Monday Music: Mystery Train (Elvis Presley)

"Mystery Train" was Elvis Presley's first break-out hit with Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee in 1955. It had been written and recorded in 1953 by Junior Parker in the Memphis Blues style. The young Elvis gave it the up and coming rockabilly touch.

Addendum:

What Song Was Really Elvis' First Hit?

One reader let me know that Elvis' first hit was "That's Alright Mama," recorded in 1954. This was indeed a local hit at the time, but did not make the national charts. However, since Billboard Magazine has listed the song among the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time," one can see the merits of naming "That's Alright" as his first  hit.

"Mystery Train," recorded in 1955, according to Wikipedia was "the first recording to make Elvis Presley a nationally known country music star." It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard national charts and is listed in Rolling Stones "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

A third entry is "Heartbreak Hotel," recorded in 1956 and named by some as Elvis' first big hit. According to the Graceland website, it reached number 1 on the country chart and number 5 on the R&B chart, and became Elvis' first single to sell over a million copies.

So what was Elvis Presley's first big hit? I guess it depends upon your perspective and who you ask. At any rate, 1954 to 1956 were outstanding years for the artist as he launched his career.

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