Elvis Presley - Golden Records

You know all these songs. You know you do. "Hound Dog." "Loving You." "All Shook Up." "Heartbreak Hotel." "Jailhouse Rock." It goes on. Elvis Presley was very much at the top of his game when RCA released this collection of songs in 1958. Elvis Presley had been recording for a little over three years, had moved from the Sun Label to RCA, and had wowed the world with his new sound and moves. He had taken his country rockabilly sound and with the help of some DJs, created "Rock 'N' Roll." The first big single in this collection was "Heartbreak Hotel," written by country music matron Mae Axton (mother of Hoyt Axton); it was followed quickly by "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You." After that came his all-time best-selling song, "Don't Be Cruel" and the immediately familiar standard "Hound Dog." Elvis then went to Hollywood and made some movies, which produced "Love Me Tender," "Teddy Bear," "Loving You," and of course the hot rocker, "Jailhouse Rock." For generations, Elvis has been many things King, conspiracy theory, parody; he has been loved and reviled; he has been both man and god. But when it all comes down to brass tacks, Elvis was just a great singer, and here is the best of his early years. These are songs that continue to live on, every so often gaining new life as they reappear in such unusual places as 1982's "The Blues Brothers," and Disney's 2002 animated movie, "Lilo and Stitch." Every generation continues to produce new Elvis fans. When you listen to his timeless songs, you know why.