Whether Elvis was drawn to Vegas, or Vegas was drawn to Elvis, the relationship was a match made in a rhinestone-adorned hell-giving rise to a culture of unoriginal shows that consistently place style over substance.
The King’s very public relationship with Vegas may have begun with his movie and song Viva Las Vegas, but Elvis later performed more than 800 sold-out shows that would forever shape Sin City. And don’t even get us started on the sideburns (they deserve their own List of the Day). There’s just something about those rhinestone jumpsuits that screams “morally reprehensible.” Not to mention, people make fun of Bono for his sunglasses-but this man had the audacity to incorporate a CAPE into his signature style. He started off all clean-cut and handsome, but we can’t get behind Iconic Elvis. There’s nothing wrong with making a song sound sexy, but hands off the Hymnal, Your Majesty. Elvis recorded nearly 100 gospel songs over the course of his career, and rarely, if ever, did he bother to drop his affected delivery out of reverence. And nothing manages to destroy the introspective song faster than the sound of Elvis moaning and grunting his way through it. “Amazing Grace” was written by the repentant slave trader John Newton, reflecting on the idea that God’s grace could save him from even his most evil deeds. “Amazing Grace” (and other terrible gospel songs). And considering that four men hold the greatest share of power and influence in rock, it’s questionable whether anyone deserves the title. From their set-up to their record sales, the Beatles have far more influence than Elvis on rock ’n’ roll. With that in mind, consider how many rock musicians call The Beatles a primary influence compared with Presley. But to hold the title of “The King” one should be the most influential in all of rock music. There’s no doubt that Elvis left his mark on contemporary music. Otis Blackwell deserved the royalties for “Don’t Be Cruel.” Ken Darby deserved the royalties for “Love Me Tender.” The list goes on. But still, we’re talking about more than just taking credit for other people’s hard work-he took money from them.
Granted, it was reportedly his manager, “Colonel” Tom Parker (a real piece of work himself), who made Presley do it. The fake songwriting credits.Įlvis hardly wrote any of his songs, but he sure got credit for all of them. Check out the film’s trailer, which we thought was a parody until we noticed it was posted by Warner Bros. Oh, and he falls in love with the king’s daughter. He plays a movie star (naturally) who’s kidnapped and taken to a Middle Eastern country where he’s enlisted by-get this-the Lord of Assassins to kill an Arabian king. Elvis was not a good actor, and his movies are horrible.