Elvis Presley certainly wasn’t the inventor of rock and roll, and his relationship with the Black musicians he copied during the 1950’s was a complicated one that ran the gamut of personal opinion at the time, but he was undoubtedly America’s first rock and roll star, a landmark in pop culture and one of the greatest global stars in the 20th Century. If you had a Mount Rushmore of pop culture impact on the history of rock and those who were responsible for bringing it to the masses in the the United States, Elvis’ face would be etched in stone before you even came to a consensus on who would round out #2-4.
His debut album Elvis Presley was a watershed moment in rock history, bringing rock and roll to America and setting the country on fire. With his unique blend of energy, sex appeal, and vocal talents, Elvis’ debut album became the first rock and roll album in history to hit #1 on the Billboard charts, selling over a million units in 1956 alone and kickstarting a career that would set the world on fire and see him earn him post-humous inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), Country Music Hall of Fame (1998), Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2001), Rockabilly Hall of Fame (2007), and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame (2012) following his untimely death in 1977 at the age of 42 in Memphis, Tennessee. 45 years after his death his mansion in Graceland is still one of the most visited historical landmarks in the country, which is quite the accomplishment considering the tail-end of his career was fraught with personal and professional issues. But in 1956 there was one King to rule them all, a handsome brash 21-year old from Tupelo, Mississippi who sang like a hound dog and had all the style in the world to back it up.
Standout Songs: “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Tutti Frutti”, “I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’)”
Matthew. 