Most Popular Elvis Presley Songs

“Burning Love” was Elvis’s final single to break into the Top 10 on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 2 on October 28, 1972. The song remained on the chart for 15 weeks, making it the singer’s biggest hit since “Suspicious Minds” in 1969.

Released in 1956, “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” was an early ballad hit for Elvis. Unlike in many of his previous songs, Elvis excluded most of his frequent collaborators, the Jordanaires. Still, the single would go on to be certified platinum.

Elvis recorded “Too Much” during the period he was filming “Love Me Tender” (1956). It was the singer’s fifth single record released on RCA, falling between “Love Me Tender” and “All Shook Up.”

“Don’t” was ranked as the third biggest pop single of 1958 at the time by Billboard. Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote this early composition specifically for Elvis.

“In the Ghetto” helped revive Elvis’s career in the late 1960s. The song — the lyrics of which were inspired by the civil rights movement — was an unexpected choice for Elvis, who generally avoided politically charged topics in his music. The decision paid off as the song reached No. 3 on the Hot 100.

The opening track on Elvis Presley’s classic 1956 debut album is among the most recognizable songs in rock and roll. The song was written by Carl Perkins, who released his own version before Elvis that same year. The song was not a chart hit for Elvis but became a staple for him regardless.

“Hard Headed Woman” was released as a single with “Don’t Ask Me Why” as a B-side. Both songs were from the 1958 movie “King Creole,” starring Elvis. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100, despite being released just over two months after Presley’s previous single, “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck.”

Most people who have attended a wedding in the past 60 years or so are familiar with Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” The song — based on a French melody from the 18th century — was recorded for the 1962 movie “Blue Hawaii” and proved successful as a single, peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100.

The 1969 hit “Suspicious Minds” is about a mistrusting couple. Prior to Elvis’s recording, the song’s writer, Mark James, cut his own, far less successful version. The Presley version hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 on Nov. 1, 1969, making it his final chart-topper.

“Way Down” was Elvis’s final single, released shortly before his death. The song peaked at No. 18 on the Hot 100 after the singer passed away, and reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Singles Chart.

“Stuck On You” was the first single released by Elvis upon returning to the U.S. after his time abroad in the army. Elvis was so popular that RCA reportedly printed 1.4 million record sleeves for the release before the music was even recorded. The song hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 and stayed there for four weeks.

Elvis recorded “Return to Sender” for his 1962 film “Girls! Girls! Girls!” The song spent 16 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking in the No. 2 position.

Songwriters Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold borrowed the melody from the Italian song “O Sole Mio” for this 1960 hit. Elvis recorded the vocally challenging track in a single take. The song hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, where it stayed for five weeks.

Romantic ballad “Are You Lonesome To-Night?” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 on Nov. 28, 1960, and stayed there for six weeks. The song was recorded following Elvis’s stint in the Army at the suggestion of his manager Col. Tom Parker. The track — originally written in 1926 — was reportedly a favorite of Parker’s wife.

“Heartbreak Hotel” was Elvis’s first nationwide hit. Fans who have credited it with having life-changing effects include John Lennon, Keith Richards, and Elton John. Songwriters Tommy Durden and Mae Boren Axton said the song was inspired by a newspaper article about a man’s suicide; his final note read, “I walk a lonely street.”

Songwriter Otis Blackwell, who also wrote “Don’t Be Cruel,” authored Elvis’s 1957 hit “All Shook Up.” According to Elvis authority Ernst Jorgensen, the song’s beat is the sound of the singer drumming on the back of a guitar.

“(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” is often omitted from lists of Elvis’ greatest songs, yet it is one of his most commercially successful. The song was included on the soundtrack of his second movie — “Loving You” — and is one of four singles by the artist to be certified 2x Multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

“Jailhouse Rock” was penned by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for Elvis’s upcoming movie, then titled “The Hard Way.” Following RCA’s decision to release the song as a single, the movie was retitled to “Jailhouse Rock,” and both were scheduled to be released on the same day.

The ballad “Love Me Tender” was performed by Elvis for his first movie, which went by the same name. The song borrows the tune from “Aura Lee” — a song which gained popularity during the Civil War — and features lyrics by Ken Darby, who was the music director for the film. Elvis’s recorded performance of the song was accomplished in two takes.

Elvis’s scandalous performance of “Hound Dog” on “The Milton Berle Show” in June of 1956 is among his most iconic moments and has been credited as being essential in shaping rock and roll. Complete with hips swinging, the appearance cemented his status as a national sensation. The song is Elvis’s best selling single in the United States.