The ultimate poll

Hey Lonnie...Love your avatar---great shot!

It really is difficult to pick a decade !

1) The 50's was only half a decade but had 'Sun' & the early RCA sessions - the music which changed the world !
The early TV shows, also the early films, probably his finest.

2) The 60's is the only 'complete' Elvis decade, and had the 'Elvis Is Back' session & the 'American Sound Studio Sessions' - plus, of course, all those films and their soundtracks !
Also the '68 TV Special.

3) The 70's had the 'Elvis Country'/'Nashville Marathon' sessions and the 'Jungle Room' Sessions, the Vegas shows, the touring, the two film documentaries, and the physical decline, ending on 16th August, 1977.

Probably too close to call.

Colin B

Last edited by ColinB on Tue Apr 22, 2003 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

The decade I really like best is from 1967 to 1977.

This was really tough! But I went with the 70's as my personal favorite period to listen to basically because the music was so deeply personal. I also favor the more contemporary songwriting and musicianship. And Elvis' voice at this time was extremely versatile. One disclaimer though: just because this period is my personal favorite doesn't necessarily mean that I think it's his best. For me, it basically breaks down like this: vocally 60-63. His voice was truly sublime. As a rocker 54-58, 60, 68-70. But as an amazingly versatile singer who sings songs of extreme personal significance and an all around entertainer par excellent it's the 70's.

What turned out to be the most outstanding and important career in popular music was in fact the result of lifelong experimentation, growth and developement. I don't say that anybody here is doing so but it's possible to lose the view for the wholeness of Elvis Presley by "dismissing" a single part of his career. Of course no serious fan would do that. I guess everybody knows how important each decade was to create Elvis Presley. To make a long story short: The question is more or less unanswerable.

Anyway, what this question is all about is personal taste, I guess. While I don't want to miss both, neither the freshness, power, the driving force and initial spark of the 1950ies, nor the greatness and brilliant performance of the "larger than life"-Elvis of the 1970ies it's the 1960ies that probably mean the most to me. They were the corollary and continuation of Elvis Presley's musical concept and the preparation for what followed in the 70ies. His wish to develope as an artist and singer made him the maybe most versatile and professional musician in the history of pop(ular) music.

From rock'n'roll over rhythm & blues, country, soul, gospel, contemporary christian, pop, ballads, Hawaiian, Mexican, even jazz-blues and folk and of course semi-operatic schmaltz Elvis sang it all. Of course he already did some of these styles in the 1950ies, you might say. Of course you're right. But his wish to perfect it not only lead to two wonderful Gospel albums (of one them a Grammy award winner), a Grammy award nominated soundtrack (Blue Hawaii that lost to "West Side Story"(!) only) and two of his best albums ever, "Elvis Is Back!" and "From Elvis In Memphis", both probably more visionary than any others and two of the best rock albums of all time either.

With recording immortal songs like "Are You Lonesome Tonight", "Can't Help Falling In Love", "Surrender", "It's Now Or Never" (to name only a few), less known stuff like "It Hurts Me" and even "Return To Sender", "Bossa Nova Baby" and "Viva Las Vegas", he enhanced the spectrum of rock music in a way excelled probably by The Beatles and Bob Dylan only.

His 1968 NBC-TV-Special - once described by a critic as "music that bleeds" - not only marked the birth of "MTV unplugged" somehow (okay, it was "plugged" in fact but you know what I mean), it's also one if not THE most honest and striking documents in rock music. The way in which Elvis triumphs over the disappointments and lost chances in "Suspicious Minds" or "Any Day Now" finds its counterpart in his return to live performing in 1969 either. I'd say that also his Jan./Feb. 1970 engagement, even the August taping of TTWII are somehow aftershocks of what happened when he finally disburdened from everything that Hollywood meant to him in doing this outstanding sessions in Jan./Feb. 1969.

Like no other decade the 1960ies have it all. Immortal hits, experimenting and developing, they're also about losing it all and winnig it all back in the end. While usually overlooked it's the time of 1966-68 that Elvis probably needed to find himself to some extend. The 1950ies didn't challenge him in a way the 60ies did. And the 70ies made him so great he finally lost the opportunity to accept another challenge. Sadly this was the challenge of his life.

Let me know if you guys are getting sick of me bumping. I did get 10 more votes. So 74 out of 250+. Please please vote. I am a nerd like that. I really will go away, if I can at least get half the people to vote!!

It was a very difficult choice, but I voted for the ‘50’s because I think Elvis was both innovative, and consistent with the quality of his recordings throughout this period. I terms of Elvis’ music generally it’s easier for me to sum up what type of music I prefer by relating to specific recordings, rather than a long period of Elvis’ career. If I had to name my favourite albums I would always include “Elvis Is Back” (1960), “Tiger Man” (recorded 1968), “From Elvis In Memphis” (1969) and “Elvis Country” (recorded 1970), along with titles recorded in the ‘50’s such as “The Sun Sessions” and “Elvis ‘56”.

I’ve enjoyed reading other fans reasons as to why they chose which decade as their favourite, and think there were valid points in all of them. One thing I’m sure we would all agree on is that when Elvis was at his best, there was nobody better.

Last edited by rockinrebel on Wed Apr 23, 2003 8:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

One thing I’m sure we would all agree on is that when Elvis was at his best, there was nobody better.

I think we can all agree on that. I love ALL his stuff

If I had to name my favourite albums I would always include “Elvis Is Back” (1960), “Tiger Man” (recorded 1968), “From Elvis In Memphis” (1969) and “Elvis Country” (recorded 1970), along with titles recorded in the ‘50’s such as “The Sun Sessions” and “Elvis ‘56”.

That's a pretty classy variety, rebel, I like that. Personally I would also add his debut album "Elvis Presley". Often forgotten it surely is one of THE debut albums of all time feat. some of the finest recordings in rock music: From "Blue Suede Shoes" over "I Got A Woman", "Tutti Frutti", Trying To Get To You" to one of rockabilly's finest pieces, "Money Honey", this album has everything a rock album needed.

But "Elvis Is Back!", "From Elvis In Memphis" and "Elvis Country" are surely a great selection. Maybe even "That's The Way It Is" that probably sounds a little dated today (due to the sometimes terrible overdubbs) but offers some real adult feelings and songs (somehow it's even a little Sintra-like). I made a re-issue myself using only the best sources for the songs. Try it and you'll get a whole new experience of this album. Also, I'd like to mention the often underrated "Promised Land" album ... But hey, I'm getting off topic ...

I chose the 70's, but really my favorite Elvis era is from 1968-1973, so it was a hard choice.

Lisa

I voted overall for the 70s because this was the era in which he put his entire soul into songs, making the listening experience almost unbearably moving. It was as if he had written some of these songs himself, he made them his own.

Also his TCB band was the best R&R band in the world, Elvis live on stage was something else, and it was a much more elaborate performance than in the 50s, with a large backing, stage lighting, 10 thousands of fans, glitter and glamour, hysteria, you name it...

Studio-wise I prefer the 1966-1970 years, in wich he slowly but surely made his comback and consolidated it with great records and performances. My favorite studio songs being True Love Travels on a Gravel Road and Suspicious Minds. Live: Polk Salad Annie.

Visually the 50s are a blast of course, in which we see a young energetic Presley exploding on stage.

But: the 70s have captured my heart the most