Fabulous Final Three

[eligain]

In the UK chart 'Hurt' was a Top 40 hit in 1976 (#37) whilst 'Moody Blue' reached #6 and 'Way Down' reached #1 in 1977.

... and all three were Top10 hits on the US Country charts, the last two even No. 1.

And all TOP 40 U.S. within the Billboard Hot 100 as well.

I was talking about the US. (England has always been special for Elvis). Yes they made the top 40 charts briefly but they got next to zero pop radio airplay and they weren't considered hits (except for WD). Country radio and country charts were considered a very small niches in the 70's. The only reason Way Down became an actual hit is because it was the single out at the time of his death. Bottom line (except for Way Down which was affected by his death), the singles didn't sell well in the US and they got next to zero radio airplay (even Way Down) in the US.

Wrong. Way Down was a country number 1 at the time Elvis died, and had followed Moody Blue at the number 1 spot. You have an overly narrow view of "hit" my friend.

Before his death Way Down peaked at 31 before falling to 53 on the US Pop charts. After his death it climbed up to and stalled at 18. It was a number 1 Country song after his death the week of August 20th for 1 week. Moody Blue peaked at 31 on the US pop charts, it was number 1 and number 2 on the Country and Adult Contemporary charts. Hurt reached to 28 on the pop charts and 6 and 7 on the Country and Easy Listening charts.

In 77, having a hit on the Country charts was a far cry from having a hit on the Pop charts since it was considered such a small niche market. The songs did not sell well upon their initial release. I consider a song a hit if it charted well on the Pop charts (top 20 at least). had plenty of radio (and TV) airplay (Got into the public's consciousness), and sold well. Those three songs did none of those.

Interestingly, Denver (where I'm from) had/has one of the top Country stations in the country. At the time, my friend's Dad and my Uncle listened to it and we were around them a lot and they rarely ever played Elvis singles. Never heard MB, Hurt or WD when they were supposedly Country hits. Heard Hurt a couple of times on the MOR station my parents listened to in the morning and that's it.

You are mistaken. Way Down already was number one on Billboard's country charts at the time Elvis died.

See

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=87498&hilit=number+1

Actually according to Billboard's archives Way Down wasn't #1 until August 20th 1977. Charlie Rich's 'Rollin In The Flow" was #1 from 8/6 to 8/19.

[minkahed]

Can't stand for Hurt.

You're not the only one. I don't particularly like it much either. It's a song that goes nowhere, like an unfinished manuscript.

Where's It supposed to go ?

Oh, you mean like Elvis doing Meatloaf ?