It is my opinion that while, indeed, Elvis’ recordings from 1971 to his death are a step down from the 1968-1970 output, this is only slight.
1969’s From Elvis in Memphis contained a fusion of country and R&B, but also continued with the heavy orchestration (although admittedly a little rougher around the edges), as did his return to live performing later that year. But he also included two brand new songs in the special: “Memories” and “If I Can Dream,” both of which were heavily polished and orchestrated. Here’s the way I see it: when Elvis made his comeback special in 1968, he gave the most powerful performance of his life, created the ultimate versions of most of his ’50s hits, and proved that he was still the King of Rock & Roll. You will also see that there is a large number of tracks from what are generally thought of as weak periods in his career and while the mid-’60s tracks I have included are indeed exceptions that prove the rule, I do not buy into the idea that Elvis declined again in the ’70s. Yet I did not include (most of) his hits here because all of you have heard them so damn much that both their initial earth-shattering impact and some of their greatness has been lost. “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” and “All Shook Up” are not only among Elvis’ best songs, but rank as some of the greatest in the history of recorded music.
You will notice that many of the bigger hits will not be found on the list and there is a good explanation for that. Next week will mark the 33rd anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley and to commemorate that and honor his musical legacy, I have compiled a list of what I feel to be thirty of his greatest recordings.
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