Whether or not you believe Elvis Presley is “The King” or not, as his nickname says, what is clear is that the Tupelo, Mississippi-born performer helped to popularize rock and roll music with the mainstream masses. Shaking his hips, curling his lip, Elvis and his jet-black hair made fans go wild and to this day people are still impersonating him and his style.
Throughout the course of his career, Elvis released some of the most popular songs in rock and roll music history. Tracks that continue to get plenty of airplay on radio and home stereos. Here below, we wanted to explore a trio of those that continue to stand the test of time. Indeed, these are three eternal Elvis Presley rock songs.
Videos by American Songwriter
[RELATED: On This Day: Fans Hear Elvis for the First Time on Radio With “That’s All Right” in 1954]
“Jailhouse Rock” from Jailhouse Rock (1957)
Elvis Presley, if nothing else, was a spectacle. His good looks, dancing ability, voice that could go deep or growl, and his charm made him a global phenomenon. But Elvis brought a great number of hit songs to the forefront, too, including this 1957 song about rocking in a prison. On the track, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, he sings,
The warden threw a party in the county jail
The prison band was there and they began to wail
The band was jumpin’ and the joint began to swing
You should’ve heard those knocked out jailbirds sing
Let’s rock
Everybody, let’s rock
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock
“Hound Dog” (1956)
If there was any doubt about Elvis Presley’s charm and magnetism, this video and performance here below can put all that to rest. Released originally as a standalone single, this track came to Elvis after it was written for and performed by Big Mama Thornton there years prior. But Elvis with his mainstream allure turned it into a No. 1 hit. With few lyrics, the track depends on his supreme joie de vivre and, with overflowing energy, Elvis delivers. On the song, he sings,
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
Cryin’ all the time
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
Cryin’ all the time
Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit
And you ain’t no friend of mine
“All Shook Up” from (1957)
Another song originally released as a standalone single, this also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song is a bit more downtempo compared to the other three on this list, a bit more Buddy Holly than Buddy Guy. Still, though, Elvis carries the track thanks to his brushed leather voice and his charisma. On the song, which is all about feeling energized by love, Elvis sings,
Well, please, don’t ask me what’s upon my mind
I’m a little mixed up, but I feel fine
When I’m near the girl that I love best
My heart beats, so it scares me to death
When she touched my hand, what a chill I got
Her lips are like a volcano that’s hot
I’m proud to say that she’s my buttercup
I’m in love
I’m all shook up
Hmm, ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah
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Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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