Elvis Presley wasn’t just the King of Rock & Roll. He remains Billboard chart royalty. On the anniversary of the Jan. 8, 1935 birthday of the late icon, who passed away on Aug. 16, 1977, here’s a look back at five of his most impressive chart records.
— 108 Billboard Hot 100 hits, the most among rock artists in the chart’s history. Among all acts, only the Glee cast (207) and Lil Wayne (123) have inked more charted hits. Presley’s career, however, predates the Hot 100’s 1958 inception; he charted more than 30 song entries on surveys that chronicled popular music beginning in 1956. Notably, Presley’s 104th Hot 100 hit, “Way Down,” originally peaked at No. 31 the weeks of Aug. 6 and 13, 1977. After dipping to No. 53, following Presley’s death, the song roared 35-24-21-18, marking his last top 20 track.
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— 80 top 40 Hot 100 hits, the most such showings in the tally’s archives. Drake ranks second with 67, followed by Elton John (57). On the first Hot 100, dated Aug. 4, 1958, Presley ranked at No. 4 with “Hard Headed Woman” and at No. 34 with “Don’t Ask Me Why,” each featuring his longtime gospel backing band, the Jordanaires.
— 129 Billboard 200 charted albums, the highest total in the chart’s 58-year history. (Frank Sinatra ranks second with 82 entries.) Ten of those sets reached No. 1, beginning with Elvis Presley, which ruled for 10 weeks in 1956. His most recent reign came courtesy of Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits in 2002 (nearly a half-century after his first No. 1).
— 67 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the most time spent at the top for a solo act. Garth Brooks follows with 52 frames (or, an entire year) in charge, one week ahead of Michael Jackson (51). Presley’s longest reign? The Blue Hawaii soundtrack totaled 20 weeks at No. 1, beginning in December 1961.
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— Presley became the first rock artist to make two trips to the Hot 100 summit, as “Stuck on You” began a four-week command April 30, 1960. That song, recorded shortly after Presley’s discharge from the Army, followed “A Big Hunk O’ Love,” which led the Aug. 15, 1959, chart. Presley last perched atop the Hot 100 with “Suspicious Minds” the week of Nov. 1, 1969. (In another sign of how much Presley and Billboard charts have been linked, that date doubles as Billboard‘s birthday; the magazine first published the week of Nov. 1, 1894).
This story first appeared on Billboard.com.
