Elvis Presley was a US singer who has become one of the biggest icons in retro music. He is often called the “king of rock and roll” by music historians. His career began in 1954, playing the guitar for Sun Records. Elvis helped to bring African American music to mainstream audiences.
He helped to pioneer a combination of rhythm and blues, country and rockabilly. His first significant single was Heartbreak Hotel. It now stands as one of the most important rock and roll songs of all time. In 1956 it reached number one in the US charts. It also did well on the overseas cha
rts.
Thanks to his charismatic onstage presence Elvis became a popular figure in modern music. He also caused some controversy due to his sexualised dance moves. Conservative figures often voiced their distaste of Elvis.
Despite this, Elvis continued to find success both as a singer and actor. Publications such as The Sun have pointed out the significance of Elvis movies for retro music culture. These films would feature scenes of Elvis singing. Some of his best ones include Jailhouse Rock, Viva Las Vegas and Love Me Tender.