Ever since I was younger, I have listened to Elvis Presley. My dad is a big fan of Elvis, so I was always surrounded by his music. There is just something about his music that is just so wonderful, soothing, and incredible that I love it so much. Well, he is called “The King of Rock and Roll.”
On July 1, 2022 (Japan), the movie ‘Elvis’ will be premiering at theaters. This movie is simply about the life of the late singer, Elvis Presley, who has touched many lives with his music. Although he is known best for his rock and roll music, he has sung songs from countless genres, including gospel, R&B, country, blues, and pop.
There may be many of you who may know of him or may not know him at all. However, there may be some of you guys who are interested in watching this movie especially if you like music. As a huge fan of Elvis, I am going to share with you five songs you must listen to before watching the movie!
- That’s Alright (Mama)
-
This is a song you must know, as it is one of the important songs for the beginning plot of the movie. The song was dedicated to his mother, Gladys Presley. ‘That’s Alright (Mama)’ was the first song that Elvis recorded, which was also his first single. It was the song that made Elvis very famous.
- Crying in the Chapel
-
Elvis was very influenced by Black Gospel as a young child, which was very controversial during that time. I learned gospel music through Elvis, and it has inspired me to listen to more.
This song, ‘Crying in the Chapel,’ is one of Elvis Presley’s famously sang gospel music. Whether you are Christian or not, this song is very touching on a different level than many songs in the current generation.
- Blue Suede Shoes
-
Many of you may know this song as it is one of the famous Elvis songs, which was controversial because Elvis did not know that it would become a hit. This song is written originally by Carl Perkins. When Perkins got in an accident, Elvis decided that he was going to sing for Perkins to help him out.
- If I Can Dream
-
This song was sung at Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special when he returned to sing after a long time working on movies. ‘If I Can Dream” is a very important song that is like none other, as the song was created in Elvis’ reaction to the news of Kennedy’s assassination and also a tribute song to Martin Luther King Jr., which contains direct quotes from the Civil Rights leader.
- Unchained Melody
-
Last and not least, ‘Unchained Melody.’ This song was created and sung by The Righteous Brothers but also sung by Elvis, making it one of the most famous songs that Elvis has sung.
This song is very important because it was one of the last songs that Elvis sang live before he passed two months later, in 1977. During that time, Elvis was in very poor health as he was abused with drugs, had poor dietary habits, had an enlarged heart, along with many other problems. Although he may have been at the hospital, regardless of his health, he decided to perform as the money was too good to miss out. He sang this song with all his heart and might, which made this song and stage performance very significant.
Whether you were familiar with Elvis’ songs or not, I hope you enjoyed this list! And if you do decide to watch the movie, I hope you enjoy watching it as well!