Is Elvis still the reigning King of rock and roll?: Some men leave an indelible mark on the world.
Decades after their reign at the top, a few choice musicians still dominate the radios and hearts of music fanatics everywhere.
Such admiration prompts the age-old question: Who is the real king of rock and roll?
Legends such as Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bill Haley have all been labeled "The King" by their respective fans and music historians for various reasons. Bill Haley's hit "Rock Around the Clock" is thought to have spread the popularity of rock and roll and catalyzed the rise of youth culture in the 1950s.
Domino's song "Blueberry Hill," on the other hand, is said to be the first of early rock songs to successfully bridge two different genres of music - creating the new genre of rock and roll.
The famous Chuck Berry is known for his success in refining and developing major elements such as focusing on teen life issues that made rock and roll distinctive from other genres of music. He also introduced guitar introductions and lead breaks that became a major influence on subsequent rock music.
In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine boldly stated that Elvis Presley deserves the title as King because of his singing style and the self-made image he created with his 1954 single "That's All Right (Mama)."
But, one has to ask, is a debate over who created rock and roll even necessary? Should a king of rock and roll even be crowned?
History shows that rock and roll music did not appear out of the blue but rather was a result of crossovers in genres during the 1950s.
In fact, rock and roll is actually a blend of gospel music, jazz, rhythm and blues, country and western. Rock and roll is what it is today because of an amalgamation of numerous influences.
Rolling Stone Magazine's stance on the first rock and roller directed many people to consider Elvis Presley as the sole creator of the eclectic genre. Elvis definitely contributed to the image of rock and roll when he became the poster boy for sex appeal and youth rebellion, but he is certainly not the originator of the beloved musical style.
Indeed, Elvis himself stated, "A lot of people seem to think I started this business, but rock 'n' roll was here a long time before I came along. Nobody can sing that kind of music like colored people. Let's face it: I can't sing like Fats Domino can. I know that."
Every artist that has been called the king of rock and roll has had a significant influence on what rock and roll came to be.
The enormous popularity and the eventual worldwide love for rock and roll is the end product of not just one but numerous musical wonders. To crown one king would be an insult to what the music genre represents.
It would hardly do justice to all of the historical musicians who have each had their influence on the phenomenon called rock and roll. (News, Source: Lydia Soyoung Kim, jhunewsletter.com)
"But, one has to ask, is a debate over who created rock and roll even necessary? Should a king of rock and roll even be crowned?"
A silly comment on the author's part.
No serious Elvis fan thinks he created rock'n'roll.
That is not why he's The King.
Getlo - cute'n'cuddly
IMO Rock and Roll was a result of the evolution of music in a certain part of the USA. Certain people, including Elvis, sped up this evolution through certain songs, styles etc.
Thanks for the article Franny.Without Elvis Presley on the scene back in the 50's there might not be any rock&roll. I believe he is the one who made it all happen.
I dream a world where man no other man
will scorn. Where LOVE will bless the earth
and peace its paths adorn...
As big a fan as I am, I have problems with the 'king of rock n roll' title that has become synonymous with Elvis. There is no doubt that Elvis was one of the original architects of the genre with, in my opinion, equal credit going to Little Richard and Chuck Berry. One thing that I think Elvis did almost exclusively was bridge the world of American roots music to American pop music. I can't really say that about Little Richard or Chuck Berry. Why is that? Because Elvis really was the one that, it seems unknowingly blended country, blues, and boogie-woogie and created Rockabilly. I'd have to say that he really was the one that created that. The reason why Elvis became the most recognizable was probably because he was the most attractive to women and, because his sense of fashion was ready-made for show business. The other reasons he was such a smash fall into the 'you really can't put your finger on it' department. Some people just have 'it', the so-called 'substance unique' that defies simple description, and Elvis had that.
And back to the whole 'king of rock n roll' thing; after he got out of the Army, Elvis wasn't exclusively doing rock n roll. In fact for the most part he was doing a watered down version of it, and in alot of cases what he was doing was just totally corn-ball. Have you all seen 'GI Blues', that is the most un-rock n roll, rock n roll movie I've ever seen. For the rest of his career Elvis did do some rock music, but he was all over the place, with alot of the stuff he did later in the 70s sounding like contemporary country and easy listening. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, personally with the exception of alot of his movie music, I like just about everything Elvis has done.
King of rock and roll? Yeah OK I'll go with that, but for me Elvis is just "The King". King of what, I don't know, but a guy that dressed in studded jumpsuits and capes has to be king of something.
Elvis was known as the King because he was by far the most popular and influential of the early rockers. He brought rock 'n' roll fully into the mainstream and created a situation where it was no longer possible for radio stations to ignore some of the great black artists creating similar music.
There is a well worn argument about Elvis simply stealing black music, which is so ill informed it makes me cringe. There was a long tradition in folk music of different styles crossing over and Elvis continued this tradition with his rockabilly creation. This was a hybrid of styles that owed as much to country as it did to R&B. If all Elvis did was steal black music, it's odd that That's All Right sounds nothing at all like Crudup's version.
There's a few points in the above article I don't really agree with. Chuck didn't introduce the instrumental break at all. He did popularise a lead guitar and rhythm style that many subsequent rockers copied though. Also, there had been successful merging of genres well before Fat's Domino's 1956 release of Blueberry Hill.
i believe without even knowing it ELVIS scotty and bill were changing music culture , and they were starting a whole new music style that was poular in black and southern circles and eventually came to appeal to the masses of white teens , because ELVIS had such great apeal to do so and being on tv helped alot . We all know he didn't invent it but he sure helped bring it to the forefront and took a lashing for doing so and he sang it in such a way that it seemed and was naturual to him, i still believe he was and is and always will be the king of music not just rock and roll.
A king conquers...... he makes great victories and accomplishments.....the world sees them and responds. I think that applies to Elvis.
Work in Progress!
Originally Posted by Getlo
"NO-ONE, BUT NO-ONE,IS HIS EQUAL, OR EVER WILL BE. HE WAS, AND IS SUPREME".Mick Jagger
Absolutely!!!!!!..........well put Ken
The media called Elvis the King of rock n' roll because he was the most popular person in the whole musical movement of that time and he was the most commercially successful.
If you've invented something you are called the inventor or the originator of whatever you've invented if you are called the King of something it's because you were the most dominant or the best.
A lot of people nowadays think Elvis is called The King of rock n' roll because he's credited by a lot of people with inventing rock n' roll but that's not why.
1956 Elvis' singles spent a combined total of 27 weeks at #1 on the singles charts and his two LPS released that year hit #1 as well.
In 1957 Elvis' singles spent a combined total of 26 weeks at number one with the Loving You soundtrack and Christmas album hitting #1. Also in 1957 the Jailhouse Rock EP hit #1 and stayed there for 28 weeks setting a record for most weeks at number one for the EP chart.
All of Elvis' singles during the early years were crossover hits hitting #1 on the pop, R&B and country charts.
When Elvis came back from the army in 1960 his singles spent a total of 15 weeks at number one and the soundtrack to GI Blues was #1 for 10 weeks while spending 110 weeks on the LP charts.
In 1961-1962 the Blue Hawaii soundtrack hit #1 for 20 weeks while spending 79 weeks on the LP charts a record until Fleetwood Mac's Rumors broke it in 1977.
In his career Elvis had 38 top 10 hits in the U.S., 76 top 10 hits in the U.K., 48 top 10 hits in Australia.
If Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley or Jerry Lewis had that level of commercial success then they'd be called the King of Rock' n' roll instead of Elvis but they didn't.
Jerry Lee Lewis has one gold album in his entire career so it's just sour grapes from those guys and the writers who sympathize with them.
Last edited by Brian; 03-03-2010 at 07:47 AM.
Why is he?
Last edited by Tommy; 03-03-2010 at 01:34 PM.
I dream a world where man no other man
will scorn. Where LOVE will bless the earth
and peace its paths adorn...
Just The King and the only King in music ! He did much more than just R&R, in fact he did so much that most people can't realy understand his music and what it ment to the world.
Rock'n'roll would have happened without Elvis. Just at a different time and in a somewhat different manner.
Because he was the one who took rock'n'roll to the entire world.
Last edited by Tommy; 03-03-2010 at 07:44 AM.
Getlo - cute'n'cuddly
Not only did he take rock n' roll to the entire world but he did it with his unique and versatile style that topped what everyone else was doing with it at the time. That's how he earned his title.
Diane
I think it is pretty amazing how much we see elvis in places we go. I went to a place to get something to eat and they had lot of pictures of elvis on the walls and not to mention John wayne too. Just good to see.
Another good question that I think fits into this thread-since he as the King of Rock.....sold Rock to the world and made it a legitimate music form-would it have just been a "Fad" it he had not championed it?
Work in Progress!
He was/is so much more then 'just' The King of Rock n' Roll..............
No.
It was inevitable.
Getlo - cute'n'cuddly
I agree-but I think he made the whole acceptance so much easier and quicker.
Work in Progress!
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