1.
Single (music)
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In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record, an album or an EP record. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats, in most cases, a single is a song that is released separately from an album, although it usually also appears on an album. Typically, these are the songs from albums that are released separately for promotional uses such as digital download or commercial radio airplay and are expected to be the most popular, in other cases a recording released as a single may not appear on an album. As digital downloading and audio streaming have become prevalent, it is often possible for every track on an album to also be available separately. Nevertheless, the concept of a single for an album has been retained as an identification of a heavily promoted or more popular song within an album collection. Despite being referred to as a single, singles can include up to as many as three tracks on them. The biggest digital music distributor, iTunes, accepts as many as three tracks less than ten minutes each as a single, as well as popular music player Spotify also following in this trend. Any more than three tracks on a release or longer than thirty minutes in total running time is either an Extended Play or if over six tracks long. The basic specifications of the single were made in the late 19th century. Gramophone discs were manufactured with a range of speeds and in several sizes. By about 1910, however, the 10-inch,78 rpm shellac disc had become the most commonly used format, the inherent technical limitations of the gramophone disc defined the standard format for commercial recordings in the early 20th century.26 rpm. With these factors applied to the 10-inch format, songwriters and performers increasingly tailored their output to fit the new medium, the breakthrough came with Bob Dylans Like a Rolling Stone. Singles have been issued in various formats, including 7-inch, 10-inch, other, less common, formats include singles on digital compact cassette, DVD, and LD, as well as many non-standard sizes of vinyl disc. Some artist release singles on records, a more common in musical subcultures. The most common form of the single is the 45 or 7-inch. The names are derived from its speed,45 rpm. The 7-inch 45 rpm record was released 31 March 1949 by RCA Victor as a smaller, more durable, the first 45 rpm records were monaural, with recordings on both sides of the disc. As stereo recordings became popular in the 1960s, almost all 45 rpm records were produced in stereo by the early 1970s
Single (music)
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45
rpm single record
2.
Elvis Presley
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Elvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is referred to as the King of Rock and Roll. Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis and his music career began there in 1954, when he recorded a song with producer Sam Phillips at Sun Records. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was a popularizer of rockabilly. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, Presleys first RCA single, Heartbreak Hotel, was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United States. He was regarded as the figure of rock and roll after a series of successful network television appearances. In November 1956, Presley made his debut in Love Me Tender. In 1958, he was drafted into military service, in 1973, Presley featured in the first globally broadcast concert via satellite, Aloha from Hawaii. Several years of drug abuse severely damaged his health. Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century and he won three Grammys, also receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame. Presley was born on January 8,1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Gladys Love and Vernon Elvis Presley, Jesse Garon Presley, his identical twin brother, was delivered stillborn 35 minutes before his own birth. Thus, as a child, Presley became close to both parents and formed an especially close bond with his mother. The family attended an Assembly of God, where he found his musical inspiration. Although he was in conflict with the Pentecostal church in his later years, rev. Rex Humbard officiated at his funeral, as Presley had been an admirer of Humbards ministry. Presleys ancestry was primarily a Western European mix, including Scots-Irish, Scottish, German, gladyss great-great-grandmother, Morning Dove White, was possibly a Cherokee Native American. Gladys was regarded by relatives and friends as the dominant member of the small family, Vernon moved from one odd job to the next, evincing little ambition. The family often relied on help from neighbors and government food assistance, the Presleys survived the F5 tornado in the 1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak. In 1938, they lost their home after Vernon was found guilty of kiting a check written by the landowner, Orville S. Bean and he was jailed for eight months, and Gladys and Elvis moved in with relatives
Elvis Presley
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Presley in a publicity photograph for the 1957 film
Jailhouse Rock
Elvis Presley
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Presley's birthplace in
Tupelo, Mississippi
Elvis Presley
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Presley in a
Sun Records promotional photograph, 1954
Elvis Presley
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The "iconic cover" of
Presley's 1956 debut album featuring a photo taken July 31, 1955, in Tampa, Florida
3.
A-side and B-side
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The terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 78,45, and 33 1/3 rpm phonograph records, whether singles, extended plays, or long-playing records. Creedence Clearwater Revival had hits with both A-side and B-side releases, others took the opposite approach, producer Phil Spector was in the habit of filling B-sides with on-the-spot instrumentals that no one would confuse with the A-side. With this practice, Spector was assured that airplay was focused on the side he wanted to be the hit side, the earliest 10-inch,78 rpm, shellac records were single sided. Double-sided recordings, with one song on side, were introduced in Europe by Columbia Records. There were no record charts until the 1930s, and radio stations did not play recorded music until the 1950s, in this time, A-sides and B-sides existed, but neither side was considered more important, the side did not convey anything about the content of the record. The term single came into use with the advent of vinyl records in the early 1950s. At first, most record labels would randomly assign which song would be an A-side, under this random system, many artists had so-called double-sided hits, where both songs on a record made one of the national sales charts, or would be featured on jukeboxes in public places. As time wore on, however, the convention for assigning songs to sides of the record changed. By the early sixties, the song on the A-side was the song that the company wanted radio stations to play. It was not until 1968, for instance, that the production of albums on a unit basis finally surpassed that of singles in the United Kingdom. In the late 1960s stereo versions of pop and rock songs began to appear on 45s. The majority of the 45s were played on AM radio stations, by the early 1970s, double-sided hits had become rare. Album sales had increased, and B-sides had become the side of the record where non-album, non-radio-friendly, with the advent of cassette and compact disc singles in the late 1980s, the A-side/B-side differentiation became much less meaningful. With the decline of cassette singles in the 1990s, the A-side/B-side dichotomy became virtually extinct, as the dominant medium. However, the term B-side is still used to refer to the tracks or coupling tracks on a CD single. With the advent of downloading music via the Internet, sales of CD singles and other media have declined. B-side songs may be released on the record as a single to provide extra value for money. There are several types of material released in this way, including a different version, or, in a concept record
A-side and B-side
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Victor 17929A and 17929B.
A-side and B-side
4.
Pop music
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Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid 1950s. The terms popular music and pop music are used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular. Pop and rock were synonymous terms until the late 1960s, when they were used in opposition from each other. Although pop music is seen as just the singles charts, it is not the sum of all chart music. Pop music is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other such as urban, dance, rock, Latin. Identifying factors include generally short to medium-length songs written in a format, as well as the common use of repeated choruses, melodic tunes. David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop music as a body of music which is distinguishable from popular, jazz, according to Pete Seeger, pop music is professional music which draws upon both folk music and fine arts music. Although pop music is seen as just the singles charts, it is not the sum of all chart music, the music charts contain songs from a variety of sources, including classical, jazz, rock, and novelty songs. Pop music, as a genre, is seen as existing and developing separately, pop music continuously evolves along with the terms definition. The term pop song was first recorded as being used in 1926, Hatch and Millward indicate that many events in the history of recording in the 1920s can be seen as the birth of the modern pop music industry, including in country, blues and hillbilly music. The Oxford Dictionary of Music states that while pops earlier meaning meant concerts appealing to a wide audience. Since the late 1950s, however, pop has had the meaning of non-classical mus, usually in the form of songs, performed by such artists as the Beatles. Grove Music Online also states that, in the early 1960s pop music competed terminologically with beat music, while in the USA its coverage overlapped with that of rock and roll. From about 1967, the term was used in opposition to the term rock music. Whereas rock aspired to authenticity and an expansion of the possibilities of music, pop was more commercial, ephemeral. It is not driven by any significant ambition except profit and commercial reward, and, in musical terms, it is essentially conservative. It is, provided from on high rather than being made from below, pop is not a do-it-yourself music but is professionally produced and packaged. The beat and the melodies tend to be simple, with limited harmonic accompaniment, the lyrics of modern pop songs typically focus on simple themes – often love and romantic relationships – although there are notable exceptions
Pop music
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The Oxford Dictionary of Music states that the term "pop" refers to music performed by such artists as
the Rolling Stones (pictured here in a 2006 performance)
Pop music
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According to several sources,
MTV helped give rise to
pop stars such as
Michael Jackson and
Madonna; and Jackson and Madonna helped make MTV.
Pop music
5.
Rock and Roll
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While elements of rock and roll can be heard in blues records from the 1920s and in country records of the 1930s, the genre did not acquire its name until the 1950s. For the purpose of differentiation, this deals with the first definition. The beat is essentially a blues rhythm with an accentuated backbeat, classic rock and roll is usually played with one or two electric guitars, a double bass or string bass or an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. Beyond simply a style, rock and roll, as seen in movies and on television, influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes. In addition, rock and roll may have contributed to the civil rights movement because both African-American and white American teens enjoyed the music and it went on to spawn various genres, often without the initially characteristic backbeat, that are now more commonly called simply rock music or rock. The term rock and roll now has at least two different meanings, both in common usage, the American Heritage Dictionary and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary both define rock and roll as synonymous with rock music. Encyclopædia Britannica, on the hand, regards it as the music that originated in the mid-1950s. In 1934, the song Rock and Roll by the Boswell Sisters appeared in the film Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round, in 1942, Billboard magazine columnist Maurie Orodenker started to use the term rock-and-roll to describe upbeat recordings such as Rock Me by Sister Rosetta Tharpe. By 1943, the Rock and Roll Inn in South Merchantville, in 1951, Cleveland, Ohio disc jockey Alan Freed began playing this music style while popularizing the phrase to describe it. The origins of rock and roll have been debated by commentators. The migration of former slaves and their descendants to major urban centers such as St. The immediate roots of rock and roll lay in the rhythm and blues, then called race music, particularly significant influences were jazz, blues, gospel, country, and folk. The 1940s saw the use of blaring horns, shouted lyrics. In the same period, particularly on the West Coast and in the Midwest, similarly, country boogie and Chicago electric blues supplied many of the elements that would be seen as characteristic of rock and roll. Rock and roll arrived at a time of technological change, soon after the development of the electric guitar, amplifier and microphone. It was the realization that relatively affluent white teenagers were listening to music that led to the development of what was to be defined as rock. Because the development of rock and roll was a process, no single record can be identified as unambiguously the first rock. Other artists with rock and roll hits included Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis
Rock and Roll
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Sign commemorating the role of
Alan Freed and
Cleveland, Ohio in the origins of rock and roll
Rock and Roll
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Chuck Berry in 1957
Rock and Roll
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Bill Haley and his Comets performing in the 1954 Universal International film Round Up of Rhythm
Rock and Roll
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Elvis Presley in a promotion shot for
Jailhouse Rock in 1957
6.
Songwriter
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A songwriter is an individual who writes the lyrics, melodies and chord progressions for songs, typically for a popular music genre such as rock or country music. A songwriter can also be called a composer, although the term tends to be used mainly for individuals from the classical music genre. The pressure from the industry to produce popular hits means that songwriting is often an activity for which the tasks are distributed between a number of people. For example, a songwriter who excels at writing lyrics might be paired with a songwriter with a gift for creating original melodies, pop songs may be written by group members from the band or by staff writers – songwriters directly employed by music publishers. Some songwriters serve as their own publishers, while others have outside publishers. The old-style apprenticeship approach to learning how to write songs is being supplemented by university degrees and college diplomas, a knowledge of modern music technology, songwriting elements and business skills are necessary requirements to make a songwriting career in the 2010s. Several music colleges offer songwriting diplomas and degrees with music business modules, the legal power to grant these permissions may be bought, sold or transferred. This is governed by international copyright law, song pitching can be done on a songwriters behalf by their publisher or independently using tip sheets like RowFax, the MusicRow publication and SongQuarters. Skills associated with song-writing include entrepreneurism and creativity, songwriters who sign an exclusive songwriting agreement with a publisher are called staff writers. In the Nashville country music scene, there is a staff writer culture where contracted writers work normal 9-to-5 hours at the publishing office and are paid a regular salary. This salary is in effect the writers draw, an advance on future earnings, the publisher owns the copyright of songs written during the term of the agreement for a designated period, after which the songwriter can reclaim the copyright. In an interview with HitQuarters, songwriter Dave Berg extolled the benefits of the set-up, unlike contracted writers, some staff writers operate as employees for their respective publishers. Under the terms of work for hire agreements, the compositions created are fully owned by the publisher. In Nashville, young writers are often encouraged to avoid these types of contracts. Staff writers are common across the industry, but without the more office-like working arrangements favored in Nashville. All the major publishers employ writers under contract, songwriter Allan Eshuijs described his staff writer contract at Universal Music Publishing as a starter deal. His success under the arrangement eventually allowed him to found his own publishing company, so that he could. keep as much as possible, songwriters are also often skilled musicians. In addition to selling their songs and musical concepts for other artists to sing, songwriters need to create a number of elements for a song
Songwriter
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Songwriter and singer
Chris de Burgh.
7.
Charlie Daniels
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Charles Edward Charlie Daniels is an American multi-instrumentalist, actor, lyricist, and singer, known for his contributions to country, bluegrass, and Southern rock music. He is perhaps best known for his number one country hit The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Daniels has been active as a singer and musician since the 1950s. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on January 24,2008, Daniels was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016. He is also known for the role of himself in Yakety Yak, Take it Back, in 1964, Daniels co-wrote It Hurts Me with Joy Byers. He worked as a Nashville session musician, often for producer Bob Johnston, Daniels recorded his first solo album, Charlie Daniels, in 1971. He produced the 1969 album by The Youngbloods, Elephant Mountain and his first hit, the novelty song Uneasy Rider, was from his 1973 third album, Honey in the Rock, and reached No.9 on the Billboard Hot 100. During this period, Daniels played fiddle on many of The Marshall Tucker Bands early albums, A New Life, Where We All Belong, Searchin For a Rainbow, Long Hard Ride and Carolina Dreams. Daniels can be heard on the portion of the Where We All Belong album. The same year, he organized the first in a series of Volunteer Jam concerts based in or around Nashville, Tennessee, except for a three-year gap in the late 1980s, these jams have continued ever since. In 1975, he had a top 30 hit as leader of the Charlie Daniels Band with the Southern rock self-identification anthem The Souths Gonna Do It Again, Long Haired Country Boy was a minor hit in that year. Daniels played fiddle on Hank Williams, Jr. s 1975 album Hank Williams, Jr. Daniels won the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1979 for The Devil Went Down to Georgia, which reached No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1979. The following year, Devil became a crossover success on rock radio stations after its inclusion on the soundtrack for the hit movie Urban Cowboy. The song still receives airplay on U. S. classic rock. A hard rock/heavy metal cover version of the song was included in the video game Guitar Hero III, Daniels has openly stated his opposition to the metal cover and the devil winning occasionally in the game. Subsequent Daniels pop hits included In America, The Legend of Wooley Swamp, in 1980, Daniels participated in the country music concept album, The Legend of Jesse James. In the late 1980s and 1990s, several of Daniels albums and singles were hits on the Country charts, Daniels released several Gospel and Christian records. In 1999, he made a guest vocal appearance on his song All Night Long with Montgomery Gentry for their album, Tattoos and Scars. Daniels distinctive speaking voice was used in Frank Wildhorns 1999 musical and he is featured in the Prologue and In Great Deeds
Charlie Daniels
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Charlie Daniels at
Louisville Waterfront Park, Kentucky, April 29, 2009
Charlie Daniels
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Daniels in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in
Santa Ynez, California
Charlie Daniels
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Charlie Daniels performing at U.S. Naval Station Great Lakes, September 11, 2003
8.
Bob Johnston
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Donald William Bob Johnston was an American record producer, best known for his work with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, and Simon & Garfunkel. Johnston was born into a musical family. His grandmother Mamie Jo Adams was a songwriter, as was his mother Diane Johnston, Diane had written songs for Gene Autry in the 50s and scored a hit in 1976 when Asleep at the Wheel covered her 1950 demo Miles and Miles of Texas. After a stint in the Navy, Bob returned to Fort Worth, then he and Diane Johnston collaborated on songwriting for rockabilly artist Mac Curtis, from 1956 to 1961 Bob recorded a few rockabilly singles under the name Don Johnston. By 1964 he had moved into production work at Kapp Records in New York, freelance arranging for Dot Records and signed as a songwriter to music publisher Hill and he also married songwriter Joy Byers with whom he began to collaborate. In later years Bob Johnston claimed that songs still credited to his wife Joy Byers were actually co-written and he has cited old contractual reasons for this situation. Two songs credited to Byers, the aforementioned Stop, Look and Listen and Yeah, presley recorded The Meanest Girl in Town on June 10,1964, while Bill Haley recorded his version a week later, on June 16,1964. Johnston worked briefly as a producer for Kapp Records, then for Columbia Records in New York. His style of production varied from a documentary capturing a fleeting moment to providing subtle arrangements with strings, background vocals. After a couple of years in New York, Johnston became head of Columbia in Nashville, Tennessee and he produced three of Cohens albums, toured with him and also composed music to the Cohen lyric Come Spend the Morning, recorded by both Lee Hazlewood and Engelbert Humperdinck. It wasnt just a matter of turning on the machines, just the way hed move while you were singing, Hed dance for you. So, it wasnt all just as laissezfaire as that, just as art is the concealment of art, laissezfaire is the concealment of tremendous generosity that he was sponsoring in the studio. —Leonard Cohen quoted in The Stranger Music of Leonard Cohen by William Ruhlmann, Goldmine At the beginning of To Be Alone with You on Nashville Skyline, Bob Dylan asks Johnston Is it rolling, Bob. In 1972 he toured with Leonard Cohen as a keyboard player, in 1978 he produced Jimmy Cliffs Give Thankx album, featuring Bongo Man. In 1979, Johnston produced an album with the San Francisco band Reggae Jackson, titled Smash Hits that featured Jimmy Foot, Cheryl Lynn, Kenneth Nash, and Wayne Bidgell. In 1985, Johnston produced an album Walking In The Shadow by the San Francisco band The Rhyth-O-Matics, billboard magazines Pop Pick of The Week, the albums release was plagued with distribution difficulties. During a period of difficulty, when he was under scrutiny from the IRS, Johnston moved to Austin, Texas. He eventually returned with work on Willie Nelsons 1992 album The IRS Tapes and this albums release was delayed until 1996
Bob Johnston
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At
Hotel2Tango Studio in Montreal (left) with Howard Bilerman (right)
9.
Record producer
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A record producer or music producer oversees and manages the sound recording and production of a band or performers music, which may range from recording one song to recording a lengthy concept album. A producer has many roles during the recording process, the roles of a producer vary. The producer may perform these roles himself, or help select the engineer, the producer may also pay session musicians and engineers and ensure that the entire project is completed within the record companies budget. A record producer or music producer has a broad role in overseeing and managing the recording. Producers also often take on an entrepreneurial role, with responsibility for the budget, schedules, contracts. In the 2010s, the industry has two kinds of producers with different roles, executive producer and music producer. Executive producers oversee project finances while music producers oversee the process of recording songs or albums. In most cases the producer is also a competent arranger, composer. The producer will also liaise with the engineer who concentrates on the technical aspects of recording. Noted producer Phil Ek described his role as the person who creatively guides or directs the process of making a record, indeed, in Bollywood music, the designation actually is music director. The music producers job is to create, shape, and mold a piece of music, at the beginning of record industry, producer role was technically limited to record, in one shot, artists performing live. The role of producers changed progressively over the 1950s and 1960s due to technological developments, the development of multitrack recording caused a major change in the recording process. Before multitracking, all the elements of a song had to be performed simultaneously, all of these singers and musicians had to be assembled in a large studio and the performance had to be recorded. As well, for a song that used 20 instruments, it was no longer necessary to get all the players in the studio at the same time. Examples include the rock sound effects of the 1960s, e. g. playing back the sound of recorded instruments backwards or clanging the tape to produce unique sound effects. These new instruments were electric or electronic, and thus they used instrument amplifiers, new technologies like multitracking changed the goal of recording, A producer could blend together multiple takes and edit together different sections to create the desired sound. For example, in jazz fusion Bandleader-composer Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, producers like Phil Spector and George Martin were soon creating recordings that were, in practical terms, almost impossible to realise in live performance. Producers became creative figures in the studio, other examples of such engineers includes Joe Meek, Teo Macero, Brian Wilson, and Biddu
Record producer
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Alan Parsons in an
ESO 50th anniversary video.
Record producer
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A
Danish recording session
Record producer
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Mixing Console
10.
Chet Atkins
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Chester Burton Chet Atkins known as Mr. He was primarily known as a guitarist and he also played the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and ukulele. Atkins signature picking style was inspired by Merle Travis, other major guitar influences were Django Reinhardt, George Barnes, Les Paul, and, later, Jerry Reed. His distinctive picking style and musicianship brought him admirers inside and outside the country scene, among many honors, Atkins received 14 Grammy Awards and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received nine Country Music Association awards for Instrumentalist of the Year and he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. Atkins was born on June 20,1924, in Luttrell, Tennessee and his parents divorced when he was six, after which he was raised by his mother. He was the youngest of three boys and a girl and he started out on the ukulele, later moving on to the fiddle, but traded his brother Lowell an old pistol and some chores for a guitar when he was nine. He stated in his 1974 autobiography, We were so poor, forced to relocate to Fortson, Georgia, outside of Columbus, to live with his father because of a critical asthma condition, Atkins was a sensitive youth who made music his obsession. Because of his illness, he was forced to sleep in a chair to breathe comfortably. On those nights, he played his guitar until he fell asleep holding it, while living in Fortson, he attended the historic Mountain Hill School. He returned in the 1990s to play a series of charity concerts to save the school from demolition, Atkins became an accomplished guitarist while he was in high school. He used the restroom in the school to practice, because it gave better acoustics and his first guitar had a nail for a nut and was so bowed that only the first few frets could be used. He later purchased an electric guitar and amp, but he had to travel many miles to find an electrical outlet. Later in life, he gave himself the honorary degree CGP. In 2011, his daughter Merle Atkins Russell bestowed the CGP degree on his longtime sideman Paul Yandell and she then declared no more CGPs would be allowed by the Atkins estate. His half-brother Jim was a successful guitarist who worked with the Les Paul Trio in New York, Atkins did not have a strong style of his own until 1939, when he heard Merle Travis picking over WLW radio. This early influence dramatically shaped his unique playing style, whereas Traviss right hand used his index finger for the melody and thumb for bass notes, Atkins expanded his right-hand style to include picking with his first three fingers, with the thumb on bass. Chet Atkins was a ham radio general class licensee, formerly using the call sign WA4CZD, he obtained the vanity call sign W4CGP in 1998 to include the CGP designation
Chet Atkins
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Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
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Atkins's
Gretsch Country Gentleman, model G6122-1962
Chet Atkins
–
Atkins listening as
Bill Porter adjusts a mix in RCA's Nashville studio
11.
Billboard (magazine)
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Billboard is an American entertainment media brand owned by the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, a division of Eldridge Industries. It publishes pieces involving news, video, opinion, reviews, events and it is also known for its music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200, tracking the most popular singles and albums in different genres. It also hosts events, owns a publishing firm, and operates several TV shows, Billboard was founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James Hennegan as a trade publication for bill posters. Donaldson later acquired Hennegens interest in 1900 for $500, in the 1900s, it covered the entertainment industry, such as circuses, fairs and burlesque shows. It also created a service for travelling entertainers. Billboard began focusing more on the industry as the jukebox, phonograph. Many topics it covered were spun-off into different magazines, including Amusement Business in 1961 to cover outdoor entertainment so that it could focus on music. After Donaldson died in 1925, Billboard was passed down to his children and Hennegans children, until it was sold to investors in 1985. The first issue of Billboard was published in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 1,1894 by William Donaldson, initially, it covered the advertising and bill posting industry and was called Billboard Advertising. At the time, billboards, posters and paper advertisements placed in public spaces were the means of advertising. Donaldson handled editorial and advertising, while Hennegan, who owned Hennegan Printing Co. managed magazine production, the first issues were just eight pages long. The paper had columns like The Bill Room Gossip and The Indefatigable, a department for agricultural fairs was established in 1896. The title was changed to The Billboard in 1897, after a brief departure over editorial differences, Donaldson purchased Hennegans interest in the business in 1900 for $500, to save it from bankruptcy. That May, Donaldson changed it from a monthly to a paper with a greater emphasis on breaking news. He improved editorial quality and opened new offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, London and he also re-focused the magazine on outdoor entertainment like fairs, carnivals, circuses, vaudeville and burlesque shows. A section devoted to circuses was introduced in 1900, followed by more prominent coverage of events in 1901. Billboard also covered topics including regulation, a lack of professionalism, economics and it had a stage gossip column covering the private lives of entertainers, a tent show section covering traveling shows and a sub-section called Freaks to order. According to The Seattle Times, Donaldson also published articles attacking censorship, praising productions exhibiting good taste
Billboard (magazine)
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An 1896 issue of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
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Cover of Billboard (January 26, 2013).
12.
Elvis (1968 TV program)
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Elvis, starring Elvis Presley, is a United States television special that aired on December 3,1968 on the NBC television network. The special is commonly referred to as the 68 Comeback Special and it was directed by Steve Binder and produced by Binder and Bones Howe. Music from the special was released before the broadcast, on the album Elvis, Presleys informal jamming in front of a small audience in the special is regarded as a forerunner of the unplugged concept, later popularized by MTV. Despite huge success in both his music and acting careers following his release from the army in 1960, Presley never toured in the United States from 1962 to 1968. Colonel Tom Parker, Presleys manager, had found it difficult to secure the usual $1,000,000 fee for a Presley film. Parker negotiated a deal with NBC for $1,250,000 to finance both a special and a film. Parker wanted the show, which was scheduled as a Christmas season broadcast and he believed the special could simply be a TV-version of the Christmas radio show Presley had contributed to the year before. Binder argued that the special was an opportunity to re-establish the singers reputation after years of formulaic movies and he and Howe hired writers to script a show with specific themes, large set designs, dance sequences and big productions of Presleys hits. However, Binder was open to any variations on this that would showcase the singers talent, the special ends with Presley appealing for world peace and tolerance with the song If I Can Dream. Other musicians included drummer Hal Blaine, pianist Don Randi, guitarist Tommy Tedesco, bass player Larry Knechtel and it was after rehearsals at Western Recorders that Binder took special note of how Presley and the other musicians would spontaneously unwind by improvising old blues and rock n roll numbers. Binder commented. and thats when I really got the idea, Wouldnt it be great if I had a camera in here, Presley is said to have been very apprehensive about the idea of performing live. His last live concert had been at the Bloch Arena in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Binder offered a lot of support and reassurance to stop the singer from rejecting the idea of any live segments. He realized some songs already re-recorded or scheduled would need to be cut and he also brought in Presleys friends Alan Fortas, Lance LeGault and Charlie Hodge to encourage Presley and make him feel at ease. Two sessions took place, each two hours in length, the first on June 24 and the second on the 25th. Both took place in the surroundings of the dressing room at NBC. They were recorded by Presleys friend Joe Esposito using the singers own tape recorder, many songs were tried, including Danny Boy, Blue Moon, Thats My Desire and I Got A Woman, before the final repertoire was decided for the actual TV recording. Subsequently, at 6. 00pm, June 27, Presley took to the stage for the first time in seven years. Clad in black leather, Presley sat down and jammed with band mates for two shows, each show having a different audience, there was a one-hour break between them
Elvis (1968 TV program)
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Elvis Presley in his '68 Comeback Special
13.
International Standard Serial Number
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An International Standard Serial Number is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title, ISSN are used in ordering, cataloging, interlibrary loans, and other practices in connection with serial literature. The ISSN system was first drafted as an International Organization for Standardization international standard in 1971, ISO subcommittee TC 46/SC9 is responsible for maintaining the standard. When a serial with the content is published in more than one media type. For example, many serials are published both in print and electronic media, the ISSN system refers to these types as print ISSN and electronic ISSN, respectively. The format of the ISSN is an eight digit code, divided by a hyphen into two four-digit numbers, as an integer number, it can be represented by the first seven digits. The last code digit, which may be 0-9 or an X, is a check digit. Formally, the form of the ISSN code can be expressed as follows, NNNN-NNNC where N is in the set, a digit character. The ISSN of the journal Hearing Research, for example, is 0378-5955, where the final 5 is the check digit, for calculations, an upper case X in the check digit position indicates a check digit of 10. To confirm the check digit, calculate the sum of all eight digits of the ISSN multiplied by its position in the number, the modulus 11 of the sum must be 0. There is an online ISSN checker that can validate an ISSN, ISSN codes are assigned by a network of ISSN National Centres, usually located at national libraries and coordinated by the ISSN International Centre based in Paris. The International Centre is an organization created in 1974 through an agreement between UNESCO and the French government. The International Centre maintains a database of all ISSNs assigned worldwide, at the end of 2016, the ISSN Register contained records for 1,943,572 items. ISSN and ISBN codes are similar in concept, where ISBNs are assigned to individual books, an ISBN might be assigned for particular issues of a serial, in addition to the ISSN code for the serial as a whole. An ISSN, unlike the ISBN code, is an identifier associated with a serial title. For this reason a new ISSN is assigned to a serial each time it undergoes a major title change, separate ISSNs are needed for serials in different media. Thus, the print and electronic versions of a serial need separate ISSNs. Also, a CD-ROM version and a web version of a serial require different ISSNs since two different media are involved, however, the same ISSN can be used for different file formats of the same online serial
International Standard Serial Number
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ISSN encoded in an EAN-13 barcode with sequence variant 0 and issue number 5
14.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
International Standard Book Number
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A 13-digit ISBN, 978-3-16-148410-0, as represented by an
EAN-13 bar code
15.
Elvis Presley singles discography
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The discography of Elvis Presley starts on July 19,1954, with the release of his first commercial single, and ends in February 1978. All other releases are included in the sections, and obviously all compact disc box sets were also released after Presleys death. In August 1992, he was awarded with 110 gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums and singles, according to Presleys record label, RCA, he is the best selling artist of all time, with sales over 1 billion records worldwide in all formats. Both of these claims were disputed by music historian Joel Whitburn, Whitburn lists Elvis as having 18 number 1 hits and 38 top ten hits. Elvis Presley Enterprises claims Elvis had 40 top ten hits, the differences depend on whether a double-sided hit single is counted as one hit single, or two hit songs. Before the age of compact discs and digital downloads, singles were released on vinyl 45 RPM records. Both songs of many Elvis singles became hits and were listed on the charts, Hound Dog / Dont Be Cruel was a double sided hit single that topped the Billboard Sales chart for 11 weeks in 1956. At the time, Hound Dog was listed as the number 1 A-side for the first five weeks, now Billboard lists it as a single double sided hit. This article lists Elvis Presley’s hits, both A-sides and B-sides, on the Billboard singles charts, as well as rival music publications, Cash Box, another measure of an artist’s popular impact is sales. Elvis Presley Enterprises has disputed the RIAA’s claim, pointing out several omissions in the RIAA’s figures. The RIAA bases its claim on album sales only, and does not include sales in determining the highest selling solo artist. While Elvis’ album sales are significant, his sales were also significant as can be seen in the tables below. During much of Elvis’ career in the 1950s and 1960s, single sales were considered the market for the industry. It was not until the late 1960s and early 1970s that albums became the market for the industry. RIAA does not certify sales of less than 500,000 units for albums, Elvis has had numerous albums and singles which have sold hundreds of thousands of units each but have not reached the 500,000 threshold. Taken together, these could add up to millions in sales that are not recognized by the RIAA. RIAA sales certifications are not automatic, the record company must pay a fee and request an audit from the RIAA in order to certify sales. During Elvis’ life, RCA submitted few of Elvis’ recordings for RIAA certification, instead of paying for RIAA certification, RCA and other companies would simply award their own “Gold Record” to artists based on their internal sales figures
Elvis Presley singles discography
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Publicity photo for
Jailhouse Rock (1957)
16.
Blue Moon of Kentucky
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Blue Moon of Kentucky is a waltz written in 1946 by bluegrass musician Bill Monroe and recorded by his band, the Blue Grass Boys. The song has since recorded by many artists, including Elvis Presley. In 2003 the song was chosen to be added to the United States Library of Congress National Recording Registry, Blue Moon is the official bluegrass song of Kentucky. In 2002, Monroes version was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry, in 2003, CMT ranked Blue Moon number 11 in its list of 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music. Bill Monroe wrote the song in 1946, recording it for Columbia Records on September 16 and it was released in early 1947. At the time, the Bluegrass Boys included vocalist and guitarist Lester Flatt and banjoist Earl Scruggs, who would form their own bluegrass band. Both Flatt and Scruggs performed on the recording, although Bill Monroe supplied the vocals on this song, the song, described as a bluegrass waltz, had become a United States wide hit by 1947 and also became enormously popular with other bluegrass, country and early rockabilly acts. The song was revered by the Grand Ole Opry and others, the search for another song to release along with Thats All Right at Sun Records in July 1954 led to Blue Moon of Kentucky via Bill Black. According to Scotty Moore, We all of us knew we needed something. Elvis joins in with him, starts playing and singing along with him. Presley, Moore and Black, with the encouragement of Sam Phillips, transformed Monroes slow waltz, in 3/4 time, into an upbeat, after an early rendition of the song, Sun Records owner Sam Phillips exclaimed, BOY, thats fine, thats fine. As with all of the Presley records issued by Sun, the artists were listed and stylized as ELVIS PRESLEY SCOTTY and BILL. The same night that Dewey Phillips first played the flip side of this first release of Presleys music on WHBQ, Thats All Right, bob Neal of WMPS played the record too. The pop jockeys, entranced by something new, began slipping Thats All Right and Blue Moon of Kentucky in amongst the easy listening pop of Teresa Brewer, Nat Cole, Tony Bennett and others. With Presleys version of Monroes song consistently rated higher, both began to chart across the Southern United States. Billboard has the song listed only in Memphis, and as number 6 with Thats All Right at number 7 on October 9 in the C&W Territorial Best Sellers. By October 23, Blue Moon was in the top 10 in Memphis, Nashville, fellow Sun Records artist Charlie Feathers has often claimed that he came up with the arrangement of the song used by Presley. The song was used in a scene of the 2005 TV miniseries Elvis. In 1954, the Stanley Brothers recorded a version of the song using Presleys 4/4 arrangement with bluegrass instrumentation, neatly bridging the stylistic gap between Monroes and Presleys approaches
Blue Moon of Kentucky
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"Blue Moon of Kentucky"
17.
Good Rocking Tonight
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Good Rocking Tonight was originally a jump blues song released in 1947 by its writer, Roy Brown and was covered by many other recording artists. The song includes the refrain, Well I heard the news. The song anticipated elements of rock and roll music, Brown had first offered his song to Wynonie Harris, who turned it down. He then approached Cecil Gant later that night, but after hearing Brown sing, Gant made a 2,30 AM phone call to Jules Braun, after Roy Brown sang his song over the phone, Braun asked Brown to sing it a second time. He then told Gant, Give him fifty dollars and dont let him out of your sight, five weeks later, Brown recorded the song for DeLuxe Records. Only after Browns record had gained traction in New Orleans did Harris decide to cover it, harriss version was even more energetic than Browns original version, featuring black gospel style handclapping. This may have contributed to the greater success on the national R&B chart. Browns original recording hit #13 of the Billboard R&B chart, but Harris record became a #1 R&B hit, Browns single would re-enter the chart in 1949, peaking at #11. Harris had a reputation for carousing, and sometimes forgot lyrics, the song is a primer of sorts on the popular black music of the era, making lyrical reference to Sweet Lorraine, Sioux City Sue, Sweet Georgia Brown, Caldonia, Elder Brown, and Deacon Jones. All of these characters had figured prominently in previous hit songs, while Brown missed out on the biggest hit version of his song, its success kicked off his own career, which included two #1 R&B hits. In 1949, he released Rockin at Midnight, a sequel to Good Rockin Tonight and it reached #2 on the R&B chart, where it remained for a month. In 1954, Good Rockin Tonight was the second Sun Records release by Elvis Presley, along with I Dont Care if the Sun Dont Shine on the flip side. Presley and his bandmates hewed closer to the original Roy Brown version, described as a flat-out rocker country radio programmers blanched, and older audiences were somewhat mystified. A live show broadcast from Houston DJ Bill Collies club documented that the crowd responded to the song. Blue Moon of Kentucky, the version of the Bill Monroe classic, has the fans go stark raving nuts with joy. Both sides of this second record featuring Elvis Presley, Scotty, the song was used for the biopic Elvis, which starred Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Presley, it was used for a montage sequence where he is performing at the Louisiana Hayride in 1954. Carl Perkins in 1958 on his album Whole Lotta Shakin, link Wray in 1965 under the name Good Rockin Tonight. Paul McCartney recorded the song for the Unplugged album, montrose recorded the song for their 1973 self-titled debut album
Good Rocking Tonight
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"Good Rockin' Tonight"
18.
I Forgot to Remember to Forget
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I Forgot to Remember to Forget is a country song written by Stan Kesler and Charlie Feathers. It was recorded at Sun Studio on July 11,1955, by Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and Johnny Bernero on drums and it was rereleased by RCA Victor in December 1955. Moores guitar had a Nashville steel guitar sound, and Black played a clip-clop rhythm and this is the closest the trio came to a traditional country song while at Sun. The record reached #4 on the Billboard Most Played by Jockeys chart and it was the first recording to make Elvis Presley a national known country music star. The song remained on the charts for 39 weeks. The flip side of this release, Mystery Train, peaked at the #11 position on the national Billboard Country Chart, the Beatles covered this song once for the BBC radio show, From Us To You, on 1 May 1964, with George Harrison on lead vocals. The song is notable for being the last time the Beatles performed a song for the BBC that wasnt recorded for EMI, the song is also notable for its double-time rhythmic changes during the bridge. The band was becoming more experimental at the time, after they recorded I Call Your Name, the song wasnt officially released until 1994, when it was included on Live at the BBC. George Harrison – vocals, lead guitar John Lennon – rhythm guitar Paul McCartney – bass Ringo Starr – drums Jerry Lee Lewis recorded the song in 1957, composer Charlie Feathers has also recorded it. Johnny Cash covered and released song in 1959 on the Sun LP Greatest. B. J. Thomas included this song on his 1972 album, chuck Jackson, Ral Donner, Robert Gordon, Johnny Hallyday, The Deighton Family, Hicksville Bombers, and Wanda Jackson recorded this song as well. Chris Isaak also covered this song on his 2011 album, Beyond the Sun, bob Dylan and The Band recorded this song in 1967, it was released on the 2014 album, The Bootleg Series Vol.11, The Basement Tapes Complete. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
I Forgot to Remember to Forget
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"I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
19.
Mystery Train
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Mystery Train is a song written and recorded by American blues musician Junior Parker in 1953. Junior Parker, billed as Little Juniors Blue Flames, recorded the song, considered a blues standard, the song was released on the Sun label. The song was written by Junior Parker, with a credit later given to Phillips, One commentator noted One of the mysteries about Mystery Train was where the title came from, it was mentioned nowhere in the song. Accompanying Parker is his band the Blue Flames, whose members at the time are believed to have included, Floyd Murphy, William Johnson, Kenneth Banks, John Bowers. Elvis Presleys version of Mystery Train was first released on August 20,1955 as the B-side of I Forgot to Remember to Forget, Presleys version would be ranked #77 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in 2003. It was again produced by Sam Phillips at Sun Studios, and featured Presley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Scotty Moore on lead guitar, Moore used a country lead break, and toward the end of the record is an echo of the 1946 Sixteen Tons by Merle Travis. For Presleys version of Mystery Train, Scotty Moore also borrowed the riff from Junior Parkers Love My Baby. Victor released a pop version of the song by The Turtles with backing by Hugo Winterhalter and these Turtles are unlikely to have been the 1960s pop group of the same name, since the lead singers of that group were eight years old at the time. Paired with I Forgot to Remember to Forget, the record was in the Top 10 in Billboards C&W listings, RCA Victor rereleased this recording in December 1955 after acquiring it as part of a contract with Presley. This issue of the peaked at #11 on the national Billboard Country Chart. Mystery Train is now considered to be an enduring classic and it was the first recording to make Elvis Presley a nationally known country music star. Black, who had success with the Bill Black Combo, once said to a visitor to his house in Memphis, as he pointed to a framed 78rpm Sun Record of Mystery Train on the wall, Now there was a record. Presleys version was ranked the third most acclaimed song of 1955, Presleys version also appeared in Jim Jarmuschs film of the same title. In 1973, with the approval of Sam Phillips, Robbie Robertson of The Band wrote additional lyrics for Mystery Train, and they later performed the song with Paul Butterfield for their 1976 farewell concert The Last Waltz. A variety of musicians have recorded Mystery Train, including,1965 – Sam the Sham,1965 – Vince Melouney did a cover of this song with Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb on backing vocals. The song was on his album, Punkville,1965 – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band from The Paul Butterfield Blues Band 1967 – Ricky Nelson from Country Fever. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Mystery Train
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"Mystery Train"
Mystery Train
20.
Heartbreak Hotel
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Heartbreak Hotel is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27,1956 and it was written by Tommy Durden, Mae Boren Axton, and Elvis Presley. A newspaper article about the suicide of a man who jumped from a hotel window inspired the lyrics. Axton presented the song to Presley in November 1955 at a music convention in Nashville. Presley agreed to record it, and did so on January 10,1956, in a session with his band, the Blue Moon Boys, the guitarist Chet Atkins, and the pianist Floyd Cramer. Heartbreak Hotel comprises an eight-bar blues progression, with heavy reverberation throughout the track, Heartbreak Hotel achieved unheard of feats as it reached the top 5 of Country and Western, pop, and Rhythm n Blues charts simultaneously. It would eventually be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It became a staple of Presleys repertoire in live appearances, last performed by him on May 29,1977, at the Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1995 Heartbreak Hotel was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and that year it was also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fames 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The song was written in 1955, by Mae Boren Axton, a school teacher with a background in musical promotion. Kroliks story was published in media, and received further publicity after he was shot and killed in an attempted robbery in El Paso. On August 25,1955, the El Paso Times reported Kroliks death under the headline Story Of Person Who Walked Lonely Street, Axton and Durden give different accounts of how the song was written. Durdens account is that he had written the song and performed it with his band the Swing Billys before he presented it to Axton. Axtons account is that Durden had only written a few lines of the song and she says that the report of the suicide stunned her, and she told Durden, Everybody in the world has someone who cares. Lets put a Heartbreak Hotel at the end of this lonely street and they were interrupted by the arrival of Glenn Reeves, a local performer who had previously worked with Axton. The duo asked Reeves to help with the song, but after hearing the title he remarked that it was the silliest thing Ive ever heard, the song was written within an hour, and Durden recorded it onto Axtons tape recorder. Reeves returned, and after hearing the song he was asked to provide a demo for Axton in the style of Elvis Presley. Reeves obliged, but once again turned down the offer of a credit for his input
Heartbreak Hotel
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"Heartbreak Hotel"
21.
I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
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I Want You, I Need You, I Love You is a popular song written by Maurice Mysels and Ira Kosloff. It is known best for being Elvis Presleys seventh RCA Victor single release, before the creation of the Billboard Hot 100 chart during 1958, there were a number of charts including Jukebox plays, Store charts, and Airplay charts. The song scored No.1 on the Billboard Top Sellers in Stores chart, during April 1956, Variety Magazine reported that Presleys sixth RCA Victor single, Heartbreak Hotel, had sold one million copies. RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes wanted a single to be the next release. Due to Presleys busy touring schedule, Sholes needed to get him into the studio as soon as possible, Presley and his band chartered a small propeller airplane to Nashville for one day of recording between shows. En route from Amarillo, the developed engine trouble and fell through the sky several times. Upon arrival in Nashville on the morning of April 14, all four were disconcerted. Presley arrived at the RCA Victor Studios without ideas for the session and therefore had no choice but to use Sholes suggestions, one of which was I Want You, I Need You. Being used to working hours, coupled with his traumatic experience during his overnight flight. Take after take was ruined for one reason or another and the band was not relaxed, Presley, usually a very quick study with a song, couldnt get the lyrics right. After 17 takes during three hours, Sholes decided Presley and the band werent able to properly and sent them home. After the session, Sholes listened to the takes again and he wasnt happy with the results of what he considered to be an unprofessional and wasted session. He knew that with Presleys busy touring schedule it could be months before RCA Victor got him back into a studio. Performing what was a rare and generally unsuccessful procedure for the 1950s. His cuts were so seamless, nobody at RCA Victor could tell it wasnt from a single take, I Want You, I Need You, I Love You was backed with My Baby Left Me and was released on May 4,1956. Pre-orders of over 300,000 were the biggest ever in the history of the company. At the time of its release, Presley had three songs in the Top 20, Heartbreak Hotel/I Was the One, My Baby Left Me, and I Want You, I Need You, I Love You. On June 5,1956, Presley performed the song on The Milton Berle Show, as well as an early version of Hound Dog that resulted in both overwhelmingly favorable audience reaction and outrage
I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
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"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"
22.
My Baby Left Me
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My Baby Left Me is a rhythm and blues song written by blues singer Arthur Crudup. It was first recorded by Crudup in Chicago on November 8,1950, with Ransom Knowling on bass and Judge Riley on drums and it was included as a bonus track on the 2004 CD version of Rock n Roll. It was also a #37 UK Singles Chart hit in 1964 for Dave Berry, elton John used a snippet of My Baby Left Me as part of a medley during his concert performance of Burn Down the Mission on his 11-17-70 live album. My Baby Left Me was covered by rock band Slade and released as a single in 1977 as a tribute to Elvis Presley, the Slade version merged another Crudup written track, Thats All Right. The single spent four weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #32 and it became Slades last charting single until their career revival in 1980. The single was rated #788 for 1977 on Rate Your Music, Jim Lea stood in for him, and appears in Hills place on the finished recording. The track was performed on a handful of UK shows including Top of the Pops, as well as German shows Disco and it was performed the same year for a mimed gig on East German television and included interviews with each band member. The music video features the band performing the song on a stage and it was voted the second of the top three Slade music videos in the Slade Fan Club Poll of 1979. Record Mirror magazine reviewed the single release, A Slade slug at a Crudup past. But I can remember a time when Slade records were vixen fearsome rather than pleasant, fearsome on their own songs, not some cruising rocker from way back. Get out while the goings bad, cos its only going to get hideous. Its a bouncy, struttin 12-bar blues number quite unlike most of the earlier hit singles. On the other hand it could be that its similarity to the treatments of old blues numbers by a certain Johnny Winter Esq is clouding my judgement. Well have to wait and see, - Chas Chandler Writers of O. H. M. S. - Noddy Holder, Jim Lea Photograph - Gered Mankowitz Design - Jo Mirowski
My Baby Left Me
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"My Baby Left Me"
23.
Hound Dog (song)
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Hound Dog is a twelve-bar blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Thorntons recording of Hound Dog is listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fames 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, Hound Dog has been recorded more than 250 times. Presleys version, which sold about 10 million copies globally, was his best-selling song and an emblem of the rock n roll revolution. It was simultaneously No.1 on the US pop, country, and R&B charts in 1956, and it topped the pop chart for 11 weeks — a record that stood for 36 years. Presleys 1956 RCA recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1988, on August 12,1952, R&B bandleader Johnny Otis asked 19-year-old songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller to his home to meet blues singer Willie Mae Big Mama Thornton. Thornton had been signed by Diamond Don Robeys Houston-based Peacock Records the year before, after hearing Thornton rehearse several songs, Leiber and Stoller forged a tune to suit her personality—brusque and badass. In an interview in Rolling Stone in April 1990, Stoller said, She was a blues singer. But it was as much her appearance as her blues style influenced the writing of Hound Dog. Leiber recalled, We saw Big Mama and she knocked me cold and she looked like the biggest, baddest, saltiest chick you would ever see. And she was mean, a bear, as they used to call em. She must have been 350 pounds, and she had all these all over her face conveying words which could not be sung. But how to do it without saying it. And how to do it telling a story, I couldnt just have a song full of expletives. In 1999, Leiber said, I was trying to get something like the Furry Lewis phrase Dirty Mother Furya. I was looking for something closer to that but I couldnt find it, because everything I went for was too coarse, R&B expert George A. Moonoogian concurs, calling it a biting and scathing satire in the double-entendre genre of 1950s rhythm and blues. Said Leiber, Hound Dog took like twelve minutes, thats not a complicated piece of work. But the rhyme scheme was difficult, also the metric structure of the music was not easy. According to Leiber, as soon as they reached the parking lot and Stollers 1937 Plymouth and we got to Johnny Otiss house and Mike went right to the piano…didnt even bother to sit down
Hound Dog (song)
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"Hound Dog"
Hound Dog (song)
Hound Dog (song)
24.
Blue Suede Shoes
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Blue Suede Shoes is a rock-and-roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955. It is considered one of the first rockabilly records, incorporating elements of blues, country, Perkinss original version of the song was on the Cashbox Best Selling Singles list for 16 weeks and spent two weeks in the number 2 position. Elvis Presley performed his version of the three different times on national television. It was also recorded by Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran, among many others, Johnny Cash planted the seed for the song in the fall of 1955, while Perkins, Cash, Elvis Presley, and other Louisiana Hayride acts toured throughout the South. Cash told Perkins of an airman, C. V. White, who he had met when serving in the military in Germany. Cash suggested that Carl write a song about the shoes, Carl replied, I dont know anything about shoes. How can I write a song about shoes, when Perkins played a dance on December 4,1955, he noticed a couple dancing near the stage. Between songs, Carl heard a stern, forceful voice say, Uh-uh, Carl looked down and noted that the boy was wearing blue suede shoes and one had a scuff mark. Good gracious, a pretty little thing like that and all he can think about is his blue suede shoes and that night Perkins began working on a song based on the incident. His first thought was to frame it with a nursery rhyme and he considered, and quickly discarded Little Jack Horner. and See a spider going up the wall. Then settled on One for the money, leaving his bed and working with his Les Paul guitar, he started with an A chord. After playing five chords while singing Well, its one for the money and he broke into a boogie rhythm. He quickly grabbed a brown paper potato sack and wrote the song down, writing the title out as Blue Swade, S-W-A-D-E – I couldnt even spell it right, according to Perkins, On December 17,1955, I wrote Blue Suede Shoes. I recorded it on December 19, for Sun Records, which released the second take of the song, suns producer, Sam Phillips, suggested that the lyric go cat go be changed to go man go, but the suggestion was not taken. Perkinss recording of Blue Suede Shoes was released on January 1,1956, two copies of the song on 78-rpm records were sent to Perkins but arrived broken. He soon discovered that the song was available in the newer 7 microgrooved 45-rpm format and was disappointed that he didnt have a copy in the older, in Jackson, where Perkins lived, and Memphis, radio stations were playing the flip side of the record, Honey Dont. Shoes became the side of choice throughout the South and Southwest, on February 11 it was the number 2 single on Memphis charts, it was number one the next week and remained there for the next three months. Perkins made four appearances on the radio program Big D Jamboree on station KRLD in Dallas, the Jamboree was broadcast from the Dallas Sportatorium, with about four thousand seats, and it sold out for each of Perkins performances
Blue Suede Shoes
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"Blue Suede Shoes"
Blue Suede Shoes
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Shoes in Elvis exhibit similar to those that inspired the song
Blue Suede Shoes
25.
Tutti Frutti (song)
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Tutti Frutti is a song written by Little Richard along with Dorothy LaBostrie that was recorded in 1955 and became his first major hit record. The song introduced several of rock musics most characteristic features, including its loud volume and vocal style emphasizing power. In 2007, a panel of renowned recording artists voted Tutti Frutti No.1 on Mojos The Top 100 Records That Changed The World, hailing the recording as the sound of the birth of rock. Library of Congress National Recording Registry added the recording to its registry, in April 2012, Rolling Stone magazine declared that the song still contains what has to be considered the most inspired rock lyric ever recorded, A wop bop alu bop, a wop bam boom. In February 1955, he sent a tape to Specialty Records. The band included Lee Allen and Alvin Red Tyler on saxophones, Huey Smith on piano, Frank Fields on double bass, Justin Adams on guitar, however, as the session wore on, Little Richards anarchic performance style was not being fully captured on tape. In frustration during a break, he started pounding a piano and singing a ribald song that he had written and composed. According to some accounts, he first wrote and performed the song while working as a janitor in a bus station, the song that he sang was a piece of music that he “had polished in clubs across the South. Blackwell contacted local songwriter Dorothy LaBostrie to revise the lyrics, with Little Richard still playing in his characteristic style, according to Blackwell, LaBostrie didnt understand melody, but she was definitely a “prolific writer. Aw rooty was an expression meaning All right. Some sources considered this a pseudonym used by Specialty label owner Art Rupe to claim royalties on some of his labels songs, songwriter LaBostrie was quoted as saying, Little Richard didnt write none of Tutti Frutti. She was still receiving royalty checks on the average of $5,000 every three to six months from the song in the 1980s. Blackwell said time constraints prevented the development of a new arrangement, the song was recorded on September 14,1955. Released on Specialty 561, the record entered the Billboard Rhythm and Blues chart at the end of December 1955 and it also reached No.17 on the Billboard pop chart. In the UK, it only scraped into the top 30 in 1957, the song, with its twelve-bar blues chord progression, provided the foundation of Little Richards career. It was seen as an aggressive song that contained more features of African American vernacular music than any other past recordings in this style. Richards contract with Peacock had been purchased by Specialty Records owner Art Rupe, specialtys deal with Richard was typical of most record companiess dealings with their artists. Tutti Frutti provided the title for one of the earliest books about the development of rock and roll and pop music from the 1950s, Nik Cohns Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom
Tutti Frutti (song)
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"Tutti Frutti"
26.
Shake, Rattle and Roll
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Shake, Rattle and Roll is a twelve bar blues-form song, written in 1954 by Jesse Stone under his assumed songwriting name, Charles E. Calhoun. It was originally recorded by Big Joe Turner and most successfully by Bill Haley & His Comets, the song as sung by Big Joe Turner is ranked #127 on the Rolling Stone magazines list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Stone played around with various phrases before coming up with shake, rattle, however, the phrase had been used in earlier songs. In 1919, Al Bernard recorded a song about gambling with dice with the same title, the phrase is also heard in Roll The Bones by the Excelsior Quartette in 1922. Turners version was recorded in New York on February 15,1954, the shouting chorus on his version consisted of Jesse Stone, and record label executives Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegün. The saxophone solo was by Sam The Man Taylor, other players included McHouston Mickey Baker on guitar and drummer Connie Kay. The song, in its incarnation, is highly sexual. Perhaps its most salacious lyric, which was absent from the later Bill Haley rendition, is Ive been holdin it in, way down underneath / You make me roll my eyes, baby, make me grit my teeth. On the recording, Turner slurred the lyric holdin it in, Bill Haley & His Comets cover version of the song, recorded on June 7,1954, featured the following members of the Comets, Johnny Grande, Billy Williamson, Marshall Lytle, and Joey Ambrose. It is known that Danny Cedrone, a musician who frequently worked for Haley, played lead guitar. Bill Haleys own stage drummer, Dick Richards, did not play on record but may have provided backing vocals since he participated in the recording of the songs B-side. This was Cedrones final recording session as he died ten days later. Haleys version was released in August and reached #7 on the Billboard pop chart, Gabler has explained that he would clean up lyrics because, I didnt want any censor with the radio station to bar the record from being played on the air. With NBC a lot of race records wouldnt get played because of the lyrics, so I had to watch that closely Both recordings are considered classics. Haleys version is peppier and brighter and it fits the definition of rock and roll as a merger of country music and rhythm and blues. Haley had started his career in music while Turner was a blues shouter. Comparing the two versions illustrates the differences between blues and rock n roll, a simple, stark instrumental backing is heard on the Turner version. Where Turners version uses a bass line, the Comets version, produced by Milt Gabler of Decca Records
Shake, Rattle and Roll
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"Shake, Rattle and Roll"
Shake, Rattle and Roll
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1954 release by Bill Haley and His Comets on Decca Records.
27.
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
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Lawdy Miss Clawdy is a rhythm and blues song by New Orleans singer/songwriter Lloyd Price that grandly introduced The New Orleans Sound. It was first recorded by Price in 1952 with Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew during his first session for Art Rupe, the song became one of the biggest selling R&B records of 1952 and crossed over to other audiences. Lawdy Miss Clawdy inspired many songs and has been recorded by a variety of artists, while still in high school, Lloyd Price was working for New Orleans radio station WBOK. He provided jingles for products, including those hawked by disc jockey James Okey Dokey Smith. One of Smiths catch phrases was Lawdy Miss Clawdy, which he used in ad slogans such as Lawdy Miss Clawdy, eat Mothers Homemade Pies, Prices accompanying tune proved popular with the radio audience and he developed it into a full-length song. In 1952, Art Rupe, founder of Specialty Records in Los Angeles, local recording studio owner Cosimo Matassa introduced him to Dave Bartholomew, who co-wrote and produced many of Fats Dominos early hit records. Bartholomew invited nineteen-year-old Lloyd Price to audition for Rupe at Matassas J&M Studio, the accounts differ on what happened next. Lawdy Miss Clawdy was recorded March 13,1952 at Cosimo Matassas J&M Studios in New Orleans, the first attempts at performing the song were not successful, reportedly because Bartholomew was dissatisfied with Doucettes piano part. When Fats Domino arrived at the studio, he was persuaded by Bartholomew to sit in on the recording, after one run through, Bartholomew announced OK, thats it and Matassa started the tape recorder. Lawdy Miss Clawdy opens with Fat Dominos rolling trills. in a cascading, although Domino had recorded several songs using his trade-mark piano triplets style, Prices hit provided it with its greatest exposure up to that time. Domino repeats his intro for the piano solo, another key element of the song is Earl Palmers drumming, described as loping, midtempo shuffle beats with their busy ride cymbal. This is anchored by Palmers emphasis on the snare of the second and fourth beats of each bar, in characteristic New Orleans-style, the rest of the backing instrumentation also contributes to the songs rhythmic drive by providing different elements of rhythm, in several different patterns. This complex, layered beat might also be compared to African polyrhythms, Lawdy Miss Clawdy follows an eight-bar blues progression and has been notated in 12/8 time in the key of A♭. The songs melody is derived from Fats Dominos 1950 hit The Fat Man, Prices song also features most of the same backing musicians as Dominos song. Prices vocals have been described as heartbroken wails, expressive, wailing and his lyrics deal with teenage angst over a relationship. Specialty Records released Lawdy Miss Clawdy in April 1952 and on May 17,1952 it entered Billboards R&B chart, the song reached number one, where it spent seven weeks. Lawdy Miss Clawdy was also one of the top records for 1952, Lawdy Miss Clawdy became R&B Record of the Year for 1952 in both Billboard and Cashbox magazines, it also earned Price Cashboxs Best New R&B Singer of 1952 designation. In 1995, it was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fames list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock, authors Dawson and Propes discussed Lawdy Miss Clawdy among the first rock and roll songs
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
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"Lawdy Miss Clawdy"
28.
Love Me Tender (song)
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Love Me Tender is a 1956 song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music from the eponymous 20th Century Fox film. The words and music are credited to Ken Darby under the pseudonym Vera Matson, the name of his wife, the RCA Victor recording by Elvis Presley was no.1 on both the Billboard and Cashbox charts in 1956. The song was adapted from the tune of Aura Lee, a sentimental Civil War ballad, the 1956 song Love Me Tender puts new words to a new musical adaptation of the Civil War song Aura Lee, published in 1861. Aura Lee had music by George R. Poulton and words by W. W. Fosdick and it later became popular with college glee clubs and barbershop quartets. It was also sung at the U. S, military Academy at West Point, New York. The principal writer of the lyrics was Ken Darby, who also adapted Poultons Civil War tune, the song was published by Elvis Presley Music. and credited to Presley and Darbys wife Vera Matson. As with nearly all his early RCA recordings, Presley took control in the studio not being credited as producer. He would regularly change arrangements and lyrics to the point that the song was barely recognizable. Ken Darby described Elvis Presleys role in the creation of the song, He adjusted the music, Elvis has the most terrific ear of anyone I have ever met. He does not read music, but he does not need to, All I had to do was play the song for him once, and he made it his own. He has perfect judgment of what is right for him and he exercised that judgment when he chose Love Me Tender as his theme song. Elvis Presley performed Love Me Tender on The Ed Sullivan Show on September 9,1956, shortly before the release and about a month before the movie. On the following day, RCA received 1 million advance orders, the studio, 20th Century Fox, originally wanted to call the movie The Reno Brothers but instead re-titled it Love Me Tender to capitalize on the songs popularity. Movie producer David Weisbart would not allow Presleys regular band to play on the soundtrack, the single debuted at #2 on the Best Sellers in Stores pop singles chart, the first time a single made its first appearance at the #2 position. The song hit #1 on the Billboard charts the week ending November 3,1956, remaining in the position for 5 weeks, Love Me Tender also reached number three for three weeks on the R&B chart. It was also an achievement as Love Me Tender succeeded another Presley single and this occurrence marked two important events in Billboard history. This version was ranked #437 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, in 1968, Presley recorded a 52-second track entitled Violet for the soundtrack of the film The Trouble with Girls. Unreleased until after Presleys death, the song was Presleys second adaptation of Aura Lee, the song was also performed in the Golden Globe-winning concert film Elvis on Tour
Love Me Tender (song)
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"Love Me Tender"
Love Me Tender (song)
Love Me Tender (song)
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Ken Darby and Elvis Presley in the studio.
29.
Too Much (Elvis Presley song)
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Too Much is a #1 song recorded in a hit version by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music in 1956. It was written by Bernard Weinman and Lee Rosenberg and it was first recorded in 1954 by Bernard Hardison on Republic Records. Elvis Presley recorded the song in September 1956 and first performed it on January 6,1957 on CBS-TVs The Ed Sullivan Show. Released as a single, Presleys Too Much reached number one on both the Cashbox and Billboard sales charts and went to three on the R&B chart. The single peaked at two on the then-named Top 100 chart, the main Billboard pop chart. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Too Much (Elvis Presley song)
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"Too Much"
30.
All Shook Up
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All Shook Up is a song recorded by Elvis Presley, published by Elvis Presley Music, and composed by Otis Blackwell. The single topped the U. S. Billboard Hot 100 on April 13,1957 and it also topped the Billboard R&B chart for four weeks, becoming Presleys second single to do so, and peaked at No.3 on the country chart. It is certified 2X Platinum by the RIAA and it was ranked #352 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. According to Peter Guralnick the song has a different origin, in his book Last Train To Memphis he wrote that Elvis thought All Shook Up was a good phrase for a refrain. For this he received a credit, his last. Elvis himself, during an interview on October 28,1957, said, I went to bed one night, had quite a dream, and woke up all shook up. I phoned a pal and told him about it, by morning, he had a new song, All Shook Up. Future Last House on the Left actor David Hess, using the stage name David Hill, was the first to record the song and release it a few weeks before Elvis on Aladdin Records, titled Im All Shook Up. Vicki Young recorded a different song with the title, All Shook Up, on Capitol Records with Big Dave and His Orchestra, written by Bill Bellman. On January 12,1957, Presley recorded the song at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, the duet vocal on the record is by the Jordanaires first tenor Gordon Stoker. Take 10 was selected for release, and in March the song entered Billboards Top 100 chart at #25, within three weeks it had knocked Perry Comos Round and Round off the top spot, and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks. The song also became Presleys first No. hit on the UK Singles Chart, sales of the single exceeded two million, and the song was named Billboards Year End number one song for 1957. According to biographer Mark Lewisohn in The Complete Beatles Chronicle, The Beatles regularly performed the song, sadly, there is no known recorded version from that time. However Quarryman Len Garry states that it was one of the songs the group played on July 6,1957, the day John Lennon met Paul McCartney, author Doug Sulpy adds that on Jan. That version of the song remains officially unreleased, in 1999 Paul McCartney cut a hard-rocking version on the album Run Devil Run, while his surviving former bandmates of The Quarrymen recorded it in 2004 on Songs We Remember. In 1991, Billy Joel recorded the song for the movie Honeymoon in Vegas and it was released as a single and peaked at No.92 in the US and No.27 in the UK. Suzi Quatro recorded the song for her solo album Suzi Quatro in 1973. Her recording of the song was released as a single in 1974, Presley invited Quatro to Graceland, commenting that her version was the best since the original
All Shook Up
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"All Shook Up" single
All Shook Up
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"All Shook Up"
31.
(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
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Teddy Bear is a popular song first recorded by Elvis Presley in 1957 for the soundtrack of his second motion picture, Loving You, during which Presley performs the song on screen. It was written by Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe and published in 1957 by Gladys Music, clear melodic roots of this tune can be heard in the many early recordings of Boll Weevil, a traditional blues song. The song was a US number-one hit for Elvis Presley during the summer of 1957, staying at number-one for seven weeks, teddy Bear would also hit number one on the R&B Best Sellers List, becoming his fourth number one on that chart. In addition the song would hit one on the country charts for a single week. Elvis Presley – lead vocal, acoustic guitar Dudley Brooks – piano Bill Black – double bass D. J, fontana – drums The Jordanaires – backing vocals Walter Scharf – producer Thorne Nogar – engineer Pat Boone on his LP Pat Boone Sings Guess Who. Also, during episodes of Full House, the three main adult characters would often sing the song as a lullaby for Michelle Tanner. Disney featured a video in the special DTV Romancin, set entirely to clips featuring the bear characters from the companys animated films
(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
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"(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear"
(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
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Bear manufacturers
32.
Paralyzed (Elvis Presley song)
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Paralyzed is a 1956 song recorded by Elvis Presley for his album Elvis. The song was recorded on September 2,1956, and has well received by modern music critics. The song was written by Otis Blackwell, with Elvis receiving partial song-writing credit, Paralyzed reached #59 on the Billboard pop singles chart in 1956. The song was off of the Elvis album, the song was released as an EP by RCA Victor in the U. S. Elvis Volume 1, RCA EPA-992, which was released on October 19,1956. In the UK, Paralyzed reached no.8 in August,1957 in a 10-week chart run, Elvis Presley performed the song on the 1956 Million Dollar Quartet sessions and live in concert in 1956. A live version is featured on the 5-CD box set The Young Man with the Big Beat, the song also appears on the 1990 BMG collection The Million Dollar Quartet and The Complete Million Dollar Quartet. The song is also on the box set The King of Rock and Roll, the song was also performed on the December 16,1956 Louisiana Hayride. The song was recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California, produced by Steve Sholes, warwick, Neil, Kutner, Jon, Brown, Tony. The Complete Book of the British Charts, Singles & Albums, come Softly, Darling, Hear What I Say, Listening in a State of Distraction—A Tribute to the Work of Walter Benjamin, Elvis Presley, and Robert Christgau. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, ISBN 0-8230-7499-4 Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Paralyzed (Elvis Presley song)
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"Paralyzed" cover
Paralyzed (Elvis Presley song)
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1956 UK sheet music, Aberbach, London.
33.
Jailhouse Rock (song)
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Jailhouse Rock is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that first became a hit for Elvis Presley. The song was released as an RCA Victor 45rpm single on September 24,1957, to coincide with the release of Presleys motion picture, Jailhouse Rock. The song as recorded by Presley is #67 on Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fames 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, it finished at #21 on AFIs 100 Years.100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema, on 27 November 2016, the Grammy Hall of Fame announced its induction, along with that of another 24 songs. The film version differs from the version of the song, featuring backing instrumentation. Some of the named in the song are real people. Shifty Henry was a well-known LA musician, not a criminal, the Purple Gang was a real mob. Sad Sack was a U. S. Army nickname in World War II for a loser, according to Rolling Stone, Leiber and Stollers theme song for Presleys third movie was decidedly silly, the kind of tongue-in-cheek goof they had come up with for The Coasters. The King, however, sang it as straight rock & roll, overlooking the jokes in the lyrics and then introducing Scotty Moores guitar solo with a cry so intense that the take almost collapses. Gender studies scholars cite the song for its famous reference to homoerotics behind bars, while music critic Garry Mulholland writes, Jailhouse Rock was always a queer lyric, douglas Brode writes of the filmed production number that its amazing that the sequence passed by the censors. The single, with its B-side Treat Me Nice was a US #1 hit for seven weeks in the fall of 1957, and it was the first record to enter the UK charts at No.1. In addition, Jailhouse Rock spent one week at the top of the US country charts, and reached the No.2 position on the R&B chart. Also in 1957, Jailhouse Rock was the song in an EP, together with other songs from the film, namely Young and Beautiful, I Want to be Free, Dont Leave Me Now. It topped the Billboard EP charts, eventually selling two million copies and earning a double-platinum RIAA certification. In 2005, the song was re-released in the UK and reached No.1 for a week, when it became the lowest-selling number 1 in UK history. The Beatles regularly performed Jailhouse Rock starting in 1958 and continuing all the way through 1960 with John Lennon on lead vocal, quarryman Len Garry states that the group actually started performing the song in 1957. It is the last song in the motion picture The Blues Brothers, the song is featured in the 1995 film Casper and the 2006 animated television film Leroy & Stitch. American Idol Season 5 contestant Taylor Hicks performed it on May 9,2006, in an episode of Full House, Jesse and Becky sing this song at their wedding reception
Jailhouse Rock (song)
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"Jailhouse Rock"
34.
Wear My Ring Around Your Neck
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Wear My Ring Around Your Neck is a song written by Bert Carroll and Russell Moody, performed by Elvis Presley, which was released in 1958. It was particularly notable for breaking a string of ten consecutive number 1 hits for Presley achieved in just two years and it was Presleys 6th number-one hit in the American R&B Charts, and peaked at number 2 on the American Pop Charts. American country music singer Ricky Van Shelton covered the song for the soundtrack of the 1992 movie Honeymoon in Vegas, sheltons version, also included on his album Greatest Hits Plus, peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Wear My Ring Around Your Neck
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"Wear My Ring Around Your Neck"
35.
Hard Headed Woman
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Hard Headed Woman is a number 1 rock and roll song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Presleys publishing company, in 1958. It is an American 12-bar blues written by African American songwriter Claude Demetrius and it was most notably recorded as a rock and roll song by Presley as part of the soundtrack for his 1958 motion picture King Creole, and was included on the record album of the same name. The song was released as a single in both 78 RPM and 45 RPM formats. In 1958 it went to No.1 on the Billboard charts and it became the first rock and roll single to earn the RIAA designation of Gold Record. The song has also recorded by Wanda Jackson, among others. Cat Stevens recorded a different song of the name, on his album Tea for the Tillerman. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Hard Headed Woman
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"Hard Headed Woman"
36.
King Creole (song)
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King Creole is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The song was and performed by Elvis Presley and recorded in 1958, the song is based on King Creole, a Cajun guitar player from New Orleans who is proficient in all different styles of rock and roll. The song was released as a single in the UK in 1958 and it reached No.2 in the UK Singles Chart. In 2007 the single was re-released and spent one week in the chart at No.15, the song is about a man of Creole descent who is a freelancing street performer in New Orleans. The man in the song, who goes by the nickname of King Creole, is known for his style of guitar playing. It can be inferred from the song that King Creole used a guitar, since the song mentions string bending and rock-and-roll. The song also states that King Creole played from a well-rounded song repertoire, and would light, dark, serious. In 2010, Sony Music released a version of the song in the album Viva Elvis. The song has a rock feel, and a driving drum rhythm
King Creole (song)
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"King Creole"
37.
One Night (song)
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One Night is a song written by Dave Bartholomew, Pearl King, and Anita Steinman. It was an R&B hit for Smiley Lewis in 1956, before being recorded with greater success by Elvis Presley in 1959. The original recording of the song by Smiley Lewis, for Imperial Records, is sometimes titled One Night of Sin, in line with the original lyrics, the single reached No.11 on the Billboard R&B chart in early 1956. Presley recorded a version of the song with its lyrics on January 18,1957. Both Elvis manager and record company had reservations about the suggestive lyrics, Elvis did not give up on the song. Presleys recording credited Anita Steinman as an additional co-writer, with Bartholomew, on February 23,1957, at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles, he showed up with his new lyrics, feeling sure they would meet his labels approval. It was issued as a single in October 1958 and peaked at No.4 on Billboards singles chart, the song was published by Elvis Presley Music. Presleys recording was issued as a double A-side with I Got Stung, One Night, reached number four on the pop singles chart and number ten on the R&B chart. The song became the UKs 1000th number-one single upon its release in January 2005. It was also his last single to be issued on 78 RPM records in the United States, on 12 February 1959, it became the first song to reach No.1 on the Irish Music Charts Top 10, when they were being printed in the Evening Herald. It spent one week at the top spot, rock critic Pete Johnson observed that the song contains a triple negative with the lyrics I aint never did no wrong
One Night (song)
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"One Night"
38.
Stuck on You (Elvis Presley song)
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Stuck on You is Elvis Presleys first hit single after his two-year stint in the US Army. Stuck on You peaked at six on the R&B chart. The song knocked Percy Faiths Theme from A Summer Place from the top spot, the record reached number three in the UK. The song was written by Aaron Schroeder and J. Leslie McFarland and published by Gladys Music, in New Zealand, the single had a special paper sleeve with the usual RCA logo top left and 45 R. P. M. Bottom left and included, in letters, ELVIS top right and bottom left. List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1960 List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1960s Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Stuck on You (Elvis Presley song)
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"Stuck on You"
39.
Surrender (Elvis Presley song)
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Surrender is a #1 song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music in 1961. It is an adaptation by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman of the music of a 1902 Neapolitan ballad by Giambattista and it hit number one in the US and UK in 1961 and eventually became one of the best selling singles of all time. This was one of 25 songs Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman wrote for Presley and it has been recorded by many other artists. Elvis Presley - vocals The Jordanaires - backing vocals Scotty Moore - electric guitar Hank Garland - acoustic guitar Bob Moore - double bass D. J
Surrender (Elvis Presley song)
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"Surrender"
40.
I Feel So Bad
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I Feel So Bad is a song written and originally recorded by Chuck Willis in 1953. A version of the song was recorded by Elvis Presley on March 12,1961 in RCA Studio B, in Nashville, Presley recorded a version of the song following the arrangements by Willis and his singing style. Presleys version reached No.5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1961, the song, which was released on a double A-side single in the UK, reached No.4 on the UK singles chart, also in 1961. The band Cactus recorded it on their 1971 Atco release One Way. or Another, lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
I Feel So Bad
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"I Feel So Bad"
41.
Little Sister (Pomus/Shuman song)
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Little Sister is a rock and roll song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. It was originally released as a single in 1961 by American singer Elvis Presley, the single also reached No.1 in the UK Singles Chart. Lead guitar was played by Hank Garland, with backing vocals by the Jordanaires featuring the bass voice of Ray Walker. Presley performs the song as part of a medley with Get Back in the 1970 rockumentary film Elvis, the song would later be covered by such artists as Dwight Yoakam, Robert Plant, The Nighthawks, The Staggers, Pearl Jam, Ry Cooder and Jesse and the Rippers. The song lyric makes mention of Jim Dandy which was the title of a 1956 song Jim Dandy by LaVern Baker. An answer song to Little Sister, with the melody but different lyrics, was recorded and released under the title Hey. Recorded in RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee, June 25,1961, christian parody band ApologetiX recorded a parody of the song, called Little Esther, for their 1993 debut album Isnt Wasnt Aint. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Little Sister (Pomus/Shuman song)
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"Little Sister"
Little Sister (Pomus/Shuman song)
42.
Rock-A-Hula Baby
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Rock-A-Hula Baby is a song performed by Elvis Presley for the 1961 movie Blue Hawaii. Written by Ben Weisman, Fred Wise, and Dolores Fuller, it is a mix of Hawaiian folk and rock. It was the first song published by Fuller, who would eventually co-write a dozen songs for Presley. A double A-sided release with Cant Help Falling in Love, it peaked at No.1 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1962, the song has appeared on several compilation albums due to its chart success. The title song of the 1992 movie Rock-a-Doodle parodied Rock-A-Hula Baby
Rock-A-Hula Baby
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"Rock-A-Hula Baby"
43.
Good Luck Charm
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Good luck charm is a charm that is believed to bring good luck. An example of this is a blessing that a minister or a priest gives at the end of a ceremony, later on, people assumed that spoken words were temporary whereas a solid object is more permanent. Objects that have extraordinary significance such as the believed to be from the cross of Jesus Christ were substituted for the original spoken or sung charms. Almost any object can be used as a charm, coins and buttons are good examples. Little things that are given to you very good lucky charms. It is because of the associations they make. Many souvenir shops have a range of items that may be used as good luck charms. Good luck charms are usually worn on the body there are exceptions. The “lucky rabbit charm” was passed on and incorporated into American culture by African slaves that were brought to the Americas, the lucky bag or the “Mojo” is another borrowed idea from African culture. It is used in ceremonies to carry several lucky objects or spells. The concept is that objects placed in the bag and charged will create a supernatural effect for the bearer. Even today, mojo bags are still used, europe also contributed to the concept of lucky charms. Adherents of St. Patrick, adopted the Four leaf clover as a symbol of Irish luck because clovers are abundant in the hills of Ireland, a four-leaf clover was consistently believed to be a lucky charm. This very old Irish verse describes why, One leaf is for fame, And one leaf is for wealth, And one is for a lover, And one to bring you glorious health
Good Luck Charm
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Four leaf clover
44.
Return to Sender (song)
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Return to Sender is a 1962 hit single recorded by American singer Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music. The song was written by Winfield Scott and Otis Blackwell, recorded on March 27,1962, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, it is about a man mailing a letter to his girlfriend after an argument. She continually writes return to sender and he keeps receiving the letter with various reasons for returning to sender, including address unknown and he keeps mailing letters, refusing to believe the relationship is over. Presley performed Return to Sender in the film Girls, featuring Presleys longtime cohorts Barney Kessel on electric guitar, Tiny Timbrell on acoustic guitar, Ray Siegal on double bass, D. J. Another saxophonist, Bobby Keys, claimed he performed the solo at the instigation of pianist Glen D. Hardin, in his 2012 memoir Every Nights A Saturday Night, however, Hardin did not meet Presley until February 1970, when he joined his touring band. In addition, his claim is not supported by RCA, Ernst Jorgensen, the song peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and was even the UK Christmas number one of 1962. It also reached #2 on the American Billboard singles chart, but reached number 1 on the rival Cash Box, Return to Sender also went to #5 on the R&B charts. It was the first Christmas number one in Ireland, as the Irish Charts had been founded in October 1962, the single was certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of one million units in the US. Gerri Granger later recorded a song, Dont Want Your Letters. The song was arranged and conducted by Bert Keyes and it was released on the single Big Top 45-3128. The phrase no such zone in the song refers to U. S. postal zones, a postal zone was a one- or two-digit number written between the city and state, whereas a ZIP Code is a five- or nine-digit number written after the state. On January 8,1993, the U. S. Postal Service issued a postage stamp honoring Presley. Lyrics Elvis Presley Studio Recording Sessions, March 27,1962
Return to Sender (song)
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"Return to Sender"
45.
One Broken Heart for Sale
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It Happened at the Worlds Fair is the seventeenth album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP2697, in April 1963. It is the soundtrack to the 1963 film of the same name starring Presley, recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on August 30 and September 22,1962. It peaked at four on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. Initially booked for August 28 and 29, sessions were delayed as Presley had taken ill, One Broken Heart for Sale and They Remind Me Too Much of You would be released ahead of time on January 29 as a single to promote both the album and the film. Broken Heart just missed the top ten, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, originally a deluxe - priced gatefold sleeve album was planned, but with 20 minutes of music and the relative failure of One Broken Heart For Sale the idea was abandoned. In 2003 It Happened at the Worlds Fair was reissued on the Follow That Dream edition that contained the album along with numerous alternate takes
One Broken Heart for Sale
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It Happened at the World's Fair
46.
Viva Las Vegas (song)
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Although Presley never sang the song live, it has since become widely known and often performed by others. The RIAA, on their part, credits the song as having sold 500,000 copies in the United States alone, as per their Gold Award certification, issued on March 27,1992. Released as the b-side of the Whatd I Say single from the film, Viva Las Vegas charted separately from its A-side. The Elvis version of Whatd I Say peaked at #21, the two sides having equivalent appeal in the marketplace, Viva Las Vegas reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart, improving to #15 after a reissue in 2007. In the years since its first release, the song has one of Presleys most recognized numbers. The song is featured in Looney Tunes, Back in Action where Bugs Bunny sings the song, punk band Dead Kennedys recorded a version of Viva Las Vegas on their debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. The song had been a part of their live set almost since the bands inception and their version strips the musical arrangement down to guitar, bass and drums, and uses a slightly faster tempo, yet maintains the songs melodic structure. It also features satirical lyric changes by lead singer Jello Biafra in the second and third verses, referencing a gambler using speed and this version can also be found in Terry Gilliams film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompsons Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Nina Hagen recorded a version of Viva Las Vegas on her album Nina Hagen, ZZ Top recorded a version of Viva Las Vegas as one of two new tracks on their Greatest Hits album. The Killers, who are from Las Vegas, often perform the song live, Polish street punk, Oi. band The Analogs covered the song in Polish, without changing its name. The bluegrass act The Grascals did a version of the song on their debut album and those Darn Accordions recorded an all-accordion instrumental version on their album Vongole Fisarmonica. Chilean punk band Fiskales Ad-Hok covered the song in Spanish, changing its name to Viva Santiago, the song is featured in the film The Big Lebowski. Shawn Colvin performs it as a folk ballad during the closing credits, a rock version in the film is credited to a band called Big Johnson, and is styled after the ZZ Top version. The Colvin version was recorded originally for the Rhino/Forward release, Til the Night is Gone, the Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas is a reference to the song. The Scooby-Doo movie Scooby-Doo. and the Monster of Mexico featured a variation of the song entitled Viva Mexico, done in a Latin beat. The song is a part of Bruce Springsteens live act, and was included in The Last Temptation of Elvis, an album of renditions by singers. Springsteens studio version of Viva Las Vegas was also included in the soundtrack of the film Honeymoon in Vegas, the Thrills performed Viva Las Vegas with James Burton at Elvis induction to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. The song was recorded live and later released as a B-side to The Irish Keep Gate-crashing, the Dread Zeppelin version of Viva Las Vegas was used as the theme to the Travel Channel reality series American Casino
Viva Las Vegas (song)
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"Viva Las Vegas"
47.
Blue Christmas (song)
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Blue Christmas is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson and most famously performed by Elvis Presley. It is a tale of unrequited love during the holidays and is a staple of Christmas music. Both Morgans and Winterhalters versions featured a shorter pop edit of the original lyrics, Elvis Presley cemented the status of Blue Christmas as a rock-and-roll holiday classic by recording it for his 1957 LP Elvis Christmas Album. In addition to contributing to the tone of the song. Presleys original 1957 version was released as a commercially available single for the first time in 1964 and this single was also a hit in the United Kingdom, reaching No.11 on the British singles chart during the week of 26 December 1964. A track on The Beach Boys Christmas Album, the Beach Boys version reached No.3 on the US Christmas charts, but did not chart in the UK. Following the success of Presleys version, the song has been recorded by a host of rock and country artists,1960, The Browns version peaked at No.97 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1960. 2016, The Lumineers did a cover,2016, Black Stone Cherry did a cover
Blue Christmas (song)
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"Blue Christmas"
48.
Crying in the Chapel
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Crying in the Chapel is a song written by Artie Glenn for his son Darrell to sing. Darrell recorded it while still in school in 1953, along with Arties band the Rhythm Riders. The song was rejected by Hill and Range Songs and Acuff-Rose Music, the song was eventually published by Valley Publishers which also released the single featuring Darrell Glenn. It became a hit and then it went nationwide. The original version of the song was issued in May 1953, the song became one of the most covered of 1953. Darrell Glenns original recording reached number one on the Cash Box charts, a recording by June Valli with orchestra directed by Joe Reisman was made in New York City on June 11,1953. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog umber 20-5368 and by EMI on the His Masters Voice label as catalog numbers HR10007, N14105 and CS14. This was the most successful pop version on the Billboard charts, on October 30,1960, Elvis Presley recorded a version of the song during the sessions for his RCA Records gospel album, His Hand in Mine. The single reached number one on the British charts in 1965 where it stayed for two weeks and it was later included as a bonus track on Presleys 1967 gospel album, How Great Thou Art. The single was eventually certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of one million units in the US, a vinyl single was also released by JAD in 2002. They feature a duet between Bob Marley and Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie in medley style. This duet version single hit number one in the UK Echoes magazine in April 1998, a dub version entitled War/Selassie in Dub was released on the flip side. A later Jamaican DJ version by Joseph Cotton entitled Conflicts was released on the Rastafari label in 2009, more than 50 artists have released a version of Crying in the Chapel. The black R&B group, The Orioles, recorded a version of the song which became a major success in 1953. The Orioles version went to one on the R&B chart. It was included on the album for the film American Graffiti. Arne Alm wrote the Swedish lyrics, raya Avellan and Yngve Stoors Hawaiiorkester recorded Klockorna i dalen in Stockholm on October 10,1953. The song was released on the 78 rpm record Cupol 4780, ken Griffin recorded a version in 1953
Crying in the Chapel
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1953 sheet music cover featuring Darrell Glenn on the cover, Valley Publishers, Inc., New York.
