Elvis Presley singles discography: History and Key Facts

The singles discography of Elvis Presley began in 1954 with the release of his first commercial single, "That's All Right". Following his regional success with Sun Records, Presley was signed to RCA Victor on November 20, 1955. Presley's first single with RCA, "Heartbreak Hotel", was a worldwide hit, reaching the No. 1 position in four countries and the top 10 in many other countries. Other hit singles from the 1950s include "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You", "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog", "Love Me Tender", "Too Much", "All Shook Up", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "Jailhouse Rock", "Don't", "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck", "Hard Headed Woman", "I Got Stung", "One Night", "I Need Your Love Tonight", "(Now & Then There's) A Fool Such as I", and "A Big Hunk o' Love". On March 24, 1958, Presley entered the United States Army at Memphis, Tennessee, and was stationed in Germany. He left active duty on March 5, 1960.

Following his return to civilian life, Presley released his first new single, "Stuck on You", which was a No. 1 hit in the United States and reached the top 10 in ten other countries around the world. The follow-up single, "It's Now or Never", was another worldwide hit, peaking no lower than No. 2 in 13 countries. 1960 and 1961 saw the release of two more U.S. No. 1 hits, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "Surrender". Beginning in late 1961 the majority of Presley's singles were released to promote his films and their associated soundtrack albums. Non-movie songs were regularly coupled with movie songs during this period. In one instance, the movie Tickle Me, all songs were actually from older non movie albums. Hit singles from this period include "Wooden Heart", "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame", "Little Sister", "Can't Help Falling in Love", "Good Luck Charm", "She's Not You", "Return to Sender", "(You're the) Devil in Disguise", and "Crying in the Chapel". As Presley's success with singles from his movie soundtracks began to diminish in the late 1960s, he released "If I Can Dream", from his 1968 NBC-TV special, Elvis. The success of the song and television special brought about a resurgence of interest in Presley and his recordings, bringing him two top 10 hits in 1969, "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds".

In the 1970s, Presley's chart success began to diminish. He had only three U.S. Billboard top 10 singles during the decade, "Don't Cry Daddy", a live recording of "The Wonder of You" and "Burning Love". He did place multiple songs in the top 10 of the Easy Listening and Country Music charts, including several reaching number 1. Other top 40 hits from the 1970s include "Kentucky Rain", "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", "Separate Ways", "Steamroller Blues", "My Boy", "Hurt", "Moody Blue" and "Way Down".

Following Presley's death on August 16, 1977, new posthumous singles have been released in addition to many of his original singles being reissued around the world. The first single to be issued following Presley's death was a live recording of "My Way", taken from the soundtrack of his final television special, Elvis in Concert. In 1978 another live recording was issued as a single, "Unchained Melody". In 2002, a remix of "A Little Less Conversation" by DJ Junkie XL was released to promote the compilation album ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits. It was a worldwide hit and returned Presley to the top 10 in many countries around the world. In 2003, a remix of "Rubberneckin' by DJ Paul Oakenfold was released to promote the compilation album ELVIS: 2nd to None. It reached the top 10 in a few countries but overall was not as successful as its predecessor.

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