Elvis Presley: The Top 100 Songs

First posted 8/18/2012; updated 1/5/2020.

Elvis Presley image from goldderby.com

Singer Elvis Aron Presley was born 1/8/1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. He died in Memphis on 8/16/77 of heart failure caused by prescription drug abuse. Often called “The King of Rock and Roll,” his role as the pioneering artist of the genre made him the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. His family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when he was 13. He began his recording career there in 1954 at Sun Records. On 11/22/55, he signed to RCA Victor in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who managed Elvis for more than two decades. In 1956, he starred in Love Me Tender, his first of 31 feature films. He served in the U.S. Army from 3/24/58 to 3/5/60. He married Priscilla Beaulieu on 5/1/67; divorced on 10/11/73. Their only child, Lisa Marie (born 2/1/68), married Michael Jackson on 5/26/94; divorced in 1996. Six of his songs (“Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Suspicious Minds,” and “It’s Now or Never”) are featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era, 1954-1999. His Sun Sessions collection is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of All Time.

Awards:

Top 100 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs which hit #1 on various charts are noted. (Click for codes to singles charts.) DMDB Top 1%: 1. Don’t Be Cruel (1956) #1 US, CW, RB 2. Heartbreak Hotel (1956) #1 US, CW 3. Hound Dog (1956) #1 US, RW 4. Jailhouse Rock (1957) #1 US, CW, RB, UK 5. Suspicious Minds (1969) #1 US 6. Love Me Tender (1956) #1 US 7. All Shook Up (1957) #1 US, CW, RB, UK 8. It’s Now or Never (1960) #1 US, UK 9. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (1960) #1 US, UK 10. That’s All Right (1954) 11. Can’t Help Falling in Love (1961) #1 AC, UK 12. Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear (1957) #1 CW, RB DMDB Top 5%: 13. Mystery Train (1955) 14. In the Ghetto (1969) 15. Return to Sender (1962) #1 UK 16. Stuck on You (1960) #1 US 17. Now and Then There’s a Fool Such As I (1958) #1 UK 18. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (1956) #1 US, CW 19. Surrender (1960) #1 US, UK 20. Burning Love (1972) 21. Good Luck Charm (1961) #1 US, UK 22. Don’t (1957) #1 US 23. The Wonder of You (1970) #1 AC, UK 24. Too Much (1956) #1 US 25. Blue Moon (1954) 26. Blue Suede Shoes (1956) 27. A Little Less Conversation (JXL remix, 2002) #1 UK 28. One Night (1957) #1 UK 29. Crying in the Chapel (1960) #1 AC, UK 30. Kentucky Rain (1969) DMDB Top 10%: 31. Hard Headed Woman (1958) #1 US 32. Any Way You Want Me (1956) 33. My Way (live, 1973) 34. You’re the Devil in Disguise (1963) #1 UK 35. A Big Hunk O’ Love (1958) #1 US 36. Wooden Heart (1960) #1 UK 37. Marie’s the Name His Latest Flame (1961) #1 UK 38. Wear My Ring Around Your Neck (1958) #1 RB 39. Little Sister (1961) #1 UK 40. Way Down (1976) #1 CW, UK 41. I Need Your Love Tonight (1958) 42. Viva Las Vegas (1963) 43. Always on My Mind (1972) 44. She’s Not You (1962) #1 UK 45. Blue Christmas (1957) 46. You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me (1970) #1 AC 47. My Boy (1974) #1 AC DMDB Top 20%: 48. Rock-A-Hula Baby (1961) #1 UK 49. Ain’t That Loving you Baby (1958) 50. Don’t Cry Daddy (1969) 51. Hurt (1976) 52. Frankie and Johnny (1965) 53. T-R-O-U-B-L-E (1975) 54. Moody Blue (1976) #1 CW 55. I Got Stung (1958) #1 UK 56. I Beg of You (1957) 57. Guitar Man (1967) #1 CW 58. Promised Land (1973) 59. Doncha Think It’s Time (1958) 60. Blue Moon of Kentucky (1954) 61. You’ll Never Walk Alone (1967) 62. Bossa Nova Baby (1963) 63. Love Letters (1966) 64. Follow That Dream (1962) 65. I’m Yours (1961) #1 AC 66. I’ve Lost You (1970) 67. One Broken Heart for Sale (1963) 68. I Feel So Bad (1961) 69. Blue River (1963) 70. If I Can Dream (live, 1968) 71. I Really Don’t Want to Know (1970) 72. Tell Me Why (1957) 73. Loving You (1957) 74. Puppet on a String (1965) 75. Love Me (1956) 76. Clean Up Your Own Back Yard (1968) 77. Playing for Keeps (1957) 78. I Was the One (1956) 79. U.S. Male (1968) 80. Treat Me Nice (1957) 81. I Just Can’t Help Believin’ (live, 1970) 82. Separate Ways (1972) 83. Such an Easy Question (1962) #1 AC 84. Baby Let’s Play House (1955) 85. What’d I Say (1963) 86. Wild in the Country (1961) 87. My Wish Came True (1957) 88. Such a Night (1960) 89. I Forgot to Remember to Forget (1955) #1 CW 90. If You Talk in Your Sleep (1974) 91. Until It’s Time for You to Go (1971) 92. Kissin’ Cousins (1964) 93. Memories (live, 1968) 94. Unchained Melody (1977) Not in DMDB Top 20%: 95. I’m Leavin’ (1971) 96. An American Trilogy (1972) 97. I’ve Got a Thing About You Baby (1974) 98. All That I Am (1966) 99. Do the Clam (1965) 100. Good Rockin’ Tonight (1954) Resources and Related Links: Elvis Presley’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry

Today in Music (1969): Elvis Presley hit #1 with “Suspicious Minds”

Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley

Writer(s): Mark James (see lyrics here) Released: August 26, 1969 First Charted: September 13, 1969 Peak: 11 BB, 12 CB, 12 GR, 12 HR, 4 AC, 6 CL, 2 UK, 12 CN, 13 AU, 5 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, -- UK, 7.0 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 5.0 radio, 318.70 video, 553.05 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The BBC called this song “the last great moment in the career of Elvis Presley” BBC while a 2002 readers poll in New Musical Express made the even bolder proclamation that it was the best song of Elvis’ career. TB In 1969, the crown of the King of Rock and Roll had greatly tarnished thanks to a decade’s worth of poor choices both in song and film. TC “Suspicious Minds” was more than just a symbolic return to the top – it also marked his first #1 on the U.S. pop charts in seven years. This song emerged in the first recording sessions after Elvis’ NBC television special on December 3, 1968, which was largely seen as his comeback. FB The sessions brought him back to his Memphis roots DJ where he hadn’t recorded since his Sun sessions in July 1955. FB His renewed zest is evident in his vibrant singing backed by a “Stax-like chorus alternating with the slow-burning verses” BBC which find Elvis begging a lover not to derail their relationship with distrust. The song also sports the famous fake-out ending in which the song has nearly faded out, only to see Elvis jump back in to spit out the chorus repeatedly. BBC Memphis singer Mark James wrote the song and recorded a version, but it went nowhere. Chips Moman, a soul producer in Memphis, SF produced the original and brought it to Elvis in 1969. SF As had typically been the case in the past, Elvis’ manager Colonel Parker demanded that the song’s copyright owner hand over part of the publishing royalties. BBC However, Elvis weighed in with better judgment when his love of the song trumped The Colonel’s love of money. BBC Resources: BBC BBC Radio 2 (2004). “Sold on Song Top 100” FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 260. TC Toby Creswell (2005). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time. Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York, NY. Page 52. DJ David Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Page 185. SF Songfacts TB Thunder Bay Press (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Outline Press Ltd.: San Diego, CA. Page 116. Related Links: First posted 9/13/2009; last updated 5/14/2025.