yeah im p.much gonna do this on all the artists with 3 or more albums inducted.

albums that have a song inducted are counted as notable.

1: Elvis Presler
2: The Sun Sessions
3: Elvis

Also notable: Blue Hawaii

Posted by GFW on Monday, 05/6/2013 @ 04:13am

Elvis Presley may not be the King of Rock N' Roll, but he certainly is one of the most important figures in American popular music. While he wasn't the best and defiantly not the most consistent, no one can debate the fact that Elvis was the man for making rock n' roll popular.

In terms of sales figures, his impact was high. Hundreds of international smash hits from the mid 50s to the early 70s may just make him the highest selling rock performer in music history and holds records for having the most Top 40 hits, the most Top 10 hits, and the most weeks at Number One of any other rock singer. Rising from humble backgrounds, he helped start the revolution of rock and roll.

Even more important from the perspective of a rock lover, are Presley's achievements as an artist. He wasn't the first white man to sing rhythm & blues as Bill Haley has him beat there, but he was the first to blend country and blues into a style called rockabilly.

While this kind of music formed the foundations of his early hits like "Hound Dog" and "Heartbreak Hotel," he couldn’t have become a mainstream success without a more varied musical plate that incorporated gospel, pop and even a little bit of bluegrass now and then.

His early songs spoke the basic language of rock and his explosive, charismatic presence on stage set the standard for rock's image and his commanding vocals were powerful and versatile.

Sadly, to the pubic, Presley is more of an icon then a singer. Countless Hollywood films, caricatured records and a personal life that became much more sheltered from reality gave his story an almost mythic status.

By the time of his passing, he had become a symbol of gross Americana rather than of cultural innovation. The ongoing speculation about his career has raised interest in his life and supported a massive tourist industry that may last for a long time, even if the fascination is fueled by his fame rather then his music.

Regardless of his problems, Presley’s influence on later rock bands and singers from Tom Jones and Neil Diamond to Bruce Springsteen and from The Beatles to Led Zeppelin and Queen still are present even today.

BTW, how do you guys feel about the goverment tapping people's phone lines?

Posted by Andrew on Sunday, 06/9/2013 @ 22:22pm

"BTW, how do you guys feel about the goverment tapping people's phone lines?"
lolmurica

anyway, gave "Elvis Presley" a listen. It was pretty disappointing. The songs just didn't have any energy, or just seemed like sub-par country songs."I'll Never Let You Go" was pretty hard to sit through, not gonna lie. Only saving graces were the beginning and end tracks, Blue Suede Shoes and Money Honey. Elvis works a hell of a lot better as a singles artist, I find.

Giving it a 2/10.

Posted by GFW on Friday, 09/20/2013 @ 14:06pm

GFW: You should totally check out "The Sun Sessions".

Posted by Gassman on Friday, 09/20/2013 @ 15:02pm

Strangely enough, I agree with Gassman for once on music. The Sun Sessions, along with the early RCA years, represent Elvis Presley at the peak of his career and vocal prowess. Hearing Elvis's renditions of Blue Moon of Kentucky and Good Rockin' Tonight, to name just two examples, make one almost forget that Presley descended into some very rotten material in the 1960s. Presley's version of Blue Moon of Kentucky is an outstanding case of how to cover a song in a genre entirely separate from the one it was originally intended for and still retain the core essentials of said tune.

I'll never be a hardcore fan of Elvis, but I enjoy much of his music and will always treasure his early years. I generally prefer the original versions of the songs that he later covered (Hound Dog is a perfect example), but he always interpreted others' songs in a magnetic, inimitable style and never came off as being disrespectful to the originals.

Anyone who scoffs at Elvis as being a bloated, cocktail singer who is irrelevant to the current landscape is an ignorant jackass, to put it bluntly. I'm not about to make a case for Do the Clam or Bossa Nova Baby as being timeless songs, but they are hardly representative of Elvis's overall style. I'm absolutely certain that he'll be remembered primarily for his 1950s prime years and comeback period, not for the dreadful movie soundtracks, athough it's possible that the more obsessive Elvis Presley followers will continue to cherish those latter recordings.

It's funny how some people will readily take swipes at Elvis, but deify The Beatles and pretend they never recorded any dreck. Revolution No. 9 and Rocky Raccoon are as putrid and vapid as Do the Clam and Bossa Nova Baby.

Posted by Zach on Monday, 11/11/2013 @ 23:27pm

ugh, my old comments on here are cringey.

Elvis is obviously the most important 50's rock artist, but Little Richard and Buddy Holly were definitely better artists.

Posted by GFW on Tuesday, 11/12/2013 @ 12:20pm

While Elvis Presley may not be the King of Rock N' Roll, he is one of the most important figures in the history of American popular music. He may not have been the best, and definitely not the most consistent, yet no one can argue that that he is the musician most responsible for popularizing rock & roll on an international level.

Rising from humble backgrounds to help ignite the rock revolution with a pleasing voice and a charismatic stage presence, Elvis climbed the musical ladder to become the poster boy for rock and roll.

Like other 50s rockers, he was on the cutting edge of the time. What set him apart from the rest of the group was that he became the singer for the mass popularization of rock n' roll and while there were other 50s rockers who contributed more instrumental and songwriting talent, they didn't have the moment and the team that can make all the difference.

When it comes to record sales, Presley's impact was phenomenal Dozens upon dozens of hits from the mid 50s to the mid 70s, plus the steady sales of his catalog since his passing in 1977 have made him the highest selling performer in rock history. More important from a rock lover's perspective was his remarkable achievements.

Elvis wasn't the first white man to sing R&B as Bill Haley has him beat there. He was, however, the first to fuse country and blues into a style known as rockabilly. While this style was the foundation of his best recordings, Elvis couldn’t have become a mainstream success without a more varied musical plate that incorporated gospel, pop and even a little bit of bluegrass now and then.

His 50s songs established the basic language of rock and roll and his explosive stage presence set the standard for rock's visual image and his vocals were impressively powerful.

Born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8th, 1935, young Elvis grew up listening to gospel and when his family moved to Memphis in 1948, Presley was further exposed to jazz, blues and country. After graduating high school in 1953, he paid a visit to Sun Records and recorded two Ink Spots songs, "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin."

Although not impressed with the recordings, Sun Record’s owner, Sam Phillips suggested that Presley collaborate with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black. The next year, the trio recorded a blues song called "That's All Right Mama," and a country song called "Blue Moon of Kentucky" in an up-tempo style that stand as the blueprint for rock n' roll.

Upon seeing the effect that Elvis had on his audiences, country artist manager Colonel Tom Parker sighed Presley to a management contract and Parker devoted himself to Presley's career. RCA paid Phillips 35,000 dollars for Elvis' contract and soon, his career took off.

His first RCA single, "I Forgot to Remember to Forget," went to Number 1 on the country charts. "Heartbreak Hotel" became Presley's first chart topper, holding the top spot for eight week. His gyrating hip performances on several TV variety shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show, generated both hysteria and controversy.

From blistering rock songs to aching ballads, Elvis captivated and liberated his audiences. His string of hits in 1956 and 1957 include such classic songs as "Hound Dog," "All Shook Up," and "Jailhouse Rock."

Unfortunately, many parents found Presley’s hip swaying and charisma too much to handle which resulted in RCA and Tom Parker having to pretty up Elvis’ image. His appearance on The Steve Allen Show is a perfect example of this.

Elvis' career took a two year hiatus when he joined the army when he met his future wife. Upon returning to the charts, he hit Number 1 with "It's Now or Never," and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" These songs are great examples of Elvis drifting away from his rockabilly roots and towards a more polished pop sound.

For much of the 60s, he was occupied with making movies and recording soundtracks and during this time, Presley starred in 31 movies. His religious albums stand out from this dull period, but He didn't return to the stage until 1968.

He followed this mid-career renaissance by recording some of the most mature songs of his career like "In the Ghetto," and "Suspicious Minds." If the 50s were devoted to rock n' roll and the 60s to movies, the 70s represent the performing chapter in his career.

Sadly, Presley's personal life was coming apart. His weight fluctuated wildly, his marriage fell apart, he became dependent on perspiration drugs, and worst of all, he became isolated from the outside world expect for touring. Presley’s body finally gave out on August 16, 1977.

Unfortunately, to much of American public, Elvis is more of an icon then an artist. Countless awful Hollywood films, increasingly exaggerated record sales and a personal life that became more sheltered from the real world has given his story a somewhat mythic status. By the time of his death, Elvis had become more a symbol of gross Americana than of musical innovation. The continued speculation about his career has sustained interest in his life, and supported a large tourist industry that may last until further notice, even if the fascination is fueled more by Presley’s fame than by his music.

Elvis was white and good looking, had charisma, a rich baritone voice, and a sneer that seemed to symbolize teenage unrest. His performances were a direct copy of what black artists had done and excited his teenage audiences. His musical climb is shown in two periods: the rockabilly era and his commercial success at RCA.

Elvis’ influence on later rock groups and singers from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to Queen and Elton John is something that can still be seen in their music and in their stage presence. Just watch Mick Jaggar or Freddie Mercury perform and you’ll see Elvis' moves.

Posted by Andrew on Monday, 03/24/2014 @ 23:55pm

I was just listening to some Elvis songs on one of my Spotify playlists, and looking at this list of Essential Songs... there are so many that haven't made the grade here, but are so unmistakably catchy and still so great to listen to to this day. The one that really caught my attention was "She's Not You." Nobody ever lists it in their top five favorite Elvis songs, including me, nor is it on the list here, but man, it's just so bouncy and catchy, and just so good. Gets lost in the shuffle of the landmark songs, but not one to write off as a throwaway.

Appropos of nothing, not trying to make any push in the Song Project, or anything really. Just something to remember about Elvis's music.

Posted by Philip on Monday, 05/13/2019 @ 00:44am

Elvis Presley turned 84 years old this year!

Posted by Roy on Saturday, 09/14/2019 @ 14:04pm

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8515831/Lisa-Marie-Presleys-son-Elvis-Presleys-grandson-Benjamin-Keough-27-dies.html

Elvis Presley's grandson joins the 27 Club who was also a musician.

Lisa Marie Presley's son and Elvis Presley's look-alike grandson, Benjamin Keough, 27, dies 'from self-inflicted gunshot wound' leaving his heartbroken mom 'inconsolable'

Posted by The Dude on Sunday, 07/12/2020 @ 19:04pm

Dude,
I am guessing that would be Riley Keough's younger brother?.. Man. that sucks!.. My condolences to Lisa Marie and the Presley and Keough families..

Posted by Will N. on Sunday, 07/12/2020 @ 22:40pm

RIP Lisa Marie Presley

Posted by J.W. on Friday, 01/13/2023 @ 16:13pm