Elvis 30 #1

RCA and the Elvis estate made no bones about their intention on replicating the blockbuster success of the Beatles' The Beatles 1 with their own single-disc collection of number one hits – hence, the 2002 release of Elvis: 30 #1 Hits. The idea of collecting all the number one hits is simple enough, but there are problems inherent with the concept, not the least of which is that RCA did this once before. Unlike the Beatles, who went through numerous changes in just seven years of recording, Elvis had nearly three times as many years' worth of material and hits to choose from. Also, he hit on a number of different charts – not just pop, but also R&B, country, and adult contemporary.

Elvis Aaron Presley[a] (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great success and initial controversy.

VOLUME TWO: 5CD set. Collects his five "Gold Records" compilation albums, in card LP replica sleeves! Features Elvis' Golden Records - Volume One (1958); Volume Two (1959); Volume Three (1963); Volume Four (1968) and Volume Five (1984).

Since The King of Rock 'n' Roll was the complete '50s masters, it was easy to assume that its five-disc '60s sequel, From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential 60's Masters, rounded up all the masters from that decade, which is simply not the case. The producers deliberately avoided the soundtracks to Elvis' movies, which perhaps makes sense, given that they are roundly and rightly disparaged as Presley's low point, which then opened the doors to presenting just what they judged as the best non-soundtrack recordings he made during the '60s. They also disregarded the gospel recordings, saving them for the double-disc 1994 collection Amazing Grace: His Greatest Gospel Songs, leaving this as an overview of the best of his pop and rock material of the '60s, all recorded after he got back from the army…

This collection of wonderful performances by the King of Rock'n'Roll showcases 30 of his #1 US and UK hits. Culled from his TV guest appearance, movies, concert films and television specials - from 1956, the year his star ascended, to the 1970s when he reached the pinnacle of his career - this is Elvis at his Best. "Elvis: #1 Hit Performances" - video version of compilation "Elvis: 30 #1 Hits", released in 2002 on CD.

What we have here is an excellent compilation of 90 tracks from the first years of Elvis’s success. The majority of the hits are on the first two discs, with the third being, in the main, a collection of his finest religious recordings from the period. All the early hits are here; “Heartbreak Hotel”, “All Shook Up”, Jailhouse Rock”, “Love Me, Tender”, “Hound Dog”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and many more. Some of his best early performances, such as “That’s All Right” and “Mystery Train” are also included, as are some of the film songs, such as “GI Blues”, “Wooden Heart”, “Loving You” and many others.