NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Elvis Presley, despite making movies and not enjoying the artistic control of today's superstars, dominated the rock and country charts in his prime and sold a probably unmatchable 1 billion records.
Presley's records are still selling 31 years after his first charted song and 10 years after his death, although radio listeners now must tune to country, rather than rock or pop stations, to hear the king of rock 'n' roll.
Music historian-statistician Joel Whitburn of Record Research Inc., who surveyed Elvis's performance for RCA Records, said based on a formula that awards points to the highest position and weeks charted, Elvis had an unmatchable 13,237 chart points. The second highest chart-points total for singles was the Beatles with 6,696.
Also, Elvis had:
-149 charted hits with James Brown second with 94.
-107 top-40 hits with the Beatles second with 49.
-80 weeks in the No. 1 position. The Beatles were second with 59.
-20,050 album chart-points. Frank Sinatra is second with 17,025.
-90 charted albums with Sinatra second with 62.
Elvis had 10 percent of the top 100 hits of the rock era, Whitburn said.
'From his first appearance on Billboard's Top 100 singles chart, on March 3, 1956, to his last, on Jan. 8, 1983, Elvis' performance during his 27-year reign on America's pop-rock charts is truly astounding and will probably never be surpassed,' Whitburn concluded.
But some fans wonder even with such dominance what would have happened if Elvis had concentrated more on music in the 1960s than on movies. Several books on the star have said Presley was fed up with his low-grade movies and wanted to come to Nashville and do some 'real' music.
Some of the books have criticized Presley's longtime manager, Tom Parker, for insisting that the star pursue his movie career.
Paul Grein, in charge of music research and analysis for Billboard Magazine in Los Angeles and the top authority on music charts in the United States, offered his view.
'He did regain a lot of that (early) form in 1968 and 1969. He did come back and that proves that he could. It didn't leave him in 1960. The phrasing and inflection on the records proves he was one of the best pop singers of the 20th century.
'He peaked in a day and age when managers had much more control over artists. If he were a current artist today, he would probably be calling the shots more, like Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Lionel Richie and Madonna. These artists have managers but the managers essentially serve them, give advice and suggestions.
'Managers had more power 30 years ago and tended to tell artists what to do. It's hard to know how much of Elvis's movie making in the '60s was Parker pushing him. Maybe it was Elvis's desire. A lot of time to be a star meant to be a movie star. lt's possible that Parker was pushing him in the direction of movies.'
Asked about the continuing popularity of Elvis, Grein said:
'I think he represents the American dream. He came up from anonymity, a small town in Mississippi, just based on his talent, looks and smarts and became a legend. That is the American dream.'
Don Wardell, vice president of marketing for RCA Records and an authority on the Elvis fan, added, 'The Elvis phenomenon is getting bigger. There are more people leaving England for the 10th anniversary than left for the (1984) Olympic games in Los Angeles.'
Wardell, of Los Angeles and a native of Great Britain, said a survey commissioned by RCA showed the primary fan of Elvis is a female between the age of 35 and 50, lives in the South and is probably married to a blue-collar worker. She listens to adult contemporary or country music and is a longtime fan of Elvis. Wardell said she probably bought her first Elvis record before 1980.
Wardell said her favorite songs are 'Crying in the Chapel,' 'It's Now Or Never,' 'Don't Be Cruel,' and 'Burning Love.'
However, Wardell said he attended an Elvis fan club convention in Tupelo, Miss., recently and most of the people attending were in their 20s and unmarried.
'I think his appeal is right across the board. We're short of heroes. The American public wants a hero. Look at Ollie North,' Wardell said.
Today, Elvis's records are played mainly on country music radio stations.
'Country music fans have always been his most loyal fans,' said Grein. 'Even in 1976 and 1977 when the pop hits had slowed down before he died, 'Moody Blue,' 'Way Down' were big. To this degree no one has ever held this popularity for this long.'
He said most contemporary rock stations don't play much music older than two years, leaving out the Beatles, the Beach Boys and early Elton John tunes.
RCA has produced a commemorative set of Elvis's music, including 'The Complete Sun Sessions' and 'The Memphis Sessions.'
Both releases were significant sessions for the star -- the 1954-1955 sessions at Sun Records in Memphis and Elvis's 'comeback' session at American Studios in Memphis in the late 1960s.
Also on the commemorative issue are a double record set of Presley's top 10 hits and an 18-song album of the singer's No. 1 hits.
