Elvis Presley’s Best Songs That Shaped His Legacy

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Even after 57 years of his tragic demise, Elvis Presley remains the King of Rock and Roll. If Elvis was alive today, he would be 85 years old, and if we have learned anything from Chuck Berry (88) and Leonard Cohen (85), Elvis Presley would still be making the ground shake during his concerts. Elvis delivered so many hits that naming some as his best songs would be a very difficult task.

However, just as to honor his unmatched legacy, we have listed out Elvis Presley’s greatest hits that people still jam to.

Disclaimer – This list is just our personal opinion, and we do not claim these to be relevant for every Elvis fan out there. This list is merely a product of pop culture and features the most famous Elvis songs.

So, without wasting any more time, let’s begin with our picks for top Elvis songs.

“Mystery Train”

Elvis Presley infamously became part of RCA when Colonel Tom Parker and Sam Phillips sold Elvis’ music label contract for $40,000. Just before starting the new journey, Elvis Presley recorded his cover of a Junior Berry song from 1953 in Sun Studios.

The cover was supported by bassist Bill Black, guitarist Scotty Moore, and drummer Johnny Bernero, and Presley really changed the song by making it quicker. The song was a massive hit and charted at Number 11 on the Billboard Country Chart.  

” Kentucky Rain”

Elvis stepped in the 1970s with a bang. In January, he made and released Eddie Rabbit and Dick Heard’s hurting “Kentucky Rain” as his single. The song did wonders on the Billboard chart as it peaked on Number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It also did great financially as it sold over a million copies, and it still remains as one of the most famous Elvis songs.

” An American Trilogy”

This record was one of the most famous Elvis songs on the concerts during the final five years of his life. Even though the American Civil War was over 100 years ago at that time, there were still scars that featured American people’s lives.

In order to unite the two sides, Elvis mixed three songs into one, which was nothing short of a grand patriotic medley. The songs he chose to combine were: “All My Trials”, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic, and “Dixie.”

” Heartbreak Hotel”

It was one of the first songs of Elvis that made him popular. He was highly unnoticed until he dropped “Heartbreak Hotel” in early 1956. The song was on the top of Hot 100 chart for literally weeks and expanded his reach from regional to national.

Apart from being a massive hit in its time, this song still rocks in the current era. “Heartbreak Hotel” is easily one of the most famous Elvis songs.

” Love Me Tender”

After the release of “Heartbreak Hotel,” Elvis was really on a roll. He released bangers after bangers in 1956, which made him a Heartthrob for the ladies who followed him almost everywhere he went.

“Love Me Tender” was the final song of Elvis in 1956 that charted at Number 1. It was written by Ken Darby.

“Can’t Help Falling in Love”

In every single concert of Elvis Presley, everyone used to know that whenever Elvis starts singing this tune, it was time to wrap the night. This catchy love song was featured in his 1961 movie “Blue Hawaii” and was THE song for finishing his concerts.

It still is one of the best Elvis songs and has been redone by several different artists, including U2, Bob Dylan, and UB40. 

“Jailhouse Rock”

This song was specially written by Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber for the 1957 Elvis movie by the same name i.e., “Jailhouse Rock”.

This song was a massive chart hit too and ended up dethroning “Wake Up Little Susie” from the top of the charts. This sing still remains one of Elvis Presley’s greatest hits.

“In the Ghetto”

After gaining massive popularity and fame in 1956, Elvis went on to release cheesy B-movies and metaphorically dead music tracks in the 1960s.

He did make a phenomenal comeback with “In the Ghetto” in 1968, which was Elvis’ take on poverty and lack of opportunity for people living in the subs.

This song rocked to the Number three position on the Billboard chart, which asserted that the old Elvis was back to Rock and Roll.    

“If I Can Dream”

This song was an all-out tribute to the civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated just two months before this song was released. The song touched the hearts of most Americans who were grieving the loss of an icon.

This song rocked to Number 12 on the Hot 100 chart and is still considered to be one of the Elvis Presley greatest hits.

“Suspicious Minds”  

The song was written by Mark James, and Elvis used this song to express his emotions regarding his failing marriage. This song was clearly very personal and instantly gained popularity. It hit the Number One place on charts that, over time, began the highlight of his career.

It still remains one of the most famous Elvis songs that is still stuck on people’s minds even in 2020.

Conclusion

Elvis Presley was really one of a kind. He influenced the entire music genre in his time and created waves all over the world. His demise was premature though, and his career was cut short due to this.

Regardless, his legacy remains unhinged, and he is still considered as one of the most talented individuals to have ever existed. He faced numerous ups and downs during his career, but he still released a lot of great songs.

As we have mentioned above, picking some songs as “Elvis Presley Best Songs” is very difficult, and dare I say it “risky”. But, hey, we are willing to put our opinion out there for the world to see.

You are more than welcome to share your opinion regarding this and bash us using the comments section down below.