The Playlist: Elvis

As many know by now, August 16 marked the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. Elvis has been referred to as the biggest pop icon of the 20th century and produced dozens of hit songs over his 20-year career. To this day, his influence can be seen throughout music genres and styles. And even other songs.

Here are just a few hit songs over the past 20 years in which the King makes a cameo.

Tom Petty
Song: Free Fallin’
Album: Full Moon Fever (1989)
She's a good girl, loves her mama / loves Jesus and America too / She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis / loves horses and her boyfriend too

The first solo single by the leader of the Heartbreakers reached No. 7 on the Billboard charts in January 1990 and went on to become one of the signature songs of Petty’s 30-year career. Petty and Axl Rose, lead singer of Guns ‘n’ Roses, stole the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards with a memorable performance of the song.

Here’s some trivia: Petty had no musical aspirations until he visited Ocala, Fla. as a child to see Elvis filming his 1962 film ‘Follow That Dream.’

Free Fallin' -- Tom Petty

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Petty performing the song last June in Charlotte:



Marc Cohn
Song: Walking in Memphis
Album: Marc Cohn (1991)
Saw the ghost of Elvis / On Union Avenue / Followed him up to the gates of Graceland / Then I watched him walk right through

The debut album from the native of Cleveland, Ohio earned him a Grammy in 1992 for Best New Artist. Cohn never had another hit single but his success continued years later when Cher covered the song and turned it into chart topper in Europe. Cher’s version was also used at the end of the black-and-white X-Files episode, ‘The Post-Modern Prometheus’ in 1997.



And a clip from the X-Files episode in question:



Alannah Myles
Song: Black Velvet
Album: Alannah Myles (1989)
Up in Memphis the music's like a heatwave / White lightening, bound to drive you wild / Mama's baby's in the heart of every school girl / "Love Me Tender" leaves 'em cryin' in the aisle

The song hit No. 1 on the US Billboard charts in March 1990 and came in at No. 2 on both the UK and Canadian charts, propelling Myles into a chart-topping success … if only briefly. Myles has released 10 albums since the self-titled album but not one has charted in the States.



R.E.M.
Song: Man on the Moon
Album: Automatic for the People (1992)
Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis? / Hey baby, are we losing touch?

The song isn’t about Elvis, rather the late comedy legend and Elvis fanatic Andy Kaufman. Kaufman’s Elvis impression was a focal point of his early stand-up routine and was so good that Elvis himself said Kaufman’s Elvis routine was his favorite. The success of the song inspired the title of Kaufman’s 1999 bio pic starring Jim Carey in the lead role.



Billy Joel
Song: We Didn’t Start the Fire
Album: Storm Front (1989)
Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn’s got a winning team / Davy Crockett, “Peter Pan,” Elvis Presley, Disneyland

Pretty neat how Billy Joel wrote a song simply by rhyming newsmakers and news events over a span of 50 years. Replace the piano with some heavy bass and have Joel wear his Yankees cap sideways and it would be a rap song. ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ is one of Joel’s 10 No. 1 hit songs.



So there’s my list. What’s yours? Shoot me an e-mail at grahamcawthon@shelbystar.com and it might end up featured in a future column.