how many albums did elvis sell

TikToks Favorite Celebrity Couple Is Kim Kardashian and Michael Cera. Elvis does his best Sinatra imitation on the crooning title track, U.S. 50. In Europe alone, virtually all the big Presley hits from 'It's Now or Never' onwards, more than matched US sales and there is a wealth of evidence, including comments made by some of the songwriters concerned, which are available to prove this. From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis, Elvis sings The Wonderful World of Christmas, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee, Im Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You), (Therell Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me), Ill Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms), 11. Combined with LOC-1037, this version sold more than 3,000,000 copies in the US. It is estimated that more than one billion Elvis records have been sold worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history. Sales in the year following Elvis' death may still account for more than one in five of the total. Elvis recorded not only studio albums, but live albums and soundtracks, and released compilation albums:Studio 23Live 7Compilation 11Soundtracks 19This gives a total of 60 albums released in his name. 1. Minimum. The sales below minimum certification levels are less easy for me to justify since I have not been fortunate to see the complete list - only such selected items as Ernst felt able to pass onto me. Each song nonsensically ends with a tiny snippet of the title theme song, sung from the perspective of an all-knowing, ever-present Neolithic being who hung out with Moses, giving the record a vaguely conceptual feeling, but sounding like an error every time. Before and during the holiday season after Presley's death in August 1977, the Pickwick LP was advertised and sold on television via mail order to enormous sales . The concert material is mainly of the showy countrypolitan variety, smooth but less exciting than his earlier live albums. So the next question then turns on whether Elvis' sales conformed to this pattern. Ten years ago I researched this subject in depth with help from Ernst Jorgensen and through him Sony BMG and compiled a comprehensive report, which was published on this site. gcse.type = 'text/javascript'; King Creole (1958) Elviss favorite movie role was as the new star of the King Creole nightclub, and the accompanying soundtrack album was also something strong. Elvis has sold over 2.5 Billion Records Worldwide. "Good Times" reached number 1 on the Cash Box Country Albums chart. Your email address will not be published. Until Now! The album kicks off with the cosmos-summoning theme from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey and then goes into a high-speed take on Thats All Right, with able support from a horn section. 15. Music industry One step closer to being accurate. So, I am going to copy/paste an answer for someone who may want a sincere reply because - I'm not sure they really know! "" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. Back in the eighties, RCA were saying much the same thing. Cant Help Falling in Love is the obvious peak, and even the silly calypso moment Ito Eats wiggles into its place. Indeed not only did the 1974/5 single 'My Boy' actually sell more copies (450,000) in the UK than it did in the States, but a 1970/71 single 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' did likewise in Japan. 54. The rapid increase in demand for Presley product in the lucrative South East Asia, during the early seventies, was the main driving force behind the sponsorship of the initial live telecast of the 'Aloha' special in 1973. And since . This may do if you want more of what Blue Hawaii had pedal steel, tropical content but with a quarter of the charm. Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD Video with Sound. after 1974 a GOLD LP had to sell $1 million AND 500,000 copies. I Got Lucky (1971) These are the rest of the songs from the four 60s Elvis movies without soundtrack LPs that had been previously compiled on Cmon Everybody. The Beatles - The Beatles (the "White Album") (Parlophone UK album, 1968) - Ringo Starr's personal copy (No. This was the first way many people heard some of his best Sun tracks like Thats All Right and Mystery Train, and theres primo r&b like Lawdy Miss Clawdy to show how convincingly versatile young Elvis was. The hit Kiss Me Quick is a sly and sleazy keeper, and only the operatic ending of I Feel That Ive Known You Forever brings us closer to laughter than romance. On Stage (1970) Elviss second live album is mostly compiled from a few Vegas dates, collecting versions of hit songs associated with other people, like Neil Diamonds Sweet Caroline and Creedence Clearwater Revivals Proud Mary, and its fine though why not listen to Neil Diamond or CCR or the Beatles or Del Shannon or the Everly Brothers if you want to hear these songs? This list will point out for all of them if they were available at Columbia House and / or BMG Music Club. Guinness World Records names Elvis Presley the best-selling solo artist of all time for having sold over 500 million records worldwide. gcse.async = true; As for singles thanks to the songwriters we know how the sales split in some cases - for example in 1969/70 when 'The Wonder of You' sold exactly 995,000 copies in the USA and some 2,200,000 overseas. " Teddy Bear" 5. Blue Hawaii (1961) The second-most commercially successful LP of the 60s (behind only the soundtrack to West Side Story) is this iconic soundtrack, which comes as close to having a unifying concept as Elvis ever got, Christmas and Christ excepted. Thats the Way It Is (1970) Elvis was cranking out records in 1970, and this one was a cocktail of Jumpsuit Elvis from his longstanding tenure at the International Hotel in Vegas and some Nashville studio stuff loosely tied to a documentary film. + $4.35 shipping. I tracked the origin of this estimate back to the 1972/3 negotiations, which eventually led to the buyout of Elvis' back catalogue. Rider that became the Elvis Shows frequent intro music, after which Elvis gurgles water into his mic, admits to being lost onstage, and indulges his love of sob stories on Release Me and new hit The Wonder of You.. The standout ballad Tender Feeling wasnt in the film, but got tossed in here as a pot sweetener. There is no question that the American share of the global market had been in steady decline for several decades - dating back to the time that some countries as far apart as Brazil and Japan, first began to embrace Western music and culture. 28. How can you sensibly compare a group of people to one especially when their music is as different as chalk and cheese? Bing Crosby's disc sales, were once upon a time, estimated by his record company on the basis of a somewhat quirky analysis of his sheet music sales and those of the Beatles were, for years, inflated on the rather quixotic grounds that the sale of each one of their albums should be considered as equivalent to six singles. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Despite his undeniable talents, Elvis was a wildly uneven recording artist. Girl Happy(1965) Elvis was so embarrassed by most of this soundtrack to his spring-break fantasy flick that he asked for his vocals to be lower in the mix on the exuberant title track. In fact, less than a third of his official US releases achieved a Gold award or better. CSPC: Wham! It was pretty much the same with 'Don't Cry Daddy'. Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite (1973) On the same day as Super Bowl VII, Elvis attempted to outdo that extravaganza with his own super magic for the tube, as he put it, donning an American Eagle jumpsuit to appear in the most expensive televised live special thus far, broadcast to over a billion people worldwide. It kicks off with the lush celeste and pedal steel of the title track, which is a sweet Bing Crosby update, and after the kooky saxophone and clonking sounds of Almost Always True, the island mood remains sustained, complete with frantic ukulele intros. Elvis Presley is second in the U.S., with 135 million sold. Elvis brought a pine tree and presents into the studio to guarantee his seasonal mien on this one, sexily swaggering through classics and new gems like Santa Claus Is Back in Town., 6. However the 1972/3 Elvis record sales in the US were particularly heavy because of the combined impact of Aloha, the 'On Tour' film, the Madison Square Garden concert, the first greatest hit package, and the number one single, 'Burning Love' and so for a time US sales bucked the trend, which had very clearly been heading in the direction of overseas markets for some time before that. The newly written title track, released as the single, is lyrically unique as a fairly detailed rundown of Elviss musical upbringing, but doesnt especially rock. So, with a hip-swivel and a lip-curl, heres our ranking of every LP containing new or previously unreleased tracks put out by RCA during Elviss lifetime. Roustabout (1964) Elviss slickster manager, a former carny who dubbed himself Colonel Tom Parker (formerly Dutch immigrant Andrea van Kuijk), got a picture made for his star which took place in Parkers old milieu, with Elvis playing the title fairground worker who could sing mellifluously while performing motorcycle stunts. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. What is the most valuable record? Let Yourself Go has an unconvincing psychedelic flavor, but might be the most fun thing here, along with Nancy Sinatras take on Lee Hazlewoods cynical Your Groovy Self. The existentialism-light of Who Are You (Who Am I? Elvis for Everyone! As of this year, the Beatles have sold 600 million albums worldwidewith 177 million sold in the U.S. alone, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Perhaps, not surprisingly, the last album released during his lifetime, 'Moody Blue', was by 1982 thought to be one of the King's top sellers - with global sales put at more than 14 million copies. Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966) Elvis plays a rugged chopper pilot in this, his third Hawaiian movie, and again he cranked out a soundtrack with his regular studio gang and stable of songwriters. Given the technology of the day, EP's were simply easier to handle and also less costly. Clambake (1967) Only about half of the songs that make up the Clambake soundtrack were actually in the movie Clambake; they are ludicrous (Who Needs Money?), bland (A House That Has Everything), or annoying (the chirpy Confidence), and Elvis sounds audibly exhausted throughout. Elvis has sold a billion records. 23 Studio albums, 8 Live albums, 13 Compilation albums, 29 EPs, 18 Soundtrack albums, 30 Box sets, 115 Posthumous compilations, and 11 Remix albums. Fun in Acapulco (1963) Presley plays another romantically persistent boat worker in this movie, and we get another soundtrack of Elvis exotica. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Although the songs are mainly two or three minutes long, they feel like theyre taking their time without ever lagging, and the straight country material like Im Movin On benefits from elaborately funky interjections. This page lists albums, singles, and compilations by the musician Elvis Costello, distinguishing between United States and United Kingdom release dates and record labels. 43. Posthumously, in 2018, Presley was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Well it seems that around five years after Elvis died, a former Radio Luxembourg DJ, by the name of Don Wardell, took over from Joan Deary as the product manager in charge of the Elvis catalogue at RCA. Davis' album, Elephant, is by far the best . 27. C. C. A total of 162,247,784 albums were sold by Elvis Presley, including 140,450,001 in the United States and 9,881,000 in the United Kingdom. From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis As Recorded at Madison Square Garden, Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star and Others, Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas, From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Elvis did not sell 1 billion records by 1982, which claim first appeared via an article in the 'Washington Post' dated 12 July of that year and quoted RCA as its source. For all those which werent, we will provide sales information to fill in the hole. 46. It doesn't come much more conclusive than that. It is clear that no worldwide Elvis release, whether a long playing album or single, has sold less than half a million, including the most forgettable single, which must surely be 1965's 'Do the Clam' (900,000). Points 39. How many records has Elvis actually sold? Though the record doesnt exactly make sense or leave an indelible mark, the song selection and singing are solid a cockily sensitive version of Buffy Sainte-Maries Until Its Time for You to Go, the rousing gospel of Put Your Hand in the Hand a major exception being the goofy history lesson in the final tune I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago, which is no more vital here than it was when broken into snippets and sprinkled throughout Elvis Country. Elvis Golden Records (1958) Historically important and precedent-setting, but even more delectable sonically, its another first for Elvis, and our pleasure organs can be as eternally grateful to this album as they are to the first ice-cream parlor to offer multiple scoops. Songman and his far-from-actualized Love Song of the Year.. Elvis got to distance himself from the worn-out commercial decisions imposed by Colonel Parker and dig deep into meaningful material of his own choosing, capturing some of the earlier TV specials spontaneous sense of fun and inventiveness with spirited and unpredictable arrangements and performances, including a great rhythm section and backup singing that blows his mainstays, the often-stiff Jordanaires, out of the water. Guralnick, Peter and Jorgensen, Ernst (1999). may be re-printed for public display without permission. Like that earlier collection, the tone is mostly light but in this case, often grating: Yoga Is As Yoga Does gets Elvis tied up in an embarrassing knot, and The Love Machine awkwardly feeds Elvis through a fortune-telling scenario. Though this is Elviss last LP, released a month before his death, its not as depressing as the album that came before it, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee, which was recorded entirely at Graceland in February 76. The closing track, Thats Someone You Never Forget, credited to Elvis and his high-school buddy Red West and which may or may not be about the passing of Elviss beloved mother, Gladys, is haunting, though tonally far out of step with the rest of the record. Published February 8, 2023, Your email address will not be published. For example little Denmark purchased an incredible 150,000 copies of a 1968 release entitled 'A Portrait in Music'; whilst in 1974 the double album '40 Greatest Hits' shattered every known speed sales record previously set in the UK. The contents, sadly, arent nearly as soul-wrenching. 18. Elvis Gold Records, Volume 4 (1968) Not quite a collection of hits from the then-cooling star only (Youre the) Devil in Disguise went top-ten in the U.S. this was the final Gold Records collection issued during his lifetime. All rights reserved. I Got a Feelin in My Body is especially okay church-revival funk, and lots of swelling gospel-group vocals and string arrangements get busy throughout this Stax Studiorecorded batch. The RIAA certify all sales of a disc including re-releases, whether or not there has been a change in the catalogue number, provided the inclusion of any additional tracks, does not bring the total to more than 17. 1. for 59 weeks and 4 No. Since no global certification process common to all artists exists, that is all that can be done anyway, whoever we are talking about. 44. Elvis Presley (1956) This template for the hormonal enhancement of teens Elviss first long-playing record is also the first No.-1-charting rock-and-roll record, period, helping usher in the rock-LP era. Domestically the indications are that the sales of Elvis records has over the last ten years, together with the discovery of historic sales, pushed up the overall total from about 400 million records to an current figure of 430 million copies - which can be broken down and in much simply form than before as follows: Summary of American Sales from 1954-2018 Millions sold, RIAA certified sales 205 Awaiting certification 5 Sales above/between certification levels * 75 Sales below minimum certification levels* 70 Other sales** 65 Total 430 million. 19. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Frankfort Special jauntily celebrates the presence of enough frantic fruleins to go around, theres a lullaby about daddys nickname, Big Boots, and a tender closer in Doin the Best I Can. Wooden Heart was the hit and offers the most lingering melody, a polka-spiced accordion ditty, half sung in German. Musically, its a terrific mix of newer recordings like the chastising but flippant (Youre So Square) Baby I Dont Care and Sun tracks like Blue Moon of Kentucky (his other classic lamentation over a blue moon), and it showcases his enthusiastic inner-boy on Good Rockin Tonight and the delightfully cheery (but also menacing) entreaty Baby Lets Play House. I Forgot to Remember to Forget is another reminder that Elvis could be just as effectively sexy when silly. So whether RCA simply looked at the total sales figures up to that point, current sales, or probably both, the conclusions reached may have been the same. This is a moving document (and deconstruction) of Elviss unique embodiment of r&b, gospel, country, and rock and roll. Good Times (1974) Okay times. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Never before have we seen an Elvis Presley concert from the 1950's with sound. Some idea of the scale involved actually emerged through the 1977/8 interim and the final audited record company reports. This is also the home of Diddley-beat-plus-bongos kitsch master class Do the Clam., 48. His work here is loose and gritty and inspired, with the opening medley of Trouble and Guitar Man leading to an extended hits medley, and his renewed sense of purpose is as irresistible now as it was to the fans present at the shows. Guinness World Records recognizes him as the best-selling solo artist in the world, selling up to 1 billion records globally. + $25.35 shipping. They got this hit soundtrack out of the odd concept, and a bit of insulting fun out of the repurposed Coasters tune Little Egypt about a guy having his mind blown by an exotic dancer, which is the highlight. The final step will consist in crossing the data from all indicators chart runs, certifications, Soundscan, external sales data to establish how many albums the rock n roll legend moved in his native country. In the studio, he makes the most of Percy Mayfields alienation on Stranger in My Own Home Town and a soft wet kiss from Neil Diamond on And the Grass Wont Pay No Mind. The live set is more fiery, starting with breakneck versions of classics like Johnny B. Goode and Blue Suede Shoes interspersed with the Kings laughter and self-mocking banter: He calls himself bigger now (size-wise). Over the course of Elvis' life, he achieved some of the highest accolades in music and film. Can Anyone Predict Whos Going to Win Best Supporting Actress? This is an excellent release no fan should be without it. "Wonderful World of Christmas" reached number 1 on the Billboard Christmas Albums chart in 1972 and 1973. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Read More. He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. To some extent, as I have said before, this continues to be a work in progress, but the likelihood of more information on the question of international sales outside the USA emerging after all these years are remote. He knew it was a stinker from the get-go. " It's Now Or Never" What are old Elvis albums worth? & George Michael Popularity Analysis. How many albums did Elvis sell in 2019? This year, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the release of Presleys first record, his widow, Priscilla, and RCA have put together a massive box set presenting the Kings original recording career, pretty much unabridged. The afternoon show footage is wonderful and electrifying : Here is Elvis in his prime rocking and rolling in front of 11.000 people. This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 17:01. The Polynesian furniture was cleared out of Graceland to make room for a recording setup to capture performances from the waning singer in between his obsessive viewings of Charles Bronson in Death Wish. Elvis fans still prefer to have something physical in their hands, rather than a download. Why this led to some confusion over what was and what was not recorded on the old RCA computer may be a bit of a red herring. Of course, we already saw that assuming 250,000 sales on average for each mid-way to Gold is not an accurate method. Elvis Is Back! Now that Meredith is gone, it is business as usual at Grey Sloan Memorial. How many albums has Elvis sold since he died? 39. "Elvis by the Presleys" reached number 1 on the Billboard Soundtracks chart. Offscreen, he was one himself. An essential gateway to his late period, indulgences and all. Half material from a few Vegas hotel dates and half studio record, Elviss first two-LP set shuffles us around the country to capture his first performances for a general audience, not designed for TV since 1961, and some of the soulful cuts left over from the great From Elvis in Memphis sessions. The string of soundtracks he released in the 60s (largely at the behest of his exploitative manager Colonel Tom Parker) give the termformulaicas bulletproof a definition as anything in algebra, and consist of his shoddiest material. If your fantasies involve tropical adventure with a handsome tour guide this lonesome beach boy there is no better album. (1960) His first record made after returning to Tennessee from Germany is a solid recapitulation of his late-50s prime. According to Elvis records, more than one billion records have been sold around the world, making him the most popular artist ever. Elvis Golden Records Volume 3 (1963) The Colonel got it right when he convinced Elvis to resurrect the Neapolitan ballad O Sole Mio as Its Now or Never for his biggest-ever international single, perfectly opening his larynx on the Caruso-channeling chorus, and hes equally but much more tenderly seductive on the soft-sung and partially spoken Are You Lonesome Tonight? This compilation shows how Elviss early 60s singles consistently fried the schmaltz just right. 26. Which is the best? There are countless albums which saw their tracklist extended after the initial release (basically every big album of the last 12 years to start with! There is also the Movie Soundtrack Series, usually released as a single CD but again in deluxe 7" packaging with booklet.[45][46]. Elvis may not have fit in with the revolutionary spirit of 68, but he delivered an enjoyable group of songs: impassioned ballads like Love Letters and It Hurts Me, an energetic rendering of Ray Charless Whatd I Say, and the playful A Mess of Blues.. Whereas Elvis' claim to musical prowess was based on the magnificent instrument that was his voice allied to the sheer scale of his vision and his extraordinary interpretative powers, that of the Beatles rests on their superb songwriting skills, craftsmanship and inventiveness. G.I. In its favor: Return to Sender.. how many albums did elvis sell. The following updated version has been considerably shortened, where possible, in the interests of brevity. 17. Things you buy through our links may earnVox Mediaa commission. Elvis Presley's best selling album is "Elvis Presley" which was released in 1956. How much money did Colonel Parker make off Elvis? Although these figures should be treated with a certain degree of caution, it was only when Elvis died that things appeared to really go awry. # In several key overseas markets some sales were documented and certified - even as far back as the 1950s. Elvis Presley's UK sales are now well in excess of 50 million and therefore past the total achieved globally in 1959. Powered by - Designed with theHueman theme. "Wonderful World of Christmas" reached number 13 on the Billboard Country Albums chart in 1978. Despite somerecent hiccups in Las Vegas, 39 years after his death, Elvis Presleys career is still going strong his estateearned $55 million in 2015. In 1959 RCA put total sales at 50 million; in 1960/1 75 million; in 1964/5- 125 million; in 1970 - 250 million, in 1976 - 400 million and at death a bit over 450 million, which the media rounded up to 500 million. how many records did elvis sell worldwide. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Elvis Presley was included in the History Channel's 10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America video, and I believe that his effect on race relations and popular . Today (1975) Elvis leads off by spelling out T-R-O-U-B-L-E and rocking through an echo box like a crueler, sloppier protoGarth Brooks (Travis Tritt made a later hit of this song), but the rest consists of fine adult-contemporary music thats easy to hear if hard to love Perry Como here, Don McLean there, a nostalgic hit from Elvis-favorite Tom Jones the most affecting of the bunch though theres plenty of sassy heat on the Pointer Sisters breakup declaration Fairytale.. "The Sun Sessions" reached number 1 on the Cash Box Country Albums chart. " After the success of Elvis's 1973 Hawaiian TV special, an album only needed to have E looking like an impassioned eagle on the cover to sell well. No part of any article on this site may be re-printed for public display without permission. Again. Why was the 1982 claim ever made? Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's manager from 1955 to his death in 1977, earned an estimated $50 million from the singer's estate. 6 Blue Hawaii (1961) ~ 3 Million RCA During his lifetime, Presley starred in 31 movies and while every soundtrack issued from each film managed to sell a million copies, this one stood out the most. Elvis's session at Sun from 1954-1955 we're never released as an album during the 1950's or 60's. The songs did appear, a few at a time, on Elvis Presley (1956), For LP Fans Only (1959) and A Date With Elvis (1959). "Christmas with Elvis" reached number 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums and the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums charts. Yet even under those constraints, he could inhabit just about anything asked of him within the affable-sexy spectrum, leading to a range of results sentimentally perfect (Cant Help Falling in Love) or perfectly ridiculous (Song of a Shrimp, his fond send-off to a family of crustaceans). ) and the communist-baiting patriotism of Hes Your Uncle, Not Your Dad fare much worse. " Hound Dog" Release date: July 1, 1956. A huge frustration for people interested into Presleys US album sales is the lack of Soundscan data. Or it could have been because he had to perform the rest of this familiar mishmash of pseudo-smooth (City by Night), pseudo-rocking (Long Legged Girl), and pseudo-polka (I Love Only One Girl) and release it on the same day as his supreme acolytes the Beatles released Sgt. But the pace at which Elvis continues to shift product off the shelves - has not been diminished by the years. I dont see anywhere in the Elvis articles where its noted that RIAA certification of 1 million is units not copies shipped. Cotton Candy Land repositions Mr. Sandmans dream as a terrifying sugar high, and the saccharine How Would You Like to Be? is sung to a kid in the film to placate her, but frazzles every other listener; Happy Ending is another unhappy event. Despite being so prolific, there are many other songs we would have liked to hear him sing. 34. The Elvis cash machine is spinning while his record company, Sony , says that his U.S. album sales alone have now exceeded 146.5 million. The outlets simply sent in awards for their biggest Elvis hit album by way of a gold or platinum disc. Jul 22, 2022 - Elvis Presley made 23 traditional albums.

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how many albums did elvis sell