Reply With QuoteYOU HAVE THE WHOLE REASON NORMA;ELVIS ALWAYS TO BE THE KING.
It's been said that there are four things America has contributed to this world -- baseball, Coca-Cola, Mickey Mouse, and Elvis Presley. According to estimates, Elvis generated, in his lifetime, a total in excess of $43 billion. This staggering sum includes more than twenty-three years of record and tape sales, motion picture grosses, and live concert receipts. His 1962 soundtrack album Blue Hawaii sold more than five million copies, while his biggest two-sided single, "Hound Dog"/"Don't Be Cruel," topped the eleven-million mark. In all, he earned 55 gold singles and 24 gold albums, and sold more than 600 million records around the world. Despite claims of sagging popularity, nearly one-sixth of that total was sold between 1975 and the day he died -- Tuesday, August 16, 1977. The perfect requiem recorded during his June concert tour, "My Way," was released as a single in November and became his final gold record. Elvis had more Top 10 singles, more consecutive Top 10 records, more charted record sides, and more number-one records than any other performer in the history of music. His voice has been heard in every corner of the globe, by more people, than that of any other individual of any era. He was without question the most important single force in the development of popular music. He was, and always will be, the King of Rock 'n' Roll.
Last edited by Norma; 04-30-2009 at 05:53 PM.
YOU HAVE THE WHOLE REASON NORMA;ELVIS ALWAYS TO BE THE KING.
Yeah and you can listen to him without dissolving your stomach, this "contribution" is truly meaningful. Still all the record sales and such don't mean that much. You just gotta love the man.
all the goons I left behind,
memories still linger..
I do believe, although I do love coca-cola, Mickey is fun, and Im obviously an Elvis fan, that the U.S.A. has contributed more than that. Really do not agree with such a reductive view of that country's culture. You guys got little more than that.
But anyhow, apart from science, politics,and arts, in terms of music, does america gave only Elvis to the world? hmmm.. I think there is much more than that on the American music spectrum for sure. American music did has become the most important force in worlds popular modern music, thumbs up to that, but yes, Elvis, as the point were all american musical forces join, Elvis as the great synthesizer of everything of what american music was and it will be in the XX century, is, Americas greatets contribution in the popular musical field, period.
Now, in the XXI century, where globalization becomes imminent, and the cultural merging becomes the rule, Presley now becomes the immediate worlds musical reference of cross culture merging in the musical field in pop music. Still a yard stick to which others are measured. That's All Right, he dared to rock.
Last edited by Raised on Rock; 04-26-2009 at 03:16 PM.
You have missed a crucial decimal point.Originally Posted by Norma
The number was $4.3 billion during his life. That was money for himself, RCA and the mcahine that was Elvis Presley Inc.
A silly statement. The fact that it was one-sixth of the total can be put down entirely to Elvis dying!A surge in record sales was entirely expected.
The years 1975 to 1977 were lean ones for Elvis and his popularity - concert appearances notwithstanding - was sagging, no two ways about it. From 1975 to August 15th 1977: the wealth earned during that period wouldn't even come close to one sixth of the total earned.
Getlo - cute'n'cuddly
Well looking back it can be seen as expected-but at the time it was unusual to see the kind of "rush to buy" due to a death.You have missed a crucial decimal point.
The number was $4.3 billion during his life. That was money for himself, RCA and the mcahine that was Elvis Presley Inc.
A silly statement. The fact that it was one-sixth of the total can be put down entirely to Elvis dying!
The years 1975 to 1977 were lean ones for Elvis and his popularity - concert appearances notwithstanding - was sagging, no two ways about it. From 1975 to August 15th 1977: the wealth earned during that period wouldn't even come close to one sixth of the total earned.
A friend of mine ran a "Record Bar" in 77 and he kept about 10-15 Elvis albums in stock but after 8-16-77 rush in the stores-the district manager for Record BAr ordered all the product he could get and they had huge displays-and sold all they could get. I recall an 8-track display of mostly Elvis movie soundtracks (maybe 100) on a table with movie posters behind it and he sold them all in about a week. Every week a new display a new set of albums and 8 tracks, singles....... This continued into Christmas of 78 my buddy said it was the biggest and longest sustained sale for any artist he had ever had in 5 years with Record Bar. I think it was the first time that many realised the impact of Elvis was truely something hard to explain.
Work in Progress!
Wow, KPM. You sure blew his doors off.. Well, I think that's a NASCAR term or something.. But you seem to know what record selling is all about and I agree with you totally. Even the "round" years thereafter, for example 1997 or 2002, brought some Elvisly surprises and it's incredible.
Last edited by EnigmaticSun; 04-27-2009 at 11:03 AM. Reason: wanna have an original title
all the goons I left behind,
memories still linger..
I agree with Getlo that Elvis dying spiked sales-but I just don't recall any other artist where they spiked so high or for so long.
Also to be fair in 79 the Record Bar sales for Elvis dropped back to normal. Elvis reissues and repackaging started shortly after with little new material on them and his sales did decline at the store. Its hard to promote a deceased artist like a living one-and RCA slowly was not as interested in doing so.
When there was a push on an album his sales would spike like the 25th anniversary box set "Elvis Aaron Presley" they had a bunch of singles reissues on sale and sales went up for a spell. Record Bar closed in 84 in the town I live in so thats as far as my personal knowledge of record sales goes.
Work in Progress!
Please ...
Elvis was the first of the early rock stars to die in such a way, and at such a time.
You will find there is always a spike in sales when an artist dies, and the spike usually lasts a few months. Sinatra's sales went up by 1000% in the weeks after his death. It's only natural.
You also need to remember that, by mid-'78' RCA was releasing more stuff than it would normally have been had Elvis not died.
Getlo - cute'n'cuddly
It's been said many times before, but the best "career move" that Elvis ever made was dying. Sad, but true.
His death propelled him into almost a mythical state, and certainly solidified his status as a legend.
Same as it did for James Dean, Monroe and Sinatra, and many others...
Unfortunately its true-but being the devils advocate-if he had died in 1967 people would have said this also-yet in 1968 he made the 68 special, then recorded the historic hit making Memphis sessions in 69, became the biggest attraction Vegas had ever seen-and began touring in 1970-all of which were a huge career move.It's been said many times before, but the best "career move" that Elvis ever made was dying. Sad, but true.
His death propelled him into almost a mythical state, and certainly solidified his status as a legend.
All of this after he was being written off in the mid 60s as no longer a true rock star. What might Elvis have done-IF- he had not died. Was there another metamorphasis up his sleeve? Would he have just faded away-somehow I just can not see that happening. I would like to think he would have come to a crossroads in 78,79 and once again become motivated and involved. I know that seems a stretch-but if someone had said to me "In 68 he will be on fire in the music world once again" while I was watching "Easy Come Easy Go" in 1967 at the Starlight Drive In I would have thought that a stretch.
Work in Progress!
I've thought about this many times and I think in the 80's he would have continued doing what he did in the 70's which was record ballads and country songs. He would have big successes on the country and adult contemporary charts while having an occasional big hit on the Hot 100.Unfortunately its true-but being the devils advocate-if he had died in 1967 people would have said this also-yet in 1968 he made the 68 special, then recorded the historic hit making Memphis sessions in 69, became the biggest attraction Vegas had ever seen-and began touring in 1970-all of which were a huge career move.
All of this after he was being written off in the mid 60s as no longer a true rock star. What might Elvis have done-IF- he had not died. Was there another metamorphasis up his sleeve? Would he have just faded away-somehow I just can not see that happening. I would like to think he would have come to a crossroads in 78,79 and once again become motivated and involved. I know that seems a stretch-but if someone had said to me "In 68 he will be on fire in the music world once again" while I was watching "Easy Come Easy Go" in 1967 at the Starlight Drive In I would have thought that a stretch.
Well one things goes to say there. Elvis is one of a kind. Duh!
No pun intended.. If you don't understand such a comparison you are either not very creative or discriminating because I'm a Jew. Besides, NASCAR is typically American too and fits the topic just like baseball and coca-cola!
all the goons I left behind,
memories still linger..
So is every other human being on the planet. Duh.
Nor indeed given.
Who cares if you're a Jew or not? That has nothing to do with anything.
Getlo - cute'n'cuddly
Eh? What??Oh dear. Confused yet again
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