“A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man’s music, when in fact, almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis.” — Jackie Wilson
“Elvis was an integrator. Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn’t let black music through. He opened the door for black music.” — Little Richard
“Describe Elvis Presley? He was the greatest who ever was, is, or will ever be.” — Chuck Berry
To begin this site with someone other than Elvis Aaron Presley would be to undermine the whole concept of the idea in which a Pantheon would be created to display some of the greatest songs of all time. Rock music as we have known it for the last sixty years is tied almost exclusively to Elvis Presley.
There are Icons and then there is Elvis. He exists on his own plane.
Yes, before Elvis, you had plenty of black musicians creating and writing music that was more soulful and energetic than their white counterparts. But you also had that type of music (like the country in general at the time) being segregated into provincial quadrants. Elvis shattered those barriers. Between his look, the tonality of his singing, and the way that he made his body become an extension of his music when he performed live, Elvis Presley became a catalyst that allowed any kid in the U.S. (or England) to hear what this new dovetailing of country and blues music was all about. It allowed kids to have access to black music. It allowed kids to understand where artists like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley were coming from. Essentially, Elvis had a gigantic role in the reconstruction of post-WWII culture and society.
So, the question becomes: Which singular song best describes Elvis Presley–which song would I play for someone whose mind had become tabula rasa and would best explain the modern rock era?
There are certainly many songs to choose from, as Elvis had eighteen #1 singles. For me, though, I am very partial to “Jailhouse Rock” mostly because it is one of Presley’s most raw songs from a vocal standpoint. There is nary a whiff of the tonality in his voice that every Elvis impersonator uses too often. Instead, you are mostly treated to Elvis’s raw, unalloyed voice that is mostly yelling the lyrics.
On top of that, the music of “Jailhouse Rock” is both methodical and energetic. From the bum-bum simplicity of the drums during the intro and breaks to the fully-formed melody that kicks in in earnest with the help of a piano, this song shows Presley at his most musical and most potent. Some people–and justifiably so–may lean towards the “Don’t Be Cruel” or “Heartbreak Hotel” Elvis, and you certainly cannot go wrong with those songs (or any of the other classics performed by Mr. Presley), but for my money “Jailhouse Rock” provides such an excellent glimpse of Elvis’s charisma, power, and allure.
Whether or not you like Elvis Presley, one cannot deny the cultural significance of his life. There will never be another performer that will ever create the type of sensation that Elvis did. To try and pick one song and say “This sums up Elvis Presley” is an almost impossible task. But then again trying to pick one song that sums up The Beatles or The Rolling Stones has its inherent quandaries too but for the purposes of this site that is exactly what I will attempt to do: shine a light on those songs which either forever changed the music world, or that are simply so beautiful and so perfect that they deserve to have their own spot in the hypothetical Pantheon that I will build for you one song at a time.
You may not like “Jailhouse Rock” but, to me, it is certainly deserving of the first spot in my own Pantheon’s entrance.
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