my guest and let him rest
Elvis accomplished nothing in his career, he stole everything from black artists
Taking inspiration from something and improving it 1000% =/= “stealing”.
Here for “That’s All Right, Mama” and rewarded with the first slide confirmation. Close slideshow.
The remix of A Little Less Conversation was also the opening credits song for the Las Vegas TV show, which is where I first heard it (not the original, which I admittedly had forgotten about). And am I the only one who thought In the Ghetto was an odd choice for Elvis?
It’s the one Elvis song that makes me snicker. Hearing it, thinking about it. Everything
Dunno if it got much traction in America, but the JXL remix of A Little Less Conversation really…kicked off…with a Nike ad:That ad won a bunch of awards and swept the damn globe – mostly because of the Elvis song, but the ad was pretty well done, too.
The original A Little Less Conversation is a worthwhile omission from the top 30; it’s just not all that inspiring.The modern remix is so iconic, though, that among all the various commercial uses for it someone remixed the 3000 Miles to Graceland casino massacre scene to it. Even though nobody today would film that sequence, it’s just weirdly perfect for it.
I just told my daughter last weekend that “Love Me’ was the real Elvis banger and that “love Me Tender” was for losers. Great list. Living in Memphis, we sometimes take big E for granted, but he really was a top class performer.
“I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” is one of Elvis’ best songs, but the way they use it in Blue Hawaii is so weird.
For those who haven’t seen it, he sings it to his girlfriend’s grandma during grandma’s birthday party. Such a timeless romantic song, and all I could think was “THIS is how they use it?”
PS – If you’ve seen Blue Hawaii, you’ve essentially seen every Elvis movie. The plot is only there to connect the songs, and even that’s flimsy as hell.
Obligatory shout out to G.I. Blues
“Blue Hawaii” is also a great movie for nostalgics who want to remember what Hawaii looked like in the 1960s. And cameos by Lucky Luck and Hilo Hattie.
I used it as my first dance song after my wedding. There was absolutely no other choice considered.
Significantly missing is some of Elvis’s Gospels, IMHO. Considering the kid from Tupelo was raised on the stuff, he always had a few in his back pocket to break out with the Jordanaires or The Sweet Inspirations when they were bored and they have brilliant balance and tone. Even if you don’t ascribe to the religion, you have to admit he can bring things like Peace in the Valley, Crying in the Chapel, and even Run On to make you pause.
His “How Great Thou Art” is spectacular. Especially live – the emotion and passion pouring out is amazing.Years ago my church music director was an Elvis guy, and he always closed Mass with “How Great Thou Art” on the Sunday closest to Elvis’ birthday and death anniversary. I loved freaking out my family by doing my best impression of The King.
I mean these are all pretty much bangers, of course, but that fade-out / fade-in in “Suspicious Minds”… holy sh*t that’s still amazing 50-odd years later.
The blurbs for these songs are really well written. And the selection is mostly solid. But it’s lame not include Elvis’ cuddliest track: “(I Just Wanna Be Your) Teddy Bear”
Whenever I hear that song I only picture Uncle Jesse singing it to Michelle with Danny and Joey.
CROSSOVER!
Yes.I’m an oddball music fan but you have to give props to Elvis.
Given thatr King Creole is pretty much universally acknowledged as the best of Elvis’s movies, I am surprised that none of the seminal songs from that movie (the title track, Trouble, Crawfish) are included here.
Especially since you have Hound Dog, which took a Blues classic about a low-down no-good dawg and turned it into a love song to a puppy, and In the Ghetto, which has aged incredibly badly.
Am I the only person on the planet who flat-out doesn’t like the sound of Elvis? I never found him attractive either. And there’s the appropriation.
All the same, Happy Birthday.
As always, fuck you. .
Happy birthdays, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Fats Domino. Who’s this Elvis guy?
This man can sing. Whatever anyone else has to say about him, this man can sang. Yes, saaaang. I didn’t grow up anywhere near his generation but I can 100% see why the panties hit the floor when he performed. I damn near lose mine just hearing his voice on the radio.
Two early songs worthy of notice from the same era as “Mystery Train”:“I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone”
“When It Rains It Really Pours” I’m not sure what I would bump to squeeze those in, but as long as people are making a list — these are short, 2½ mins and 2 mins.
Stephen, I love your reviews on Allmusic, read them all the time.Let me know when you guys are ready to do the Bangles, and I’ll send you the tracklist for my 20-song Best-Of playlist for them.