Elvis Presley Musical milestones article page
of the Elvis Presley biography story

This Elvis Presley biography Elvis Presley Music page is dedicated to providing quality Elvis Presley biography information, pictures and articles for your entertainment. The contents of this Elvis Presley site is written by a fan for his fans about Elvis Presley Music.

During his lifetime, Elvis Presley:

∙ recorded 104 singles that hit the Top 40 of the Billboard pop chart. (An additional 47 Presley singles charted in the #41-100 region of the charts; Presley's total of 151 chart hits is easily the most for any performer of the rock era.)

∙ had 17 number 1 Billboard hits, including four singles in 1956 that occupied the top of the charts for a cumulative total of 25 weeks. An 18th number 1 single ("Hound Dog") was retroactively removed by a change in Billboard's methodology. The total (17) is surpassed only by The Beatles, who had 20 number 1 hits. Presley's total was recently tied by Mariah Carey, an American pop and R&B; singer.

∙ has spent a total of 80 weeks at the number 1 position. His closest competitor is Mariah Carey with 77 weeks.

∙ from 1956 to 1972, he had record breaking 36 Top 10 Billboard hits. This achievement is currently shared by Madonna who reached the same total in late November of 2005. The Beatles had 34 Top 10 hits during their career.

Until the record was broken by Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" in November 1992, Elvis Presley's double-side "Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog" was the undisputed champion of singles in terms of weeks spent at number one.

These are other records set by Presley's recordings:

∙ From March 1956 to November 1959, every week there was at least one Elvis song on the singles chart.

∙ From 1956 to 1962, Elvis set the record with 24 consecutive top 5 hit singles (singles listed with B-side songs and original U.S.A. release dates), each of which sold in excess of one million copies. Since 1962, the closest anyone has come to matching this was Madonna in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with 19 consecutive top 5 hits.

∙ Also, on the official United Kingdom Top 40 chart, "It's Now Or Never" reached number one in the week of Sunday January 30, 2005, 27 years after Presley's death.

∙ According to the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA), Elvis Presley is the recording artist with the most Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum certified albums (97, 55 and 26, respectively). He also tops the singles category, with 53, 27, and 8 of his singles having earned Gold, Platinum, and Multi-platinum status, respectively. His "Elvis Christmas album" (1970 version), is the most certified Christmas album in history, currently earning a 9X Platinum certification (in excess of nine million copies sold). He is also has the most Christmas, Gospel, and Inspirational certified albums in history.

In a list of the greatest English language singers of the 20th century, as compiled by BBC Radio, Elvis Presley was ranked #2. The poll was topped by Frank Sinatra, with Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald also in the top ten.

Download the free autobiography book version of "Elvis Presley Forever" with his life story in full
This autobiography page is dedicated to providing quality Elvis Presley biography information, pictures and articles for your entertainment. The contents of this Elvis Presley biography site is written by a fan for his fans.

What Elvis Presley biography information are you looking for?
Try a local search of our site for your answers