Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Fred
Unquestionable Presence
Posts: 509
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 8:30 am

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs

Post by Fred »

Hymie wrote: Sun Jul 28, 2019 1:09 am
Honorio wrote: Sat Jul 27, 2019 3:45 pm They aimed to capture the moment. That's how they invented Rock 'n' Roll.
INVENTED rock 'n' roll????????

Rock and roll was around already when Elvis was in junior high and mowing lawns in Memphis. It was even being called rock 'n' roll 3 years before Elvis ever recorded.

"The greatest rock 'n' roll performers in the world" - Floyd Warner Associates, in a 1951 press release on The Dominoes featuring Clyde McPhatter.

"Rock 'n' roll came from Billy Ward's Dominoes" – Little Richard, on the importance of McPhatter's first group.

Elvis and Sam Phillips didn't "invent" shit.
Interresting! Although I don't trust Warner entirely (on their own artist). But Little Richard should know. Not a story wildly spread though during 50+ years. Maybe Elvis and Sam were the perfect combination of taking it one step further. To make it BIG. After all we needed Beatles and Dylan to really awaken people. (To behave bad, buy whole albums and listen to crypical shit, eye blink). Today we're stuck with Deerhunter and Vampire Weekend and their one to two ok songs per album. Thanks for the effort, guys!
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs

Post by Hymie »

Fred wrote: Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:38 am Maybe Elvis and Sam were the perfect combination of taking it one step further. To make it BIG. After all we needed Beatles and Dylan to really awaken people.
Unfortunately America at that time needed a white person to interpret black music for the masses. Sam Phillips famously said that if he could find a white singer who could sing like a black man he could make millions.

Any theory that has white people "inventing" rock and roll is insane, and very offensive to me.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs

Post by Hymie »

Honorio wrote: Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:10 am About the other question I'm not going to argue with you. Only one thing: if you want to continue participating on the forum you definitely should be more polite with the forum members. Making a pun with my #2 song if you looking for trouble you came to the wrong place...
It's the "right" place.

I'm not looking for trouble. I'm sorry you took it as being mean to you. I was being mean to the idea that any white people had anything to do with "inventing" rock and roll. That concept makes my blood boil. Rock and roll was big in the black community for at least 5 years before many white people were even aware of it, let alone trying to sound like that.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs

Post by Hymie »

Fred wrote: Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:38 am Although I don't trust Warner entirely (on their own artist).
The point isn't whether or not the Dominoes were "The greatest rock 'n' roll performers in the world." It's the fact that they were called "rock 'n' roll performers" already in 1951, 3 years before Presley even had a record, proving that Presley and Phillips had NOTHING to do with "inventing" rock and roll.
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4480
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs

Post by Honorio »

Hymie wrote: Sun Jul 28, 2019 2:41 pm
Honorio wrote: Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:10 am About the other question I'm not going to argue with you. Only one thing: if you want to continue participating on the forum you definitely should be more polite with the forum members. Making a pun with my #2 song if you looking for trouble you came to the wrong place...
It's the "right" place.
I know the lyrics of the song. What I was trying to say is "if you're looking for trouble you came to the wrong place, to the Acclaimed Music Forum where we like to have civil discussions about music." Please behave politely here or else we should have to ban you. Take it as a warning from one of the moderators...
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs

Post by Hymie »

Deadline is tonight at midnight ET.
Bruno
Shake Some Action
Posts: 1384
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:33 pm
Location: São Paulo, Brasil
Contact:

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs

Post by Bruno »

Sorry Bruce, maybe I miss the deadline.

1. Jailhouse Rock
2. Hound Dog
3. Heartbreak Hotel
4. Suspicious Mind
5. That's Alright
6. Don't Be Cruel
7. Mystery Train
8. All Shook Up
9. Can't Help Falling In Love
10. In The Ghetto
11. Love Me Tender
12. It's Now Or Never
13. A Little Less Conversation
14. Little Sister
15. Blue Moon of Kentucky
16. Are You Lonesome Tonight
17. Burning Love
18. Always On My Mind
19. Viva Las Vegas
20. Stuck On You
21. Blue Suede Shoes
22. One Night
23. Little Sister
24. Baby Let's Play House
25. (You're the) Devil in Disguise
26. Crying In The Chapel
27. Return To Sender
28. Bossa Nova Baby
29. Good Luck Charm
30. Blue Moon
31. Kentucky Rain
32. Good Rockin' Tonight
33. She's Not You
34. Wooden Heart
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs

Post by Hymie »

Yes you did Bruno.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Okay, I spent most of the day tabulating the votes and getting the results ready to go.

We had 41 people submit a ballot, and many of them listed a full 50 songs (or more). All together there are 153 songs that were listed in the top 50 on at least 2 ballots to make the final results. The countdown will consists of the top 109 songs, which is every song that accumulated 100 or more points in the voting.

Let's start out now with the song that came in at #109. It's from 1972:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obubGn7dR1Q
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #109 on the countdown is "We Can Make The Morning" from 1972. It was on the "Elvis Now" album and also was the flip side of "Until It's Time For You To Go" on a single. James Burton was the lead guitarist for Elvis at this time. The song was written by Jay Ramsey, a Texas guy who made lots of records starting in the 1950s, but never had a hit.


Image


Next up is song #108. This one is from 1957:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtGt4Ypwj5s
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #108 on the countdown is Elvis' version of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" from his legendary Christmas album (RCA LOC-1035) in 1957. It came with a gatefold cover and 10 pages of color pictures of EP. The song was listed on 3 ballots and it totaled 102 points in the voting.

Image


Song #107 is up next. We go to 1967.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edsAtSnVhkU
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #107 is "Big Boss Man" from 1967. The single reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the song was also included on the "Clambake" album. It was originally done by Jimmy Reed, who Elvis was a big fan of. Elvis used to like to jam to Reed's Famous song "Baby What You Want Me To Do" as he did in the 1968 TV Special. "Big Boss Man" was also done on that TV Special as part of a medley.

Image


Like #107, the next song at #106 is also Presley's version of an R&B hit from the early 60s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6QAc7LieF4
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #106 is "Any Day Now" from 1969. It was on the "From Elvis In Memphis" album, which is considered by critics to be one of his two most acclaimed albums. It was also issued as a single on the flip side of "In The Ghetto." Elvis gives a nice reading on the song, but the classic version came from Chuck Jackson in 1962. It was written by Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard. Check out the Chuck Jackson version below if you don't know it.



Next up at #105 is one version of the only song that made the countdown with two different versions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBoL3FvqyIM
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #105 is "One Night (of Sin)." This was a track that was recorded in 1957 but was not released officially until 1983 on "A Legendary Performer Vol. 4." Of course Elvis later recorded a version of "One Night" with much of the lyrics changed so that instead of bemoaning a night of sin that had already occurred, he was hoping to be able to get "one night" with this woman. Not sure who (RCA, Elvis, Col. Parker) decided not to release "One Night (of Sin)" as is, but that's what ended up happening.

"One Night (of Sin)" was recorded on January 24, 1957. The original version of the song had been an R&B chart hit by Smiley Lewis in the early spring of 1956.


Song #104 is next. It was written by Doc Pomus along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZQwc0yUZIM
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #104 is "She's Not You" from 1962. It was listed on 4 ballots and totaled 115 points in the voting. It did not appear on an album until it was included on "Elvis' Golden Records Vol 3" in 1963. The single reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was #1 in the UK. The song is done in the key of F major.

Image


Song #103 is next. It's another track from 1969 on the "From Elvis In Memphis" album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtv3chIAjug
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #103 is "Wearin' The Loved On Look" from the "From Elvis In Memphis" album in 1969. The song was written by Nashville songwriters Dallas Frazier and A.L. "Doodle" Owens. Frazier wrote some big hits including "Elvira" and "There Goes My Everything" and "Alley Oop."

Image


Next up is song #102, a hit single from 1964:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha76pJId5T0
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #102 is "It Hurts Me" from 1964. The song reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the flip side of a bigger hit called "Kissin' Cousins." It did not show up on an album until "Elvis' Gold Records Vol 4" in 1968. The song was written by Joy Byers and Charles E. Daniels, later of the Charlie Daniels Band.

Record producer and songwriter Bob Johnston revealed that he had actually written the songs attributed to his wife Joy Byers, including "It Hurts Me". Before Christmas in 1962, as Charlie Daniels was driving from El Paso, Texas to the East Coast, he began forming the idea that would become the song. Afterwards Bob Johnston invited him to Nashville to co-write songs. They finished the song together. Daniels recalled: "We just went on, and we finished it up, and Bob did a demo on it, and the company that he was writing for at the time---Hill and Range was the parent company---handled Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music, which was Elvis Presley's two companies."

Daniels explained: "Elvis came to town. He picked it up and held it for almost a year in what was called his portfolio. You know, they'd pick songs out for Elvis and when he'd go in to record, he'd review them, and if he liked it, he'd do it. So anyway, he recorded it, and it was by far the biggest thing that had ever happened to me in my life." Although he never met Elvis Presley, Daniels did meet his daughter, Lisa Marie, at an event in Memphis: "I just got to tell her, I said, 'You know your dad picked one of my songs. I was a big fan.'"

Image


Song #101 is next. It was the title track to one of EP's movies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD0xsv2BHFw
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #101 is "Follow That Dream" from 1962. It made the Billboard Hot 100 as the lead track from an EP, peaking at #15. Its first release on an album came in 1971 on "C'mon Everybody." The song was written by Fred Wise (lyrics) and Ben Weisman (music). Bruce Springsteen said "Follow That Dream" was one of his favorite Elvis songs. He began performing a rearranged version of the song on the European leg of the River Tour in April 1981, at a much slower pace and with altered lyrics. This version appears in a bootleg vinyl recording of the same name. He later further revised the lyrics, and recorded the song during the Born in the U.S.A. sessions, although it remained unreleased.

Image


Time now to break into the top 100 on the countdown. This is #100:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1DX0EgYcuo
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #100 is "Inherit The Wind" from the "From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis" album in 1969. This is a double album where one album features Elvis live in Vegas and the other album is studio stuff recorded in Memphis. "Inherit The Wind" is of course a studio recording from the second album. The song was written by Eddie Rabbitt of all people.

Image


RANK-BALLOTS-POINTS-TITLE
====================================================
100 - 03-119 - Inherit the Wind - 1969
101 - 03-119 - Follow That Dream - 1962
102 - 02-119 - It Hurts Me - 1964
103 - 04-116 - Wearin' That Loved On Look - 1969
104 - 04-115 - She's Not You - 1962
105 - 03-114 - One Night (of Sin) - 1957
106 - 03-106 - Any Day Now - 1969
107 - 03-105 - Big Boss Man - 1967
108 - 03-102 - I'll Be Home For Christmas - 1957
109 - 02-101 - We Can Make the Morning - 1972
====================================================

Song #99 is next. Another LP only track from the "From Elvis In Memphis" album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kK18OoubTg
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #99 is "Long Black Limousine" from 1969. Another one from the "From Elvis In Memphis" album. The song was written by Vern Stovall and Bobby George. The first released version was Stovall's, in 1961, followed by Glen Campbell's in 1962. Stovall and George, country musicians based in southern California, probably wrote the song in 1958, when it was first recorded (but not released until many years later) by Wynn Stewart. The only charting single of the song (in 1968 it reached number 73 on the US country chart) was Jody Miller's, her version was also on her 1968 album The Nashville Sound of Jody Miller. O. C. Smith's version was released as the B-side of his million-selling crossover hit "Little Green Apples" in 1968. Below is the Stovall version.


Next up is song #98. Elvis did this in 1970.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyKtRoGiNIM
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #98 is "I Just Can't Help Believin'" from the "Elvis: That's The Way It Is" album in 1970. The song had been a hit in the summer of 1970 by B.J. Thomas. It was a perfect contemporary song for Elvis to sing live at that time, especially with the Sweet Inspirations backing him up. The album was a soundtrack from what was a movie with the same title. This song by Elvis was released as a single in some countries, including the UK, in 1971, reaching #6 on the British charts.

"I Just Can't Help Believin'" was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Image


Next up at #97 we go all the way back to 1956 for this gem from EP's first album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwcvdTXK6yk
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #97 is "I'll Never Let You Go (*Little Darlin')" from the "Elvis Presley" album in 1956. The song was written and first recorded by Jimmy Wakely in 1941.


The Elvis version was recorded in September 1954 at the Sun Studios in Memphis.

Image


Up next is song #96.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cbqIVZvmFU
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #96 is "Like A Baby" from the "Elvis Is Back!" album in 1960. Elvis was discharged from the army on March 5, 1960, and this album was recorded shortly after that. "Like A Baby" was mentioned on 4 ballots and received 127 points in the voting. The song was written by Jesse Stone aka Charles Calhoun, who wrote many classics in the 50s, including "Shake, Rattle And Roll." The original version of the song was done by Vikki Nelson and the Sounds on the Vik label in 1957.


Here's the personnel on the Elvis version:

Elvis Presley – lead vocals, acoustic lead guitar
Scotty Moore — electric rhythm guitar
D. J. Fontana — drums
Hank Garland – electric lead guitar
Bob Moore – double bass
Floyd Cramer – piano
Boots Randolph – saxophone
Buddy Harman – drums
The Jordanaires – backing vocals


Image


We now go to song #95. It's from 1966.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VLpgttfEM0
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #95 is "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" from the "Spinout" album in 1966. It's a Bob Dylan song, and it was not in the movie "Spinout" but was one of the 4 bonus songs on the "Spinout" album that were not from the movie.

Elvis Presley recorded the song on May 26, 1966 during a session for his album How Great Thou Art. Dylan once said that Presley's version of the song was "the one recording I treasure the most" and that this was his favorite version of any of his songs by another artist.

According to Ernst Jorgensen's' book Elvis Presley: A Life In Music - The Complete Recording Sessions, Presley first heard the song via Charlie McCoy, who had previously participated in the Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde sessions. McCoy played the 1965 Odetta album Odetta Sings Dylan before an Elvis session and Presley "had become taken with 'Tomorrow Is A Long Time.'"

Image


Song #94 is next. Another one from 1969:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtn2CrPoZys
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #94 is "Rubberneckin'" from 1969. It was the B side of "Don't Cry Daddy" as a single late in 1969 and was included on the "Almost In Love" album about a year later, in late 1970. It was used in the Elvis film Change of Habit. The song was written by Dory Jones and Bunny Warren.

Image


Next up at #93 is one from 1976:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QbSgZxjTuI
User avatar
Father2TheMan
Different Class
Posts: 427
Joined: Sat May 27, 2017 8:40 am
Location: Central Ohio, USA
Contact:

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Father2TheMan »

Hymie wrote: Fri Aug 02, 2019 1:01 pm Song #100 is "Inherit The Wind" from the "From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis" album in 1969.
{cut}

The song was written by Eddie Rabbitt of all people.
He also penned "Patch it Up" and "Kentucky Rain".
"The laughs come hard in Old Lang Syne....."
User avatar
Father2TheMan
Different Class
Posts: 427
Joined: Sat May 27, 2017 8:40 am
Location: Central Ohio, USA
Contact:

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Father2TheMan »

Hymie wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2019 1:03 pm The original version of the song was done by Vikki Nelson and the Sounds.[/img]
Never realized it was a remake. Also neat that Boots is playing the honking sax. Have a few of his solo albums.
"The laughs come hard in Old Lang Syne....."
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #93 is "Moody Blue" from 1976. It was a top 40 hit in America as a single and was also the title track of an album in 1977. The song was written by Mark James, who recorded the original version of the song, which reached #15 in South Africa during the summer of 1976. James also penned and did the original version of "Suspicious Minds."


"Moody Blue" was Presley's last No. 1 hit in his lifetime, topping the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart in February 1977. "Moody Blue" also peaked at number thirty-one on the Hot 100. RCA Records also issued an extremely limited quantity of the "Moody Blue" single in an experimental translucent blue vinyl pressing, with "She Thinks I Still Care" as the B-side. Six months after "Moody Blue" topped the chart, Presley was dead.

The song was recorded in February 1976 in the Jungle Room of Presley's Graceland home. The only time Elvis performed the song in its entirety was on February 21, 1977 at a concert in Charlotte, North Carolina. He had attempted to perform the song February 20 at the same venue but revealed to the crowd that he had completely forgotten the song; he returned on February 21, lead sheet in hand, and performed the song with his eyes glued to the lyrics. Both the February 20 false-start and the February 21 performance were recorded on soundboard in good sound quality and were released officially in 2007 by the Follow That Dream label; still photos of the February 21 performance also exist. The complete version was first released on bootleg by the Fort Baxter label in 1995.

Image


Next up is song #92, an Elvis album cut that became a huge hit single by another singer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X02t8vKLtbw
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #92 is "Wooden Heart" from 1960. It was from the "G. I. Blues" soundtrack album. It was not issued as a single in the USA until 1964. Meanwhile a version by Joe Dowell became a number one song in 1961. The Elvis version was on a single in the UK in 1961, where it was number one for 6 weeks.

"Wooden Heart", created by Fred Wise, Ben Weisman, Kay Twomey and German bandleader Bert Kaempfert, was based on a German folk song by Friedrich Silcher, "Muss i denn", originating from the Rems Valley in Württemberg, southwest Germany. "Wooden Heart" features several lines from the original folk song, written in the German Swabian dialect, as spoken in Württemberg. Marlene Dietrich recorded a version of the song sometime before 1958, pre-dating Presley, in the original German language, which appears as a B-side on a 1959 version of her single "Lili Marlene", released by Philips in association with Columbia Records.


Song #91 is next as we go to 1970.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCgPNLb72DU
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #91 is "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" from 1970. It was a hit single as well as being on the "Elvis - That's The Way It Is" album. This was originally a 1965 Italian song by Pino Donaggio and lyricist Vito Pallavicini: '"Io che non vivo (senza te).

"Io che non vivo (senza te)" — "I, who can't live (without you)" — was introduced at the 15th edition of the Sanremo Festival by Pino Donaggio — who had co-written the song with Vito Pallavicini — and his team partner Jody Miller: the song got to the final at Sanremo and as recorded by Donaggio reached No. 1 in Italy in March 1965. "Io che non vivo (senza te)" would also be prominently featured on the soundtrack of the Luchino Visconti film Vaghe stelle dell'Orsa (aka Sandra), starring Claudia Cardinale, which was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival that September.


Image


RANK-BALLOTS-POINTS-TITLE
091 - 04-152 - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - 1970
092 - 04-148 - Wooden Heart - 1960
093 - 05-147 - Moody Blue - 1976
094 - 03-135 - Rubberneckin'- 1969
095 - 04-133 - Tomorrow Is A Long Time - 1966
096 - 04-127 - Like A Baby - 1960
097 - 03-124 - I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) - 1956
098 - 03-123 - I Just Can't Help Believin'- 1970
099 - 03-120 - Long Black Limousine - 1969
100 - 03-119 - Inherit the Wind - 1969
101 - 03-119 - Follow That Dream - 1962
102 - 02-119 - It Hurts Me - 1964
103 - 04-116 - Wearin' That Loved On Look - 1969
104 - 04-115 - She's Not You - 1962
105 - 03-114 - One Night (of Sin) - 1957
106 - 03-106 - Any Day Now - 1969
107 - 03-105 - Big Boss Man - 1967
108 - 03-102 - I'll Be Home For Christmas - 1957
109 - 02-101 - We Can Make the Morning - 1972
====================================================


Song #90 is up next. It's the first of several Leiber-Stoller songs on the countdown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6qhxhPmrEA
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #90 is "Loving You," the title track from the movie "Loving You" in 1957. As a single is was the B side to "Teddy Bear" and it reached #20 in its own right on the Billboard Disc Jockey Pop Chart. The song was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who worked with Elvis a lot in 1957. The song was listed on 6 ballots in the voting.

Image


Song #89 is next.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-2scLOrLlo
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #89 is "I Got Stung" from 1958. It was on the flip side of "One Night" and both sides were big hits. "I Got Stung" reached #8 on the Billboard Pop chart. The song was written by Aaron Schroeder and David Hill. Clocking in at under two minutes, an upbeat, bouncy rock and roll number, it features some of Elvis' most rapid-fire vocals alongside humorous and catchy lyrics. This was the last recording that Elvis did in the 1950s, just before he left for his army time in Germany.

Image


Song #88 is up now. It's the non charting flip side of one of Elvis's number one songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgwtgnRCguo
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #88 is "You'll Think of Me" from 1969. It was first released on the flip side of the "Suspicious Minds" single. Later that same year it was included on the "From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis" album. The song was written by Mort Shuman.


Image


Next up at #87 is one that was recorded on Feb 1, 1958.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GynKLJ1dldo
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #87 is "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" from 1958. This was the first Elvis single in over a year that did not get to number 1 in the USA, stalling at #2 on the Billboard Pop chart. The song was written by Bert Carroll and Russell Moody. Some interesting voting on this one as it was listed on 9 ballots, but nobody ranked it higher than #34.

Personnel

Elvis Presley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar percussion, piano
Scotty Moore – lead guitar
Bill Black — bass guitar
D. J. Fontana – drums
Dudley Brooks – piano
The Jordanaires – backing vocals


Image

Song number 86 is next. It's from 1956, a year that placed 22 songs on this countdown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfAoeM-uT4A
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #86 is "I Got A Woman" from the "Elvis Presley" album in 1956. The song was of course done originally by Ray Charles, and the actual title is "I've Got A Woman." Elvis' version is more rocking than Ray's more soulful version. The song was released on a single and also had a picture sleeve in certain countries, like the one shown below from Italy.

Image


Next up at #85 is a 1950s B side that you don't hear much anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jla7tpLj5z4
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #85 is "Playing For Keeps"from 1957. It came out very early in the year as the B side of the "Too Much" single. It first showed up on an album in 1959 on "For LP Fans Only." The song was written by Sun Studio house band steel guitar and bass player Stan Kesler, who wrote or co-wrote five songs in total for Elvis Presley during Elvis' early career: "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone". "I Forgot to Remember to Forget", "Thrill of Your Life", "Playing for Keeps", "I'm a Fool (For Loving You)". The song was the title track of a 1958 EP in Germany, shown below:


Image


Song #84 is next. It's the earliest recording on the countdown so far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndp56Rjb4nw
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #84 is "Harbor Lights," an unissued Sun track that was recorded the at the same session as "That's All Right," July 5-6, 1954. Originally from 1937, the song had been a huge hit by several different acts in 1950, when Elvis was in high school. It was first released in 1976 on the album "Elvis - A Legendary Performer Vol. 2." Shown below is the picture sleeve from a bootleg 45.

Image


Song #83 again takes us to the "Elvis Presley" album in 1956:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkF2cGCSKQo
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

We just heard song #83 "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)" from 1956. It was done originally by Roy Hamilton in 1954. The song was written by Joe Thomas and Howard Biggs.


The Elvis version was on his "Elvis Presley" album in 1956 as well being issued on a single later in 1956. The song was listed on 5 ballots and accumulated 170 points in the voting.

Image


Moving up now to song #82.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKG_KWzyM5Y
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #82 is "Indescribably Blue" from 1967. It was only listed on 4 ballots, but two of those voters had it in their top 10. The single peaked at #33 in an 8 week run on the Billboard Hot 100. It did not appear on an album until it was included on "Elvis Golden Hits Vol 4" in 1968. The song was written by Darrell Glenn, who did the original version of "Crying In The Chapel" back in 1953.

Image


Song #81 is next. It was #25 on my ballot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQqDEu0Ilzw
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #81 is "Mean Woman Blues" from the soundtrack of "Loving You" in 1957. Roy Orbison had a hit single with this song a few years later, and Jerry Lee Lewis also did a version, but of course none of them could touch the Elvis version!

The song was written by Claude Demetrius. The Elvis version made the Billboard R&B chart from an EP, as it was not issued on a single in the USA. It got to #11 on the R&B DJ chart.

Image


RANK-BALLOTS-POINTS-TITLE
081 - 05-172 - Mean Woman Blues - 1957
082 - 04-172 - Indescribably Blue - 1967
083 - 05-170 - I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You) - 1956
084 - 03-168 - Harbor Lights - 1954
085 - 05-159 - Playing For Keeps - 1957
086 - 06-158 - I Got A Woman - 1956
087 - 09-156 - Wear My Ring Around Your Neck - 1958
088 - 04-154 - You'll Think of Me - 1969
089 - 08-153 - I Got Stung - 1958
090 - 06-153 - Loving You - 1957
091 - 04-152 - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - 1970
092 - 04-148 - Wooden Heart - 1960
093 - 05-147 - Moody Blue - 1976
094 - 03-135 - Rubberneckin'- 1969
095 - 04-133 - Tomorrow Is A Long Time - 1966
096 - 04-127 - Like A Baby - 1960
097 - 03-124 - I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) - 1956
098 - 03-123 - I Just Can't Help Believin'- 1970
099 - 03-120 - Long Black Limousine - 1969
100 - 03-119 - Inherit the Wind - 1969
101 - 03-119 - Follow That Dream - 1962
102 - 02-119 - It Hurts Me - 1964
103 - 04-116 - Wearin' That Loved On Look - 1969
104 - 04-115 - She's Not You - 1962
105 - 03-114 - One Night (of Sin) - 1957
106 - 03-106 - Any Day Now - 1969
107 - 03-105 - Big Boss Man - 1967
108 - 03-102 - I'll Be Home For Christmas - 1957
109 - 02-101 - We Can Make the Morning - 1972
====================================================


Song #80 is next, it's from 1974:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HR_-hsAIRA
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

At #80 is "Promised Land" from 1974. EP's version (which I prefer) reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, beating out the original Chuck Berry version, which only got to #41 on that same chart in 1964.




Berry wrote the song while in prison, and borrowed an atlas from the prison library to plot the itinerary. Describing himself as a "poor boy," the protagonist boards a Greyhound bus in Norfolk, Virginia that passes Raleigh, N.C., stops in Charlotte, North Carolina, and bypasses Rock Hill, South Carolina. The bus rolls out of Atlanta but breaks down, leaving him stranded in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. He then takes a train "across Mississippi clean" to New Orleans. From there, he goes to Houston, where "the people there who care a bit about me" buy him a silk suit, luggage and a plane ticket to Los Angeles. Upon landing in Los Angeles, he calls Norfolk, Virginia ("Tidewater four, ten-oh-nine") to tell the folks back home he made it to the "promised land." The lyric: "Swing low sweet chariot, come down easy/Taxi to the terminal zone" refers to the gospel lyric: "Swing low sweet Chariot, coming for to carry me Home" since both refer to a common destination, "The Promised Land," which in this case is California, reportedly a heaven on earth.

In December 1973, Elvis Presley recorded a powerful, driving version. Presley's version of "Promised Land" was released as a single on September 27, 1974. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard charts and 9 on the UK Singles Chart in the fall of 1974. It was included on his 1975 album Promised Land. The Presley version was used in the soundtrack of the 1997 motion picture Men in Black.

Personnel

Elvis Presley – lead vocals
James Burton – lead guitar
Johnny Christopher — rhythm guitar
Charlie Hodge – guitar
Dennis Linde, Alan Rush – overdubbed guitar
Norbert Putnam – bass
David Briggs – piano or organ; overdubbed tambourine
Per Eric “Pete” Hallin – clavinet
Ronnie Tutt – drums
Randy Cullers – overdubbed cowbell

Image


Up next at #79 is another instance where an Elvis album track was redone by another act to become a huge hit single.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiTuGMC9FdM
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #79 is "Suspicion" from 1962. It was first issued on the "Pot Luck" album that year. It was later put on a single, in 1964, after the song had become a top 10 hit by Terry Stafford. The Presley version did not quite crack the Billboard Hot 100, bubbling under at #103 on the flip side of "Kiss Me Quick." The Presley version would eventually crack the top 10 in the UK in 1977. "Suspicion" was one of 25 Pomus-Shuman songs written for Elvis.

Image


Song #78 is next. Elvis covered a country chart hit from a couple of months earlier on this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clm1QK5wIR8
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #78 is "Guitar Man" from 1967. The song was written and first recorded by Jerry Reed. It was on the country charts in May, June and July of 1967.


According to Peter Guralnick in his two-volume biography of Presley, the singer had been trying unsuccessfully to record the tune, but wasn't happy with the groove. He said something to the effect of: "Get me that redneck picker who's on the original tune," and his staff brought Reed into the studio - who nailed it on the first take. Elvis' version was first released on the "Clambake" album late in 1967. The single made the Billboard Hot 100 early in 1968, peaking at #43. A remix charted in 1981, reaching #28.


Personnel

Elvis Presley – lead vocals
Scotty Moore — rhythm guitar
D. J. Fontana — drums
Jerry Reed – acoustic lead guitars
Chip Young – rhythm guitar
Harold Bradley – rhythm guitar
Charlie McCoy – rhythm guitar
Floyd Cramer – piano
Bob Moore – double bass
Buddy Harman – drums

Image


Next up is #77. It's a ballad that was on the flip side of a number one song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbWClvQuyY4
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #77 is "Fame And Fortune" from 1960. It was on the flip side of "Stuck On You" and was a hit in its own rite, hitting #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. I never liked it much, and I don't remember ever hearing it played on the radio as an oldie. The song was written by Fred Wise (lyrics) and Ben Weisman (music) and published by Elvis Presley's company Gladys Music, Inc.It did not appear on an album until 1963 when it was included on "Elvis Gold Records Vol. 3."

Image


Song #76 is next, as Elvis revived a big R&B hit from 1954:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OYG1Ip6Du4
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #76 is "Reconsider Baby" from the "Elvis Is Back" album in 1960. Many people prefer this version to the original, but I do not. I prefer the Lowell Fulson version that was a top 5 R&B chart hit in 1954-55.


Blues historian Jim O'Neal describes "Reconsider Baby" as "Lowell Fulson's wistful goodbye and plea to a departing lover, with a lyrical message so strong (and memorable music to match) that it became a standard in the modern-day blues repertoire."

So long, oh, I hate to see you go (2×)
And the way that I will miss you
I guess you will never know

Music critics have noted the song's strong rhythmic element – Bill Dahl describes it as a "relentless mid-tempo blues" and Don Snowden comments on its "utterly assured, swingtime groove."

"Elvis Is Back" was recorded just after Elvis was discharged from the army. During his final months in the Army, Presley started to experiment with new material and thinking ahead to his anticipated return to recording. For his first scheduled recording session, Presley considered The Four Fellow's "Soldier Boy", the Golden Gate Quartet's "I Will Be Home Again", The Drifters' "Such a Night" and Jesse Stone's "Like a Baby". His friend Charlie Hodge taught Presley techniques to improve his breathing and expand his range. For inspiration, Presley used Roy Hamilton's "I Believe" and his version of "Unchained Melody", the traditional Irish song "Danny Boy", and Tony Martin's "There's No Tomorrow" (an English adaptation of "'O sole mio"). Presley also studied the phrasing and notes of records by The Inkspots and the Mills Brothers. By the end of his time in Germany, Presley had added a full octave to his vocal range.

Presley returned to the United States on March 2, 1960, and was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant on March 5. On March 20, Parker sent a chartered Greyhound bus to transport Presley and his entourage from Memphis, Tennessee to Nashville. The session personnel consisted of guitarist Scotty Moore, drummer D.J. Fontana, pianist Floyd Cramer, guitarist Hank Garland, bassist Bobby Moore, percussionist Buddy Harman and the backing group The Jordanaires. Presley's original bassist Bill Black declined to join the sessions as he was enjoying success with the Bill Black Combo. To prevent possible disruption by fans, the musicians were initially told they were going to play on a Jim Reeves session. RCA executives Sholes and Bill Bullock were joined in the control booth by Parker, his assistant Tom Diskin, A&R head Chet Atkins, engineer Bill Porter and Hill and Range's Bienstock. Presley (left) in May 1960, soon after the album release

RCA Victor's Studio B had recently been equipped with a new three-track recorder. To further improve the recording of Presley's voice, Porter had Telefunken U-47 microphones placed in the studio. The U-47 was the first condenser microphone that could switch between omnidirectional and cardioid patterns. The microphone could be used for vocals, instruments and full area coverage.[26] The first song recorded was Otis Blackwell's "Make Me Know It", which was mastered in nineteen takes. "Soldier Boy" was later recorded in fifteen takes, followed by the non-album cuts "Stuck on You" and "Fame and Fortune". The last song recorded during the March session was a non-album cut, "A Mess of Blues". A new session was arranged for April. Presley then left for Miami, Florida, where he taped The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis.

The original musicians returned to the studio on the evening of April 3; they were joined by saxophonist Boots Randolph. Presley started the session with "Fever", accompanied only by the bass and drums. He followed with the reworded version of "O Sole Mio", now titled "It's Now or Never". After Presley failed several times to achieve the full voice ending of the song, Porter offered to splice it for him. Presley refused and tried the song until he achieved the desired ending. "Girl Next Door Went A-Walking", was recorded in ten takes, followed by "Thrill of Your Love". The non-album cut "Are You Lonesome Tonight" was followed by "I Will Be Home Again"—a duet with Hodge. For the last song of the session, Lowell Fulson's "Reconsider Baby," Presley played the lead using his Gibson Super 400 guitar. Elvis Is Back! was the first Presley album to be released in stereo.

Image


Next up at #75 is ANOTHER track from "Elvis Is Back."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avk8-YRq_e8
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

We heard song #75, "Such A Night," from the "Elvis Is Back" album in 1960. This was issued as a single in 1964 and became a top 20 pop chart hit in both America and England that summer, right in the middle of Beatlemania. The song was written by Lincoln Chase in 1953. The original version of the song came from Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters in 1954. Elvis once said "I wish I could sing like Clyde McPhatter."


Image


We're gonna have several 1950s tracks in a row now, starting with this intense ballad at #74:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkOd7bxbLXU
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #74 is "Anyway You Want Me" from 1956. It was the B side of "Love Me Tender" on a single, charting in its own right at #27 on the Billboard Top 100, and #20 on the Pop DJ chart. The song was written by Aaron Schroeder and Cliff Owens. The bass track on the record is noteworthy in that the bass booms loudly and strongly which was very rare for a 1950s recording. It will make most speakers distort.


Here's a review of the record from Bill Janovitz of Allmusic:

Recorded in the same one-day session that produced classic versions of "Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel," "Anyway You Want Me" is a standout urgent ballad that demonstrates a young singer hitting his stride; 21-year-old Elvis Presley sounds absolutely authoritative on the track. In Peter Guralnick's biography Last Train to Memphis, The Rise of Elvis Presley, Gordon Stocker (of Presley's classic backing vocal group, the Jordanaires) recalled his feelings upon hearing Presley sing the song: "I wasn't all that impressed with him, as a singer. I mean, I kind of got a kick out of "Don't Be Cruel"...but then with "Anyway You Want Me," all of a sudden I took a different attitude, the feeling that he had on that particular sound made the hair on my arm come up. I said to the guys, 'Hey men, this guy can sing!'" The song begins with a wily guitar line and Shorty Long's steady, studied "Heart and Soul"-inspired piano rhythm. Accompanied by his legendary backing musicians, Scotty Moore on guitar, D.J. Fontana on drums, Bill Black on bass, and the Jordanaires, as well as Long on piano and Chet Atkins on guitar (two sidemen and producers who became stars in their own right), Presley does a slow-burning croon to start the verses, finishing off the refrains with a powerful bellow. Presley, one of the great song interpreters, inhabits the lyric, singing behind the beat, as would a jazz or R&B singer. He breathlessly climbs the steps of the line "And in your arms I will stay-ay-ay," until finishing it off with a falsetto into the next verse: "I'll be a fool or a wise man...." Written by Cliff Owens with Aaron Schroeder (a Brill Building producer/composer who also co-wrote "Good Luck Charm" and "Big Hunk o' Love" for Presley), the lyric of "Anyway You Want Me" is a typical pledge of love: "I'll be as strong as a mountain/Or weak as a willow tree/Anyway you want me/Well, that's how I will be/I'll be as tame as a baby/Or wild as the raging sea/Anyway you want me." On the page, these lines may seem banal and clichéd, yet Presley's phrasing and inflection make all the difference and, along with his reading of the song's soulful melody, add depth to the sentiment.

The song was the title track of an EP (shown below) that also included 3 Sun tracks.

Image


Song #73 is next, and it's another 1950s ballad that (like #74) was also on the B side of a huge number one hit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLqhkVcyH2A
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Song #73 is "That's When Your Heartaches Begin" from 1957. This song was on the flip side of the monster hit "All Shook Up," but was a hit in its own right, reaching #58 on the Billboard Top 100 Pop Singles chart.

The song was actually written in 1937 by Fred Fisher, William Raskin and Billy Hill. It was recorded and released the same year by Shep Fields Rippling Rhythm, and again by the Ink Spots in 1941. R&B male soprano Billy Bunn and His Buddies recorded the song for RCA, which was released in 1952 to positive reviews. On July 18, 1953, a young Elvis Presley entered Sun Records in Memphis, where he paid $3.98 for enough studio time to record a double-sided acetate single. On the A-side, he recorded "My Happiness," later made famous by Connie Francis in 1958, and he recorded "That's When Your Heartaches Begin" for the B-side.

He would later revisit the song on at least two occasions, the first during the famous Million Dollar Quartet sessions on December 4, 1956, and the second when he recorded the song in January 1957 as a B-side to "All Shook Up."

Image


Next up at #72 is Elvis' version of a song that was a monster hit the year that he graduated high school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGF8b11WySI
User avatar
Wezzo
Rust Never Sleeps
Posts: 734
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2017 1:38 pm
Location: Trowbridge, UK
Contact:

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Wezzo »

Great rollout Hymie, this is a fascinating read.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Best Elvis Presley Songs - RESULTS

Post by Hymie »

Wezzo wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 7:50 am Great rollout Hymie, this is a fascinating read.
Thanks Wez. It helps when the artist is so famous that almost everything he (they) did is completely chronicled.
Post Reply

Return to “Music, Music, Music...”