What Happened To Elvis' Popularity?

Obviously things are different from country to country. Our experiences with Sony's promotion, or lack of it, depends on where we live. I cannot speak about other countries, but in the UK I felt that Sony pushed the "Viva Elvis" CD as much as any other release. We had a television commercial which was shown many times, radio competitions, a television competition which ran throughout the first week of release on one of the major networked breakfast shows. Last Sunday, we had a segment of the Las Vegas show performed on prime time television. There are not really any other avenues to promote a CD, made even more difficult when the artist is not around to do the chat show circuit. With regard to Michael Jackson having better treatment from Sony, that would not appear to be the case in the UK. "This Is Is" received heavy advertising, but that was mainly geared towards the release of the film rather than the soundtrack album. This also came in the wake of Jackson's death and the bulk buying of his back catalogue. I always wonder why this happens, if a person had no interest in buying "Thriller" for example in the twenty plus years it was on sale during Jackson's lifetime, why would they clamour for it because he had suddenly died. It is obviously not just something that happened with Michael Jackson, it happened with Elvis on a huge scale. We also have to remember that the most popular artists in the world are bought by a small minority of the population. To us, Elvis means the world and our world does revolve around him. To the outside world, they either have a passing interest or no interest at all. The glut of out-of-copyright CDs in the EU has not helped, people buy a four CD set for just a few pounds with their shopping and they think that this is the last word on Elvis. They don't realise that they have only scratched the surface of his recorded legacy. As I said at the start, there are only my opinions based on observations on where I live. I would not dare comment on other countries where things are probably completely different.

Dear JTHA80... Thank you for your effort. We all need to reunite. I mean it. I will create a protest letter for sure, to share here.

I agree with you too but on Viva Elvis your not entirely correct that show didn't fail and is still a succes people all around the world are travel to the USA to see it and there is still a change i will tour through Europe.

If the "Viva Elvis" show were failing, it would have been pulled. Shows are not allowed to fail because the venues are in big demand. As for whether it is good or not, I cannot comment as I have not seen it. Opinions like that should be limited to ones personal experience. As for the album being a failure, it depends on what one would defines as such. It reached the top twenty in the UK album chart and has sold a considerable amount of copies, given the low level of CD sales these days. I think that some peoples expectations are too great.

What a great article, couldn't agree more! Thanks for sharing wit us your thoughts and care for Elvis music legacy! I'm 100% for supporting protest. Elvis was misguided when he was alive (by Parker), and sadly, he is now. I mean, Sony is one of the greatest music group on the market, they have possibilities and finances for almost every project you can imagine, but to release such worthless CDs like compilations and other low-budget stuff? C'mon, Elvis is greatest artist of all time - he deserves mor than Viva Elvis and Christmas Duest, for God's sake!

Elvis is dead, now almost 34 yrs. Yes he was the greatest artist of all time, but 30+ years is several generations. We all knew the popularity would subside someday, its inevitable. People grow older and a new fan base will never be as big as the original fan base or even those who came along after he died 30 years ago. You say Sony should do more than Viva Elvis & Christmas Duets. Well like what? I havent heard of any ideas from anyone. The new 7 DVD Sinatra box is great but will it sell? Can Elvis even fill up 7 DVDs? Parker didnt let that much be filmed and we have already had deluxe boxes of the TV Specials (minus EIC of course). Elvis On Tour was a bust on DVD. It could have been the release of the year, but they blew it. So, lets hear it. What else can Sony do? Promote another comp? With no new music for 34 yrs , its either another comp or a technical job like remixes or duets which most fans on this site hate. Ok, I am listening.

Dgirl... Yes u are right but Elvis the Concert succeeded so much and every year they were used to say this will be the LAST ONE but just 8 months ago he packed the o2 arena.Name me one person after 34 years of his death who has such a devoted fan base, No. In 2007 elvis the king compilation received gold as u know so it means that out of old fans which they have already thousands of compilations, new people wanted to buy it too.

Dgirl Elvis WAS the greatest artist of all time but not anymore? i cannot begin to tell you how wrong you are after 34 years still receiving 2 times 3 x platinum awards and it doesn't end there so Elvis isn't popular anymore? why then Viva Elvis? Elvis The Concert? that gig is going on many years now and never stopped for being in high demand touring all over the world which huge succes, they considered stopping The Concert but didn't ..why? because there is still a high demand for it and yes Elvis can fill 7 dvd's believe me he can and yes with the proper advertising and marketing it will sell and i agree Sony has to do more about it his popularity is not subsiding because of a cd that doesn't sell all that good but isn't a flop either 34 years after he passed away his popularity is not subsiding there's to much prove that it isn't his name is on tv everyday in a film or comedy episode or a commercial or anything for me prove enough that Elvis still after 34 years still is essential like he was many years ago and i agree with Sirbalkan

I think the title should really be what has happened to Elvis' popularity on the charts as it's quite clear that he can still fill arenas and venues as shown by Elvis in Concert and Viva Elvis and also by the Hyde park concert broadcast live on BBC2. What he will not do anymore is have high chart placings. How can anybody expect him to. One thing i'd like to know is why does chart success matter to the fans. From what i can see Viva Elvis sold modest amounts and was probably bought by real fans. Enough to make Sony a profit and they'll probably be satisfied with this. The time of having a hit in the charts i'm afraid has long gone and i for one have no problem with that.

Can Balkan, it is great to see such passion for Elvis and I understand your frustration; but Elvis has been pretty much relegated to a collectors label artist (FTD, the new complete masters set, etc). His music is still capable of winning new fans (even without remixes); but Elvis has been gone to long and his music is to accessible to be a consistent force on the charts and in sales of individual discs. Many of his original fans are getting older and either have already collected all the Elvis music they are going to collect, don't have excess income to buy new releases or have passed on. dgirl is right and that doesn't make her less of an Elvis fan for stating the facts. As far as Michael Jackson is concerned, he was a great artist and he deserves to have his music celebrated after his untimely death. He will sell well for several years and over time the same thing will happen. His fans will grow older, his music will sound more dated as new sounds come along and another generation will look toward their own music. Elvis still sells better than Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and pretty much any other singer who has passed on and he isn't in any danger of being passed up in total sales anytime soon (if he is, that won't make him mean any less to me). Sony really needs to make back their money on Jackson and they are going to advertise the heck out of whatever they release of his. This isn't a slight against Elvis, it is just good business. Fans who were wanting bigger sales out of "Viva Elvis" don't remember the lukewarm and at times horrible sales of most of the "original" releases from the 80's. "Reconsider Baby", "A Valentine Gift For You", "The Top 10 Hits", "The #1 Hits" (87 version), "This Is Elvis" were all chart failures. "Viva" will sell between 75,000 and 100,000 copies when all is said and done, it won't win many new fans and it will have served it's purpose for Sony. The upcoming duets CD could sell very well and even help win over several new fans (if the project is done right and they get A-list singers); but don't expect sales of his #1 hit collection from earlier in the decade. Finally...I am a little tired of hearing "real" Elvis fans will buy "Viva". That is like saying you have to like watching "Easy Come, Easy Go" in order to be a fan. I listened to the snippets of the songs on the website (yes Sony created a website to promote the release) and it did not make me want to buy it. I still love listening to the original tracks and I have no desire based on the snippets I heard to hear the complete versions on the "Viva" cd.

Again Jesse Garon, you misinterpret what I posted and read what you want to read. I said Elvis is the greatest of all time. I never said he wasnt anymore. I dont know how you read that in my post. But his popularity is not what it once was, and that is normal for a guy thats been gone a long time. I never said his greatness wasnt what it once was. As far as The In Concert, it is big in Europe, but not here in the USA. I never had an interest in seeing a bunch of footage that Ive seen a million times. What should I? I saw the real thing. I also have no interest in Viva Elvis. So I suppose I am not a real fan then? To me that stuff is bogus. I dont think Elvis will again see chart success again like he saw as recently as 2002. Maybe Duets, but again that is not the real Elvis is it.

Dgirl, I am also listening and eagerly awaiting suggestions. The only release options I can think of are as follows: Remixes, which some love the idea of but many absolutely hate. For me, it is like adding a new coat of paint to the Mona Lisa to make the colours brighter. Compilations, which people complain about because they contain nothing new other than the running order and packaging. Studio out-takes, I think we could all agree that the best of the studio out-takes have already been released. Live shows, very few multi-track shows remain unreleased and those that do contain the same songs as others released from that period. Whenever a new one emerges, we get the usual cry of "it's the same old songs again". As for the soundboard tapes, I think we would all agree that they are best left on FTD, bootleg or in some cases, left unreleased. As far as CD releases go, I cannot think of any other options, but please give us all any concrete ideas that those reading this have. The last time I posted such a challenge, the reaction was somewhat less than I expected. It was with regard to the recent FTD "Fool" CD set, I had said that it was obviously a below par release, but then so was the original album. My feelings were that they did they best they could with what was available and that I welcomed ideas on how it could have been improved. One said that tracks such as "Kentucky Rain" and "High Heel Sneekers" should have been added, neither of which have any connection to the "Fool" album. The second response from one of our Elvis friends here was to simply call me an idiot. The third was an offensive e-mail which I laughed at and then deleted. I agree with Andy about the chart placings, it is more about Sony making a profit. Somebody speculated recently that if the "Viva Elvis" album was not a huge chart hit, Sony would not release any more Elvis CDs. Why? While they are making rather than losing money they will still continue to keep his catalogue available. Dgirl also mentioned the recent Sinatra 7-DVD set, which as she mentioned contain a vast array of his TV specials. There would simply not be enough material to do something similar with Elvis. People always revert to speaking about the MGM out-takes, most of which have been bootlegged. They talk of 300+ hours of film from "That's The Way It Is" or twelve complete concerts from"Elvis On Tour". Sadly, if they were able to inspect the vaults they would be very disappointed. A lot of film does exist, but nothing to the extent of what they think does. Based on the assumption that each disc would be two hours long, can anybody out there imagine how fourteen hours of time could be filled with the available Elvis material? This is assuming that none of the scripted films would be included. Over to you guys and gals.

seems that me saying 'real Elvis fan' has been misinterpreted. What i meant by that was that it was probably bought by the more dedicated fan and not by the casual buyer or genereal public. To the general public it probably looks just like another compilation. I don't think that by buying this it proves that you are a better fan than anybody else.

dgirl, "Elvis Presley In Concert" is amazing. I also saw the real thing I can easily say this production is as close as we can get to the excitement of the greatest live performer ever. I can't wait till it comes back to the US. The show in Memphis in 2007, before a huge sell-out crowd, was my best concert experience ever.

Elvis' days of high chart places are not long gone. In 2007 he had a number 1 album and 18 top 20 singles here in the UK. He's had a great decade. Another top 10 (elvis 75) and top 20 (viva) here too this year. Elvis will ALWAYS sell! When done right of course and promoted. For me the strategy for 30 number 1s and 2nd to none were spot on with great promo and single releases. Another thing that bothers me people keep saying; Elvis fans are NOT old. I am 25 and know of a dozen more between 15-30 age range. Elvis music is timeless and will always attract new fans.

No dgirl i did read your reaction carefully you wrote and i quote : "Elvis is dead, now almost 34 yrs. Yes he was the greatest artist of all time"i have no doubts you r a big fan and don't get me wrong i'm not a rookie what Elvis is concerned i have been to the USA many a times talked to his friends over there and here in Holland as well even talked to his to his daughter in 1993 in the USA and i agree with Jay, Andy_2 and Steve B and what Elvis footage is concerned believe me when i say that there is enough to make a very great dvd-set i'm just saying that there is enough material to go by and surprises are still waiting to be found,mark my words

this just came in : Viva Elvis The Album Is GOLD in Sweden now officially this album is not a flop.

As has been said already in this thread after 34 years since his death it is inevitable that Elvis would slip in the popularity stakes. I can understand sony pushing Micahael Jackson as he is currently enjoying the status afforded to Elvis after he died. The diference being that there is a lot more visual evidence of MJ that seems to relate to the youth of today. Also with all the music channels on satellite MJ has enormouis exposure that Elvis just cannot match. I even purchased the new MJ video compilation "Visions "a stunning collection of all MJ videos. May I just add that as far as Elvis is concerned what else is left for him to prove. He was the original and always will be. Let us see in 34 years time if MJ is still selling albums. I rest my case.

I am 32 years old and I just can’t imagine my life without Elvis. I know just like everyone here, they want the best for our guy. We want him to go forever. But I do wish Sony would advertise just a little more. I believe Elvis can still sell better than just about anyone. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen the commercial for the “Damn Beatles” are coming to ITunes. If Elvis would have received half the amount of exposure The Beatles have had for ITunes, Viva Elvis would have placed well in America

Elvis has transcended popularity. He's now truly an icon regardless if he sells 1 CD or 1 million. Elvis will never be forgotten. 100 years from now people will know Elvis. So VE didn't sell like we would have liked...but the truth is Elvis 75 (4CD set) sold well this year, the Franklin Box Set sold well, and the Sony set sold out. Elvis on Tour did well. The FTDs sell very well (given their price and target audience). It's very expensive to be an Elvis fan. Elvis currently has 2 albums on the top 200 charts, catalog charts, and holiday charts. The remixed Suspicious Minds is on an album that's in the top 20. Why aren't we celebrating that? Elvis said himself that the whole thing is about having fun - let's enjoy him and his legacy and stop worrying so much. Elvis has been dead since 1977 -- 33 years, and yet he remains a cultural icon. His legacy is well established.

This is a really interesting discussion. What comes through to me (perhaps) is a sense of frustration that the general public are not seeing what we see in Elvis. I think that Elvis is just as popular as ever but in a very different way. He has moved from being just a singer of popular music (as he himself would say) into something much much more. It is a fact that his image, his style, and even his name has permeated throughout world culture. Before you slap me down, have a look at the page "Elvis Sightings" on elvis.com; I see something about Elvis almost every day in the press, on TV (eg there was a programme about a tribute artist promoting Elvis in China; then the widespread reporting of the Chilean miner Edson Pena; Clinton was codenamed "Elvis" by the Secret Service). Some of the stuff is not necessarily flattering - people talk about "fat Elvis" when referring to the 70s when a lot of the time he was in great shape, some of the tribute artists are rubbish - but they all show how Elvis is part of the fabric now. I have no objections to cheap releases - people will hear the King - and if they hear him, most will like him, most will realise what we realise. I DO worry that Sony and EPE have mixed motivation. I should like to see the Elvis legacy much more on a non-profit basis and used more for charities. After all, once the costs of upkeep of Graceland etc are met, why should Priscilla, Lisa Marie, Sony, and EPE make shedloads of profit from Elvis? If the Elvis Hyde Park Concert was not competing with a Help for Heroes concert, it would have been even more successful - and publicised. A small example of how conflicting interests affected the promotion of Elvis was when the 18 no.1s were re-released one a week a few years ago in UK - some went to no.1 in the singles charts. There is video footage of almost all of the songs being performed by Elvis; if this were made available to support the CD releases the whole campaign would have been more saleable to the public. But due to some copyright wrangling, this did not happen and we even had the sight of an impersonator mouthing the words of One Night on Top of the Pops!!

Sevgili arkadas. Is Elvis still popular ? YES ! of course he is ! To name but a few examples ; as you said it yourself , the "Elvis the concert" is not only a first of its kind but still a success after so many years (otherwise the producers would not bother continuing the venture if it was losing money ; wouldn't they ?) . Elvis is still the only artist , dead or alive , to have so many shops (not linked to Graceland) around the world only dedicated to Him from Yokohama to Buenos Aires (those would not exist , and be commercially viable, is there was no local demand ;would they ?). I have the chance to travel the world as a job (I work for Air France as a flight attendant on long haul) & I can tell you that, + 33 years laters, I still see/hear references made to Him in the local medias (radios/newspapers/books/TV channels...) be it in Bangkok or Mumbai. Now the "problem" is : is he still popular because he is now part of our global culture and/or thanks to His music ? My answer is : while he is known the world over as simply Elvis or the King & taken as an example , good or bad , to whatever concerns music achievments & life styles , His music is , unfortunately , weighing less and less in His legacy. And who do we have to "thank" for this paradoxal fact : EPE & sony . EPE have no clue who Elvis is as a singer & even less about His songs & catalog (have you noticed , for instance, that they advertise "It Now or Never" as part of the VE track listing on their site !!!) . They prefer making money with rubber ducks than promoting His music the way it should be. sony is not ignoring Elvis ; they use Him : they put out CDs regulary, & without promotion , to "please" the fans & still make enough money out of them ; money they can use to really promote whoever they want (currently Suzan Boyle & dead bambi). VE did get "some" promotion , OK , but it is the most farcial , unwilling & lacking conviction "promotion" I have seen in my life .First a "single" , then NO single , then a video to promote...the single ! Suzan Boyle CD being released the same day as VE ; isn't that a farce & a stab in the back ? If a record company wants to sell something to Joe public , they will use whatever it takes to sell it : remember the "Quack Quack dance" or the "Crazy Frog"..?Had they really been willing to sell VE (and the question is not wheteher it is good or not or if us , as fans , like it or not ) & make it the BIG hit promised by Brian , they would have done it !Read this appaling statement ,found somewhere else, about the "promotion" in the UK 2 days after VE came out :"Brian Quinn tells me that the album has been getting exposure in areas considered demographically favourable to Elvis.sony say £80,000 has already been spent on the album in these areas alone.To cover the whole of the UK would have cost £180,000 and the current level of sales cannot justify this spending. Of course if nobody knows the album is out then the current level of sales cannot be expected to increase surely?"....sony does not have £ 180000 to promote Elvis ???The result of this "façade promotion" : VE is a flop (as opposed to the elated predictions & high expectations conveyed by Brian) and the gold record achieved in Sweeden (that represents how many sold copies?) won't change this fact.sony is now blaming the "demographic" for the poor sales to cover for their own lack of interest & investment in the project.I now see from some posts that they have even managed to make us feel guilty for the failure of VE ("...where have the Elvis fans gone ?"...) when it is mostly thanks to the fans that VE has managed to chart in Europe & in the States & the question should be ; where has sony gone !!! I do not mind "global" Elvis releases (as opposed to FTDs) being released without any kind of promotion & I would not have minded VE being treated that way ; so why the "fuss" , launched a few months back , about the "highly anticipated" "first Elvis album in 33 years" & bound to be his "biggest hit since E1"then? I have an answer : I may be pessimistic & "see evil" where there is none but I think my conclusion makes sense : sony has used VE & its façade promotion to turn their back on Elvis as an active catalog artist & ,from now on , we'll have to be happy with the -great- FTDs & our yearly Xmas compilation.VE did not sell so why bother...As for the "duet" album announced for next year ; well , for the reasons mentioned above , I have doubts it will ever see the light of the day but , if it does , you can count on sony to mess it up (not that I need to see Elvis back to # 1 -He has nothing to prove anymore- but at least being treated with respect if they don't want to promote His music the way it should be ) What could we do to change the trend ? Well , maybe petition EPE to wake up & remind them that Elvis is the greatest entertainer that ever lived & that his music should come first in their marketing policy (which is currently turning Him into bankable joke) but with LMP more keen on talking about her ex on Ophrah instead of promoting her father's latest album , we are facing a huge mountain to climb ! Beg sony to start from scratch again ,& stop turning Elvis into the King of compilations , to market & promote His music the way the Beatles are . But that's a dream. It is feasible but I don't expect anything anymore from sony. sony is the worst thing that has ever happened to Elvis.What a sad 75th Bday .

The issue could be as simple as the issue that Elvis faced in his life - after Aloha (with a worldwide audience) and the album going #1, what else did he have to prove? Now it would have been great had he gone on a world tour. But otherwise he had done all there was to do in a lot of ways. Fastforward to today and it's the same thing - what else can Elvis (dead for 33 years) prove to anyone? The world tour has taken place (via Elvis the Concert). He is still a worldwide presence. What could Elvis possibly do that would be on the level of anything he's already done? And the fans have stayed true - the vigils get large crowds. The media generally takes them for granted now. He no longer has to compete in the game. Elvis is now the standard.

Sony have undertaken to restore the audio to Elvis' master recordings with outstanding results, released two Elvis albums this year which have charted and have continued the support the FTD label giving us a wealth of unreleased recordings but yet, I quote, "Sony is the worst thing that has ever happened to Elvis". Really? I'm still eagerly awaiting ideas for projects. It is very easy to just say that Sony should do things differently, but what and how? I will also repeat the fact that "Viva Elvis" is not a flop, despite what some people want to think.

Dear Fans... Thank you for your comments but my concern is more than the charts. WHY is EPE insisting on keeping the album sales as 1 billion? Even if it's still 1 billion, hje already should ahve diamond records for his sales and american music awards should have been given many many times. I just want Elvis to have his real reputation on paper base; official statements. Do you know what I mean? Always EL. by the way I am 29;to whom it may concern. ;)

Whilst "Viva Elvis" does bear an awful lot of similarities to Spancox RE-versions & remixes, we have to remember it is a recording of a show about Elvis. Certainly some of the choices of Elvis talking are not that complimentary, the instrumental sections are un-necessary on a CD & the unknown girl singer is average. As is the playing time! However, I rather like the sections of other Elvis recordings mixed in (Plantation Rock" anyone? It's there!) It seems a lot of work has gone into this, without perhaps the end result being all it might be. I wonder if this will be a "Sleeper", like several other of his other not-so-well-known to the public albums, & end up selling a million over the next few years!

Regarding the billion records figure, do the majority of Elvis fans, let alone the general public, care about whether it is an out of date number? It can only ever be a very rough estimate because worldwide sales figures are very difficult to calculate. If it's now two billion, does that make Elvis' music any greater than we already know it is? I enjoyed the little snippets of songs dropped into "Viva Elvis", in particular "Plantation Rock". That works really well.

How can anyone say that the New Viva Elvis is a flop? On Amazon Bestsellers Ranks at: #22, and it is #1 on the oldies and Retro and Jazz charts, so it is selling very well, one of the top exec at sony is saying that it will sell 10x more during the Christmas rush and that by the new year in North american sales will top the 1 million mark and now we haven't touched the rest of the world yet, that is a whole different ball game. So for a guy whose not been in the recording studio for over 30 years, he's doing pretty damn good. As for his sales figures I read an article about our friends at FTD and they are working on getting the real sales figures for Elvis and from what I can speculate, we will all be very and I mean very happy with the results, after all is in the clear, no one and I mean no will be able to touch our man ever again. As for his popularity, Sony is taking a break from Elvis, as they say absence makes the heart grow fonder, anyway sony has to concentrate on MJ since they spend an obscene amount of money on the catalog which they know they will never make back, but they will try to milk MJ for all they can so they can recoup all the money they spent. As for Elvis this is the calm before the storm and as sony knows with Elvis there is always constant sales, they cannot say that about anyone on the label.

Here's a suggestion. Stop releasing different albums with the same songs!!! How about such songs as How The Web Was Woven, It's Still Here, Pledging My Love and I know it's out of left field but Pieces Of My Life? and there are so many more that people have no idea he sang.

WAY DOWN UNDER and FM .That was the one also I am talking about aslo. ""Unknown songs" from Elvis " could be a nice title for a general public new cd with full of rare songs heard around the world by elvis. Sony must do this too. FM... Well I hope you are tru. I hope there're someone who is caring about Elvis' sales figures and also achievements.

Good point WDU ; "other" songs such as those you mentioned + Anyday Day Now/Let Yourself Go/Let It Be Me/Going Home...desrved to be known by Joe public . An album with an alternative track listing ("The other side" could be a title) could do welll in the charts (at least better than VE) IF well promoted . FM , I guess the sony "top executive" you are refering to is the same as Brian's; I do not want to comment about those predictions... Could you share with us the article about Elvis' sales update you are refering to . Thank you.

A few years ago I would have agreed that releasing compilations with material largely unheard by the general public would have been a positive thing, but recent experiences tell me otherwise. For three years, I did the sound for an Elvis tribute artist, usually doing around three performances each week. We tried very hard to vary the material in the two hour show and not just stick to the hits, mainly because it got very boring churning out the same songs. How Elvis managed to do that is beyond me. We would alternate the opening with either "See See Rider" or "That's All Right", the only song that was set in stone was "Can't Help Falling In Love" at the close. Because our time on stage was limited, for every album track we added, we had to drop one of the biggies. Every time we did this people would come up afterwards and complain that they did not get "Blue Suede Shoes", "Jailhouse Rock", or similar. The audience response to anything different was also very muted. Once, in an anniversary year of "From Elvis In Memphis", we decided to pay tribute to that album by doing five of the songs back-to-back, ending with "In The Ghetto". After the reaction, or lack of it, to the first two we jumped straight into "In The Ghetto" and did not perform the other two. I would also get complaints if we did songs that the complainer said Elvis never recorded, such as "Runaway", "Words", "Sweet Caroline", etc. Whenever I tried to educate them they would tell me that they are huge Elvis fans. Their proof was that they were either wearing an Elvis T-shirt or carrying an Elvis handbag. We really tried to broaden their horizons, but failed because of the indifference and hostility to anything they had never heard. The one song that we received more requests for than another other but never performed under any circumstances was "Old Shep"! We would have the dance floor filled with people and there would always be somebody that would want to kill the atmosphere completely with "Old Shep". This does not just apply to Elvis, Jet Harris told me that whenever he brings out a new CD people are surprised that "Apache", "Diamonds", etc, are not on it. They cannot seem to comprehend the concept of a new album.

Tony C - Thats an interesting point but dont forget you were dealing with a tribute show. I think people expect the hits in a venue like that. Even in Elvis' own show in Vegas 1974, the crowd did not give him a good reaction when he tried a different approach. (he should have done His Latest Flame, RTS and other great songs instead of what he tried). But thats another discussion. For a CD, I think a non-hits approach could be a good thing. AFter all it worked with ALLC. No one knew that song at all. Or maybe it is just as George Harrison once sang, All Things Must Pass.

What happened to Elvis' popularity with 2 million fans on facebook its still there

Oh yes, we were giving them the hits but we would try to slot in a just a handful of album classics among the two hour forty-plus song set list and they would die a million deaths. It always amazed me that Elvis suffered in this way, August 1974 for example, who of us wouldn't have been in seventh heaven just hearing him sing anything! If I go to a concert, I go to hear good music. Not knowing songs makes me want to investigate the act further. "A Little Less Conversation" is a good example of an obscure song becoming a big hit, but things like that generally cannot be created, they are flukes. The song was featured in "Ocean's Eleven", the Nike people picked up on that and used it for their advertising campaign. BMG were about the least involved party in this venture. A year later, they tried to recreate the sucess with "Rubberneckin'" but it did not reach the heights of "A Little Less Conversation". They could have tried every year since, but I fear we would not have had another huge hit. Being on a commercial is a good start, but it cannot guarantee a hit, it just happens by chance. In the late nineties, Andy Williams was pretty much a name from the past in the UK until Fiat used "Music To Watch Girls Go By" on a commercial. Sony picked up on this and released it as a single which charted, which they followed up with a compilation album. Since then, he has done concerts in Britain every couple of years after being away for many years. The comparison I make to "A Little Less Conversation" is that none of this sucess was generated by management or a record company, they just pick upon it. One song that did work as a single in the UK was "It's Only Love". It had no paid advertising but it did have radio play, which is something that cannot be guaranteed. Record companies can merely send out the promo's and hope they get played. The re-recording of "Guitar Man" is a similar case, although a much better known song. That did get a lot of radio play, as did the laughing version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?".

Lets campaign to get more Elvis heard in movies and in commercials then. This never did happen when Parker was running the show (stubborn money grubbing man that he was). There is a Nissan commercial with Devil In Disguise I heard a few times. Not the best known Elvis song, but no one has said much about it. Yes ALLC was a fluke also brought along with Elvis songs being heard in Lilo & Stitch (never discount the power Of Disney) and the 30 #1s release. It may have been a one time thing in 2002 for the popularity surge but its possible for another hit again. Viva Elvis did not generate the excitement of its hype, altho I feel Bossa Nova Baby could have been a hit but again no one has picked up on it. I am not one against remixes or updates to sound, but I think that album was bad as a whole.

We allready knew you did not like Viva Elvis but you r just one of those people who doesn't like it but there are many who DO like the album the album is not a flop in whole.I agree with you on Bossa Nova though

Tony C, once again I have to agree with you completely. I really wonder how a CD with "unknown" or lesser-known Elvis -songs could attract the public in general ( with exclusion of the real Elvis-fans ) . Unknown is mostly unloved ! And I don't think Sony would be prepared to spend money on a promotion which most probably would be unsuccesful. Also have to agree with Steve V about campaign for more Elvis songs in movies and commercials. My question : campaigning for the originals or re-mixes ? ALLC was a remix and it worked, Rubbernecking was a re-mix too, but the succes was already less . It's seems to be not that easy ! Oh well, our man will have a lot of fans for a very long time to come, young ones, older ones and old ones . I really do not worry about his popularity, he was and is a too great artist, and he'll be cherished and adored for many decades to come, that's my believe! Always El.

Surely having a break from anything new being released would do no harm. There doesn't seem to be a week go by without some new compilation or whatever being released. Maybe the record buying public have become a little bored as wherever you look there's an Elvis cd with a different cover but the same track listing. If something worth while was to come along i think it could get overlooked due to the saturation of the market. Elvis has no credibility among the so called serious music press and i think maybe more focus should be payed to some of his classic albums to address this. Ask the general public to name an Elvis album and i bet they'd struggle. This is criminal and hopefully Sony might one day try and take albums such as Elvis is Back, From Elvis in Memphis and TTWII and put out something that might catch the publics attention and help to bring back his credibility. FTD will never be able to do this no matter how good some of these releases are.

Think you have a point there Andy_2 ! Always El.

Whats the big deal with the popularity not being what it once was. Did everyone expect it to be at level it was 20-30 years ago? Of course not. Even major artists who are still living do not have the chart success they once had (think McCartney, Clapton, Elton, etc). Their albums come & go and they are out promoting them! If Elvis never charts again it wouldnt bother me a bit. Time marches on. I'm sure Lisa Marie and her Mom dont spent their time thinking about it as much as folks do here. If anything , the Duets album may bring some success if done right but I cant see original 40-50 year old recordings doing that in today's market.

Elvis earned $60 millions dollars this year. That is an amazing number for someone who has been dead for over 33 years.

Right you are dgirl, no big deal ! If our man scores and charts: OK, if not : OK too ! He still has millions of fans all over this planet. Steve B : well said and true ! Always El.

I will not buy Viva Elvis, nor did I buy "Too Much Monkey Business" or the "Guitar Man" album. I have no interest in posthumously conceived arrangements. Elvis was a producer, he helped make arrangements and mostly worked live in the studio with the musicians. For someone to come in and try to "modernize" the sound is a silly fantasy excersize. It has nothing to do with Elvis other than they are using his voice. I saw him twice in concert, and there are the filmed concerts and TV specials for me to revisit when I am in the mood. These tours and shows are fantasies and depressing to me. I remember the real thing. And part of the reason Elvis' popularity may be slipping is the fact many of his fans are dying off faster than they are being replaced.

I think we are getting mixed up between "popularity" and "chart success". Chart success may be AN indicator of popularity but it is not the only one by far. Dgirl is only partially correct in saying that Elvis is not as popular now as 20-30 years ago. Certainly he is not competing with the one-hit-wonder-X-factor-Grazia-Ibiza-soft-drug-muzak-teen-vampire market, but then again who cares. In an earlier post I wrote (I apologise for cut and pasting but I think it is a central point): I think that Elvis is just as popular as ever but in a very different way. He has moved from being just a singer of popular music (as he himself would say) into something much much more. It is a fact that his image, his style, and even his name has permeated throughout world culture. Before you slap me down, have a look at the page "Elvis Sightings" on elvis.com; I see something about Elvis almost every day in the press, on TV (eg there was a programme about a tribute artist promoting Elvis in China; then the widespread reporting of the Chilean miner Edson Pena; Clinton was codenamed "Elvis" by the Secret Service). Some of the stuff is not necessarily flattering - people talk about "fat Elvis" when referring to the 70s when a lot of the time he was in great shape, some of the tribute artists are rubbish - but they all show how Elvis is part of the fabric now.

Mickey is right. Elvis has transcended the "of the moment" popularity. Elvis is and will always be the first rock star in history. He's the first mega star in history. There have been others and will be others (possibly). But Elvis was and will always be the first rock star and he set the precedent. Greil Marcus basically said what Mickey said: Elvis Presley is a supreme figure in American life, one whose presence, no matter how banal or predictable, brooks no real comparisons. ... The cultural range of his music has expanded to the point where it includes not only the hits of the day, but also patriotic recitals, pure country gospel, and really dirty blues. ... Elvis has emerged as a great artist, a great rocker, a great purveyor of schlock, a great heart throb, a great bore, a great symbol of potency, a great ham, a great nice person, and, yes, a great American.

Triple "amen" to the postings of MickeyN and LonElvis !!! Always El.

It is interesting to observe how often Elvis is mentioned in movies. From 'Elvis has left the building' to posters, snippets of background music, to just mentioning his name as a household term. And I think in a way he has become that all! MickeyN and LonElvis: well stated. Your observation is so correct!

I'm not quite sure why some people are moaning about Sony. They have released a song selection from a musical – they did not have to do this & we are lucky they did. (Never mind whether or not you like the actual content of the CD) We'd moan a lot more if there was nothing for us to buy or listen to! What about Warner Brothers not releasing the long awaited "Elvis On Tour" in the UK? Let alone doing a special cut with the unreleased songs!! What about the movie companies refusing to dig out the versions of songs cut from movies? (Lonely man, Where do you come from, etc etc?) These certainly exist & with digital editing you don't even have to touch the original movie cut negative to put them back in. What about releasing the other 30 Elvis Movies on Blu-Ray? (there are still only 3!) Generally we are not being well catered for, but I really don't think that Sony, with a plethora of releases to choose from, is really a valid target!

Have to agree with dgirl. As great as Elvis was his time is over. As time goes by the original fan base decreases due to other interests & problems, life in general & death. Sure there are new fans but not enough. People under 40 do not even remember Elvis when he was alive. So it's inevitable his popularity will decline as the years fly by.

None of us were around at the time of Beethoven et al. Still these geniuses are remembered and those were essentially for the elite in their time.

You don't have a clue oldscudder you think your opinion stands but the fact is that you r just a fan who has an opinion that opinion does not stand your r not an expert Elvis's time is far from over it's evident everyday some fans who react here on Elvis his popularity like MickeyN and LonElvis and other fans know how it actually is with Elvis's popularity Elvis is around everyday but obviously you don't notice that or you don't care Elvis still sells and how there are so many things that proves that Elvis is far from forgotten nice reaction also from Natha.The above article is just written out of frustration but not based on thruth it's taken way out of proportion

Jesse - In your posts, try inserting some periods every now & then. Its one long ramble otherwise and very hard to folllow.

Well in you case i cannot follow everything either in your reactions sometimes i never attack you on that either do i?... i didn't write that long of a reaction and you r the first one who is saying that it is a long ramble?... if you don't understand it ..then don't read it, it's because of my illness i sometimes forget to inserting some periods every now & then, so i really don't understand what your talking about.

On the other hand i know you don't mean it in a bad way

No I didn't mean it in a bad way. It was just hard to read, that's all.

Interesting debate. There is some truth in all of these posts. Yes Elvis will be remembered like Beethoven. When there were CD stores to go to, folks were always looking for good classical compilations. I suppose that will be true of Elvis as well. Yes also to the oldscudder. The fan base is getting smaller, it has to be . It's commons sense. Elvis had a huge number of fans in his time. A lot of those fans are not around anymore or do not care. You get new fans sure, but you will never have that large a base again. In fact by 1977, it was down quite a bit. Remember in the TV special where the mom says she has a 13 year old daugther and she had no idea who Elvis is? Well there you go. That could be the case again. Most high school kids who even if they know the name, have no idea who the man was. I remember a DJ once sad on the radio in 1978, the best thing Elvis ever did for his career was die. I was very angry at hearing that. But looking back, it was kind of true. The frenzy that followed his death was unreal (much bigger in death than in life except for the 50's). It has now subsided 30 years later and I think will grow less every year. But yes, there will always be a core fan base.

Ok sorry dgirl, i will try inserting some periods every now & then when i post a reaction,and just for the record i'm not mad at you.Thnx for your reaction

There is a lot of truth in the postings of dgirl,Natha,Steve and Oldscudder ! One has to be realistic ! Elvis' music will last and will be heard for a very long time to come, there will be new fans, but indeed, not enough to fill the gap due to many different reasons, and yes, the fanbase is decreasing, which is a normal phenomenon as the years go by. So while we still have the chance, let's all enjoy and savour our man's legacy as much as we can, avoiding every unnecessary and useless dispute ( there's a big difference between a dispute and a discussion ! ), respecting everyone's opinion . All the best to all of you . Always El.

The problem is especially EPA. Elvis is a commercial for them from its beginnings to 1973 (Aloha). Final Point

EPA, am I missing something? Perhaps you meant Elvis Presley Enterprises, EPE. If so, obviously Elvis is their marketing point, that is what they do. They are an excusively Elvis related organisation.

Perhaps it is because Elvis is at him most commercial from the 50's to 1973. No one other than the die hard fans want to remember the Vegas jumpsuited Elvis image much after 1973. Especially 1976-77. EPE will never promote that period.

Natha, I was not inferring that Elvis will ever be completely forgotten. Just saying as time goes by his popularitly will decline.

theoldscudder : I re-read your 1st posting of today . I completely agree Elvis' popularity will ( hopefully very slowly) decline as time goes by, and I'm sure Natha is aware of this too, and did not mean to contradict you . But stating that Elvis' time is over is maybe a bit too severe, unless you mean his time is over as far as the general public is concerned. I think you meant to state this in this context ? Always El.

Benny. Yes that's what I meant. To set the record straight for some others on this site I am a 100 % Elvis fan. However I try to be realistic so I think the only constant in this world is the higher power we believe in. Elvis & other entertainers are a product os their time. As time goes by their popularity will enevitably fade. One hundred + years from now I figure Elvis will still be remembered. There will be a 150 th anniversary box set. It just will not sell as much as it's predicessor (100 yr. set). Thanks Benny you are a gentleman.

theoldscudder : about Elvis : I couldn't agree more, that's exactly the way I think and see it ! Thanks for the compliment, but I gladly send it in return ! There really are some great people on this site, a lot of them ! God bless. Always El.

I think popularity is th wrong concept. Martin Luther King, Jr, JFK, George Washington, Mozart, John Lennon, and any list of icons may not be "popular" anymore. And MLK, Lennon, and others may not have been as "popular" or relevant before their deaths. But they are a part of the fabric of history and will never be forgotten. Elvis is an institution. Now sometimes this saddens me because the man is lost whenever this happens. But nevertheless, Elvis is an institution and will not be forgotten. He belongs to the ages and you can no longer rate him on the popularity scale of "today." Elvis will forever be the standard they measure most things of pop culture - from a fast rise to the risk of an untimely demise. Elvis did it all and did it all first. Just look at Michael Jackson - a huge star by all accounts. But even when he died it was immediately compared to Elvis' death. Elvis is the yard stick for the measurement of popularity and rock. Elvis is not a Bobby Sherman or Fabian or any other singer who was at one time very popular, only to be reduced to near obscurity. Elvis is forever. That doesn't mean he's #1 on billboard forever. It means his contribution and his role in history will never be forgotten.

Elvis, like Sinatra and classical music, will always be out there for younger people to discover, especially as they age. You age and you see through the bubble gum crap of the day and long for "real" music of substance. And you look for music that "moves" your soul. Elvis is always there and will be "discovered" time and time again. All it takes is expusre to one song.

OldScudder, I never doubted you being an Elvis Fan and I did get the message you re-iterated in your response. Benny Scott's reaction is correct. What I meant to say (not only to you) is that Elvis will take his place in history as an icon for all times. Inevitably and unavoidable is the decline of his presence in the short lived charts. Let's remember that the same was said in the fifties. He was regarded as 'just' a passing artist. Only to discover that more than 50 years later he is still part and parcel of our musical history. He has transcended charts. We don't worry about Beethoven on the charts. Moreover we have to realise that the charts are filled with the artists of the day. And Elvis, not being a recording artist anymore, is less and less part of that scene. Everything around the charts is based, directed and used for merchandising. Young people rule the charts, so all is based on that. It is a miracle as such that Elvis still appears on the charts from time to time as he holds no interest for the business around this. Youngsters are not confronted with Elvis in their scenes (music, fassion, computers, games etc.). So whenever he is really on the charts or on pop tv, it is due to the strong fan base. Hope this clarifies a little more what I meant. Elvisly yours

Very true Natha ! It's really great to read all these positive postings from real and loyal Elvisfans . Seems we all agree here about the most important thing : Our Man will "live" on , charting or not !!! Always El.

Natha, I agree with you in that Elvis will never be forgotten. I was merely saying that as time goes by I believe he will become less popular than he is today. However he is a cultural icon & will remain that. And I also believe there will always be new people discovering his music. Sadly it will never again be as it was in 1956. Thanks for your post.

At the very, very least Elvis will always be popular at Christmas as he recorded two masterpiece albums - especially the 1957 album. Blue Christmas will live forever and will always be popular. Long live the King! Even if there's just a few of us left, we'll love him'til the end.

Reading LonElvis' postings : another one of the many many dedicated real Elvis-fans. Our "Elvis World " is a wonderful one . Always El .

Sony Music Entertainment Announces Two New Certifications for Elvis. December 06, 2010. Thirty-three years after his passing, Elvis Presley continues to earn gold and platinum certifications. The album "Elvis" has been certified five times platinum. It was released on August 1, 1973. The album "Elvis in Hollywood" has been certified platinum. It was released on January 1, 1976.

"The album "Elvis" has been certified five times platinum. It was released on August 1, 1973." I think they made a mistake. It seems it's Elvis' second album that is 5X platinum, not the Elvis ("Fool") album from 1973.

I am pretty sure the album from 1973 entitled "Elvis" that has been certified 5X platinum was a TV mail order 2 record set that contained his biggest hits. Some call this album the "commerative album". It was just a single pocket, two record set with I believe only five songs on each side and a picture of Elvis in concert on the front of it. Neither his second LP "Elvis" or the 1973 LP "Elvis" (The Fool LP) are anywhere near 5X platinum.

Doesn't matter either way because the Two New Certifications is not he only thing Elvis achieved again he also surpassed Garth Brooks Elvis is no longer 3# on RIAA's list he's now # 2 Always El.

i think we are shifting away from the original topic.i dont think this adds up to Elvis "popularity" since we are talking about certifications for +/- 35 year old LPs. So many multi platinum & gold albums & yet still no diamond award in the US. if i am not mistaken the most recent , and last , Elvis CD to receive a gold/platinum award in the US is "2nd to none".

Thankx for your comments fans. Merry Christmas to all... I think it's time to make that change at wikipedia and elvis.com too. What do you think ???

We discussed Elvis Popularity now enough already what's there to add? everything had been said now,time for a new discussion for instance for this great new achievement whats wrong with that?

RCA ignored Elvis for years,you only have to look at his LP covers,all the same,no lyrics,no info,no nothing.

Elvis is the only major artist to be treated so shabbily by his record label, his manager, his film producers (esp Hal Wallis) & his song publishers. It is truly amazing.

That's what happens when people don't stand up for themselves. Other artists got better treatment because they told those around them what would happen, rather than being told what to do by people who were pretty much their employees. Waving the big stick now and then does not make a person any less of a nice guy, but it does bring respect.

Will Elvis' popularity endure through the ages? A basic review is in order; We already know Elvis' recordings were released on all these recorded formats; 78 rpm, 45 rpm, 33 1/3 rpm, cassette, 8-track, CD, mp3, etc. Elvis fans are very well read and we know of the music industry; as long as an artist earns money their recording artistry will survive on to the latest technology. In Elvis' case, when a new collection is released, "Viva Elvis" or "That's All Right Mama", after all these years, are you as amazed as I am how often Elvis' recordings are issued around the world? Fact: Elvis invested his personal brand of caring in his recordings. And in turn, the music industry and his fans will always take care of Elvis. Elvis' future as an enduring artist will be safe and warm. Best wishes for the same to all, Peace, Love, Goodwill. Rob Nelson, London, Canada

To Tony C and dgirl's point...It really does seem to be true that Elvis thought of himself as an employee and not an artist at times. I always thought that line in "Tickle Me" was odd where he gets ready to kiss Julie Adams and looks at the camera and says "I never kissed my boss before" and kind of shrugs his shoulders and rolls his eyes. Did he think of Colonel Parker as his boss??? I wish he would have realized that the Colonel worked for him. Without Elvis, there was no Colonel. Maybe he was just too humble; but I really wish he would have stood up to RCA, the Colonel, Hal Wallis, etc. They really seemed determined to try and kill the unbelieveable artist he was.

mybentnickelworks : absolutely agreed about Elvis' future popularity .The same best wishes to all of you too ! Tony C and dgirl, I think Deano1 could be right, maybe Elvis was too humble and in a way too softhearted . If only it were possible to turn back the hands of the "timeclock" ! Still, I'm very thankful for the beautiful things he gave us all !Always El.

He is..was..and will always be THE KING...FACT.

Beethoven rarely makes the charts these days either but it does not diminish his credibility or standing, I really would not worry about the charts.

The Beethoven comment says it all, the same could be said about Frank Sinatra.

Elvis earned over $60 million this year. I would say his popularity continues to be very strong.