Elvis’ 30 No. 1 hits

The first part of the album blurb by Elvis Presley biographer Peter Guralnick says it all: "Just in case there is any lingering doubt, one listen to this album should forever put to rest the question of Elvis’ musical significance, cultural impact and artistic achievement. From Heartbreak Hotel to Suspicious Minds, from Hound Dog to Crying in the Chapel, Elvis’ #1 Hits display a multitude of moods, a variety of styles and an emotional range that defeat any attempt at typecasting or musical categorization.

"Who do you sound like? Elvis was asked when he first entered the Sun recording studio at the age of 18. ‘I don’t sound like nobody,’ he replied. And in response to the inevitable follow-up question as to what kind of music he sang, he simply responded, ‘I sing all kinds.’" And all kinds of music then is what Elvis 30 #1 Hits contains.

I have lost count as to the number of albums released since Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977. Every recording he ever made from the Sun sessions as a teenager up to his death at the age of 42 have been compiled, recompiled, repackaged and what else just to keep meeting the constant demand for Elvis materials. The situation sometimes reaches ridiculous proportions because while it is obvious that most of the songs can be found in several other albums people continue buying them. So come Jan. 6, Elvis’ birthday and Aug. 16, his death, you can bet that there will be a "new" album by Elvis displayed and selling in the shops every year.

Since it has been 25 years since he died, it was deemed apt by the caretakers of Presley’s memory to make 2002 memorable with the release of a truly special compilation. That was how Elvis 30 #1 Hits was born. The album is made up of 30 Elvis songs that made number one in the hit charts of the UK and the US of A, including one that reached the top only last July A Little Less Conversation.

That means that a quarter of a century after his death the King of rock and roll is still able to sell lots of records and to dominate the charts. It also means that those people who have been worried that they have already ran out of ideas and that the market is already saturated with Elvis compilations, can now drool over the endless possibilities that remixing the old recordings offered that was opened by this new hit.

A Little Less Conversation comes from the soundtrack of an obscure Presley film titled Live a Little, Love a Little. It was also later used in the 1968 TV Special Comeback. The new dance version was remixed and techno-spiced by DJ Junkie XL for the 2002 Secret Tournament advertising campaign. Surprisingly, although I should say, not really because Elvis is at the helm, the song shot to the top of the UK charts upon release and other parts of the world soon followed suit.

As a bonus cut A Little Less Conversation brings 30 #1 Hits up to 31. This is a clever marketing ploy because while the other songs have been readily available for many years, there is a new track that every Presley fan will not want to miss out on. But Presley fan or not, anybody who loves music should not be without this Elvis collection. I miss my personal favorites like Memories, You were Always on My Mind and There’s Always Me but it has others I will not mind listening to again. Aside from that each song is introduced by Guralnick with a bit of trivia about how it was recorded.

And those 30 #1 hits by Elvis Presley are: Heartbreak Hotel, Don’t Be Cruel, Hound Dog, Love Me Tender, Too Much, All Shook Up, (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, Jailhouse Rock, Don’t, Hard-Headed Woman, One Night, (Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I, A Big Hunk o’ Love, Stuck on You, It’s Now or Never, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Wooden Heart, Surrender, (Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame, Can’t Help Falling in Love, Good Luck Charm, She’s Not You, Return to Sender, (You’re the) Devil in Disguise, Crying in the Chapel, In the Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, The Wonder of You, Burning Love and Way Down.