Even if you are not a huge Elvis fan, you can definitely name one or two of his songs. That really shows how important he was as an artist. No other performer has managed to maintain the name recognition that Elvis has had for all these years. There is a reason, however, that Elvis is still a household name. His music is timeless. Here are our picks for some of the best and most influential Elvis Songs of the 1950s.
‘Jailhouse Rock’
When talking about Elvis songs, “Jailhouse Rock” is probably the first one to come to mind. That’s why we went ahead and made it number one on our list. This song captured the attention of Rock and Roll fans and dominated the charts in 1957.
‘All Shook Up’
Elvis’s 7th single, this track was released in 1957 and helped to further advance the growing Rock ‘n’ Roll scene as more young people fell in love with the exciting new style.
‘Love Me Tender’
A change of pace from the last two entries, this 1956 hit was one of the most popular ballads of the year. This showed a little more of his softer side and helped to grow his fan base among young women who couldn’t get enough.
‘Heartbreak Hotel’
“Heartbreak Hotel” is the first of four back-to-back Number One hits for Elvis in 1956. Not only is it a great example of 1950s Rock music, it also became a popular tune for future generations of musicians to cover live. The song has been performed by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and even Van Halen.
Hound Dog
Hound Dog can easily tie with Jailhouse Rock for the biggest hit Elvis had in the 1950s. This one stayed at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for an impressive 11 weeks. It has been covered by many artists since, but none have captured the iconic sound and exciting stage performance that Elvis brought to audiences back in the 1950s.
What did you think of our list? What songs would you add? If you enjoyed this, check out our other music posts. For everything else important to Older Americans, see what’s going on over at 82up.org.