The Mendocino Beacon

THE KING OF ROCK ’N’ ROLL

Today is Elvis Presley’s birthday. The music legend would have been 88. Here’s a look at some of his chart achievemen­ts.

- By KURT SNIBBE | Southern California News Group

Elvis accomplish­ed a lot in the vinyl era. He has had over 150 albums and singles certified gold, platinum and multiplati­num. He still holds the record for most Top 40 hits at 114.

One of his most impressive feats is the seven-year streak he put together on the singles chart after signing with RCA in 1955. His first 24 RCA standard single releases reached the Top 5 on Billboard's singles chart. No other recording act during the vinyl era even approached that record.

The list of the 24 hit singles below was compiled by Alan Hanson, an Elvis historian who is the author of the Elvis History Blog.

1. “Heartbreak Hotel” — It took two months to get there, but “Heartbreak Hotel” reached No. 1 on May 5, 1956. It stayed at the top of the chart for seven weeks and was in the Top 5 for 11 weeks. Still, critics were convinced he was a flash in the pan.

2. “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You”

— It didn't have the firepower of its predecesso­r, but Elvis' follow-up to “Heartbreak Hotel” was still able to reach No. 3 on July 28, 1956.

3. “Hound Dog” / “Don’t Be Cruel” — Elvis' biggest two-sided hit. “Hound Dog” reached No. 2 on Sept. 1, 1956. A week later “Don't Be Cruel” jumped over it into the No. 1 spot. “Don't Be Cruel” stayed at the top of the chart for seven weeks.

4. “Love Me Tender” — On Nov. 17, 1956, “Love Me Tender” reached No. 1 in only its fifth week on the chart. It sat atop the Top 100 for three weeks. It also spent five weeks at No. 2.

5. “Too Much” — Elvis' first 1957 single, “Too Much” settled at No. 2 on March 2. It remained there for four weeks, unable to knock Tab Hunter's horrid version of “Young Love” out of the top spot.

6. “All Shook Up” — It only took three weeks for “All Shook Up” to reach No. 1, on April 20, 1957. There it stayed for eight weeks, the longest run at No. 1 for any Presley single. It spent 30 weeks on the chart, another personal best.

7. “Teddy Bear” — After reaching the Top 5 in only its second week on the chart, “Teddy Bear” started a seven-week run at No. 1 on July 1, 1957. It had the best chart run of any Presley soundtrack single.

8. “Jailhouse Rock”

The last of Elvis' 1957 trio of blockbuste­r hits, “Jailhouse Rock” zoomed to the top of the chart Nov. 4, 1957. It spent 10 weeks in the Top 5, with six of those at No. 1.

9. “Don’t” — When it reached the top on March 10, 1958, “Don't” became Presley's fourth straight No. 1 single. Two weeks later he dropped out of sight when he was drafted into the Army.

10. “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck”

— The first single release during the Army years, “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” peaked at No. 3 on May 19, 1958. It spent six weeks in the Top 5.

11. “Hard Headed Woman” — This single from the soundtrack of “King Creole” was on the chart when Billboard transition­ed from the Top 100 to the Hot 100 in 1958. On July 21 it peaked at No. 2.

12. “One Night” — This single made it clear that Elvis could still reach the Top 5 despite being overseas and out of sight. “One Night” spent six weeks in the Top 5, peaking at No. 4 on Dec. 15, 1958. Its flip side, “I Got Stung,” was also a Top 10 hit.

13. “A Fool Such As I” / “I Need Your Love Tonight”

— This was the second of three Elvis singles with both sides charting in the Top 5. “A Fool Such As I” reached No. 2 on April 27, 1959, after “I Need Your Love Tonight” had peaked at No. 4 a week earlier.

14. “A Big Hunk O’ Love” — The last single of Elvis' Army years, “A Big Hunk O' Love” topped the chart for two weeks beginning Aug. 10, 1959. It started what would be a streak of five consecutiv­e No. 1 singles for Elvis.

15. “Stuck on You” — Elvis' last real rock 'n' roll single for a while spent four weeks at No. 1 starting April 25, 1960. “Stuck on You” spent three more weeks at No. 2 after The Everly Brothers' “Cathy's Clown” took over the top spot.

16. “It’s Now or Never”

Elvis transition­ed into mainstream pop music successful­ly when “It's Now or Never” began a five-week run at No. 1 on Aug. 15, 1960. At age 25, Presley thereafter would dabble in rock 'n' roll only occasional­ly on single releases.

17. “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” — The last real blockbuste­r hit of Presley's career, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” sat atop the Hot 100 for six weeks beginning Nov. 28, 1960. Among Elvis' ballad singles, only “Love Me Tender” spent more weeks in the Top 5.

18. “Surrender” — The last of Presley's five straight No. 1s, “Surrender” took over the top spot March 20, 1961. Ironically, with only 12 total weeks on the Hot 100, it exited the chart faster than any other Elvis single to that point.

19. “I Feel So Bad” — This one nearly ended Elvis' consecutiv­e string of Top 5 singles. On June 5, 1961, it got to No. 5 for just one week before quickly fading off the Hot 100 after just nine weeks on the chart.

20. “Little Sister” / “His Latest Flame” — Charging up to No. 4 on Sept. 18, 1961, “His Latest Flame” then quickly retreated down the chart. When “Little Sister” peaked at No. 5 on Oct. 2, the single became the third and final one of Elvis' career to have both sides reach the Top 5.

21. “Can’t Help Falling in Love”—

Elvis' last Top 5 ballad, “Can't Help Falling In Love” rose to the No. 2 spot on Feb. 3, 1962. It spent a total of six weeks in the Top 5 and became one of Presley's signature songs.

22. “Good Luck Charm” — When it reached No. 1 on April 21, 1962, no one could have guessed that it would be seven years before Elvis would have another chart topper. “Good Luck Charm” spent two weeks at No. 1 and a total of six weeks in the Top 5.

23. “She’s Not You” — One side of Elvis' weakest single to this point, “She's Not You” still managed to reach No. 5 Sept. 8, 1962. That was its only week in the Top 5.

24. “Return to Sender” — One of Elvis' most recognizab­le songs, “Return to Sender” should have topped the chart, but it just couldn't knock The Four Seasons' “Big Girls Don't Cry” off its perch at No. 1. Beginning Nov. 17, 1962, “Return to Sender” spent five straight weeks at No. 2.

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Elvis has been inducted into five halls of fame: rock ‘n' roll, country, gospel, rockabilly and R&B.
In 1957 at age 22, Elvis paid $102,500 for Graceland, the Memphis mansion that served as his home base for two decades.
Elvis only performed in three cities outside the U.S. – Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto, Canada. Elvis has been inducted into five halls of fame: rock ‘n' roll, country, gospel, rockabilly and R&B. In 1957 at age 22, Elvis paid $102,500 for Graceland, the Memphis mansion that served as his home base for two decades.
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Elvis died in 1977 at Graceland at age 42.
Elvis is the only musician to be honored with two U.S. Postal Service commemorat­ive stamps (1993 and 2015). The 1993 stamp is still the most popular U.S. commemorat­ive of all time.
“Elvis – Aloha from Hawaii” was seen in 40 countries by more people than watched man's first walk on the moon. Elvis died in 1977 at Graceland at age 42. Elvis is the only musician to be honored with two U.S. Postal Service commemorat­ive stamps (1993 and 2015). The 1993 stamp is still the most popular U.S. commemorat­ive of all time.
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Elvis won three Grammy Awards during this lifetime, all for gospel music.
Elvis eventually starred in 31 films. Elvis won three Grammy Awards during this lifetime, all for gospel music.
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Elvis got his first guitar as a gift at age 11.
Elvis had a twin. On Jan. 8, 1935, Elvis was born at his parents' two-room house in Tupelo, Mississipp­i, about 35 minutes after his identical twin brother, Jesse Garon, who was stillborn. Elvis got his first guitar as a gift at age 11.
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