Baz Luhrmann‘s Elvis Presley biopic — appropriately titled “Elvis” — opens on June 24. In honor of the upcoming release, check out our countdown of his best songs of all time by clicking above. Forget about what we think for a second, though. Which Elvis song is your favorite? Scroll down to our poll at the bottom of this post, and let us know your choice for Elvis’ best song. Also make sure to discuss your reasons in the comments below.
Presley was one of the most significant musical icons of the 20th century. He helped popularize rock and roll, sparked controversy with provocative dance moves that made him one of the century’s most famous sex symbols, and sold millions of records … a lot of millions of records. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, he sold more than 500 million, more than any other solo artist in history. Not surprisingly, then, he also had the most platinum albums in history. It is surprising, though, that he only won three Grammys, and all of them were gospel recordings. The recording academy missed the boat on most of his greatest hits. Tragically, after years of drug abuse, he died in 1977 at age 42.
Given his cultural prominence, he has been the subject of biographical portrayals before now. Kurt Russell earned an Emmy nomination for playing the King of Rock and Roll in a 1979 TV movie. Then Jonathan Rhys Meyers played the tragic musician in a 2005 TV limited series, which earned him an Emmy nomination too. Austin Butler plays him in Luhrmann’s biopic, which also features Tom Hanks as Col. Tom Parker, Presley’s manager, a role that earned Randy Quaid an Emmy nomination in the 2005 miniseries. Time will tell what awards success the new “Elvis” might have. It clearly has a lot to live up to.
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