August 16, 1977, is a date that music devotees all around the world recognize as the day they lost the icon of all icons. Yes, it was thirty four years ago this week that the world lost the "King of Rock and Roll," but his legacy lives on.
All over the world today, the best performers are still covering songs that have been made famous by Elvis Presley.
Notable Covers
Back in the day, Cheap Trick covered "Don't Be Cruel." Fine Young Cannibals covered "Suspicious Minds." And the entire soundtrack of the movie Honeymoon in Vegas featured Elvis Presley songs covered by various artists: "Heartbreak Hotel" and "All Shook Up" by Billy Joel, "Jailhouse Rock" by John Mellencamp, "Burning Love" by Travis Tritt, "That's Alright, Mama" by Vince Gill, "Love Me Tender" by Amy Grant, "(You're the) Devil in Disguise" by Trisha Yearwood, and "Blue Hawaii" by Willie Nelson, for example.
Recent Live Covers of a Definitive Song
Undoubtedly, "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" is one of Elvis Presley's definitive songs, and in tribute to the man who made it, here is a list of some of the top live cover performances of the song (in no particular order): Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), U2 and Bon Jovi.
Elvis Presley's version of the song topped the British charts for four weeks when it was released in 1962 and has been certified platinum by the RIAA in the United States, meaning it has sold at least one million copies.
In addition to live covers by some of the best performers in the world, the song has also been covered and/or recorded by many other notable artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Barry Manilow, Bob Dylan, the Dave Matthews Band, Engelbert Humperdinck, Harry Connick, Jr., Julio Iglesias, Neil Diamond, and Perry Como.
Although most of the covers of the song have been done by male artists, a few female performers, including Celine Dion, have adequately covered it.
Remember the King
So as the weekend approaches, find the cover you like best and listen to it. Then top it off by enjoying a performance of the song by the original, Elvis Presley himself.
We still can't help falling in love with him.
Sources
- http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/elvis%20presley/
- http://www.elvis.com/about-the-king/music/gold_and_platinum_records/singles.aspx
Rebecca Wilson - Rebecca Wilson resides in Arkansas with her husband, daughter, and cat. A former high school teacher and college instructor, she currently ...
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