I've always heard that for most of American people, Elvis is and will always be number one when it comes to rock'n'roll.
Even in Europe, lots of people think the same even if they admit that Mick Jagger is a great sex and rock symbol.
How do American Stones fans feel about it ? Do you believe there is no discussion at all, Elvis is the King forever and Mick is just behind ?
Cheers.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-03-20 01:24 by bv.

Come on, jpasc95. You can do better than this...

elvis had a great voice and of course was important somehow. but he could hardly play the guitar and didnt write a song on his own. how can anyone call him the KING of rock n roll?? this title goes to chuck berry. when i travelled down the mississippi last year i was shocked how little attention the old (black) blues and rock and roll masters get. no street is named after them, no museum, nothing. but elvis is @#$%& everywhere. it's just so wrong!
thats one side of the story. and your question about mick: of course i rate him alot higher than elvis. maybe for americans elvis was dangerous, but to be honest he was also quite stuffy and boring. all his films, his ballads, the vegas years....i dont see any rock n roll there, sorry!

Elvis will always be Elvis, invincible to his die-hard fans. But even tho he was slightly before my time, I favored other artists. Chuck Berry was more in my time-line. James Brown.

Check out Ronnies radio show when he had Paul McCartney on. They discussed Elvis and Paul made a comment I completely agree with, Elvis was great but he didn't write his own songs.

Cheers,
Wuudy

This is not about sonwriters Elvis or Sinatra are in a league on their own in terms of performers...Bono writes his songs so he must be better than Elvis.

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Stoneage
Come on, jpasc95. You can do better than this...

ok Stoneage the question is stupid cos I know in your heart that Mick is number one

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leteyer
This is not about sonwriters Elvis or Sinatra are in a league on their own in terms of performers...Bono writes his songs so he must be better than Elvis.

to me elvis will always be the light and white version of that dangerous black music that white people didnt dare to love. i also think, although elvis was world-famous of course, that americans rate him much higher than europeans do in general.

Elvis WAS the king of rock and roll. However Mick is the greatest front man in the history of rock and roll, who also happens to be the lead singer of the greatest band in the history of rock and roll. Thats coming from Connecticut USA.

Different generation of fans so I don't think you can compare. I think who is popular during your teen years is who you follow the most and think are the best. My uncle was an Elvis fan, I'm a Stones fan, and my son likes Foo Fighters. I like both Elvis and Foo Fighters but the Stones are my band for my generation. When Elvis's birthday came up a while back I posted it on my facebook and got some comments from a few who said they weren't really Elvis fans at all. My reply was that you still had to give him his props because he most likely inspired most of the singers/groups that they did like. Elvis was at the beginning of Rock and Roll and one of the first big stars who took it to another level. Mick as great a performer as he is has borrowed from many who came before him and those who follow do the same.

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IrisC
Elvis WAS the king of rock and roll. However Mick is the greatest front man in the history of rock and roll, who also happens to be the lead singer of the greatest band in the history of rock and roll. Thats coming from Connecticut USA.

Can't say it any better...

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guitarbastard
all his films, his ballads, the vegas years....i dont see any rock n roll there

sounds like another band I know

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guitarbastard
elvis had a great voice and of course was important somehow. but he could hardly play the guitar and didnt write a song on his own. how can anyone call him the KING of rock n roll?? this title goes to chuck berry. when i travelled down the mississippi last year i was shocked how little attention the old (black) blues and rock and roll masters get. no street is named after them, no museum, nothing. but elvis is @#$%& everywhere. it's just so wrong!

You should have called me before you came! You obviously missed the Mississippi Blues Trail, the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale (and all the other Clarksdale sites), the guitar monument at the crossroads on Highway 61 where Robert Johnson supposedly met the devil, all the birth sites and grave sites, such as Sonny Boy Williamson's . . . And that's just in one small area of Mississippi!

Chuck Berry is the man in my opinion. I'm American but I doubt that has anything to do with it. Elvis was great in the beginning but it ends there for me. Well okay a few of the later hits were pretty good too.

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Aquamarine

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guitarbastard
elvis had a great voice and of course was important somehow. but he could hardly play the guitar and didnt write a song on his own. how can anyone call him the KING of rock n roll?? this title goes to chuck berry. when i travelled down the mississippi last year i was shocked how little attention the old (black) blues and rock and roll masters get. no street is named after them, no museum, nothing. but elvis is @#$%& everywhere. it's just so wrong!

You should have called me before you came! You obviously missed the Mississippi Blues Trail, the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale (and all the other Clarksdale sites), the guitar monument at the crossroads on Highway 61 where Robert Johnson supposedly met the devil, all the birth sites and grave sites, such as Sonny Boy Williamson's . . . And that's just in one small area of Mississippi!

But why no street names?? I wonder why.
Elvis had a great voice and his performance was new and shocking at the time. But that's all he had to offer (plus his handsome face which drove women crazy).

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kleermaker

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Aquamarine

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guitarbastard
elvis had a great voice and of course was important somehow. but he could hardly play the guitar and didnt write a song on his own. how can anyone call him the KING of rock n roll?? this title goes to chuck berry. when i travelled down the mississippi last year i was shocked how little attention the old (black) blues and rock and roll masters get. no street is named after them, no museum, nothing. but elvis is @#$%& everywhere. it's just so wrong!

You should have called me before you came! You obviously missed the Mississippi Blues Trail, the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale (and all the other Clarksdale sites), the guitar monument at the crossroads on Highway 61 where Robert Johnson supposedly met the devil, all the birth sites and grave sites, such as Sonny Boy Williamson's . . . And that's just in one small area of Mississippi!

But why no street names?? I wonder why.
Elvis had a great voice and his performance was new and shocking at the time. But that's all he had to offer (plus his handsome face which drove women crazy).

Nonsense.
He also arranged and produced the TCB band keeping them in top shape. One of the most respected touring bands of its time. He also arranged songs which went on to win awards and become commonplace...

Mick Jagger isn't even the greatest British rock frontman in history.
That would be Freddy Mercury. Better than Mick in every possible way.

[thepowergoats.com]

Another Apples and Pears comparison. Two different eras. Elvis certainly may have dominated the late 50s.

Jagger and the Stones came into their own during the course of the 1960s and especially during the 1970s. Nowadays, they're raking it in (including the dough). Where's Elvis compared there?

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nightskyman
Nowadays, they're raking it in (including the dough). Where's Elvis compared there?

EPE is doing friggin fantastic...and no need to go see him wreck his back catalog...

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nightskyman
Another Apples and Pears comparison. Two different eras. Elvis certainly may have dominated the late 50s.

Jagger and the Stones came into their own during the course of the 1960s and especially during the 1970s. Nowadays, they're raking it in (including the dough). Where's Elvis compared there?

I have to agree, not even comparable. But as for legend status, worship, etc. Mick doesn't come CLOSE to Elvis. THe Stones will always be a footnote to The Beatles as far as the laws of the Rock and Roll Cosmos go. THe Stones only win out by still being alive and being an un-dead cash cow.

[thepowergoats.com]

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Munichhilton

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kleermaker

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Aquamarine

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guitarbastard
elvis had a great voice and of course was important somehow. but he could hardly play the guitar and didnt write a song on his own. how can anyone call him the KING of rock n roll?? this title goes to chuck berry. when i travelled down the mississippi last year i was shocked how little attention the old (black) blues and rock and roll masters get. no street is named after them, no museum, nothing. but elvis is @#$%& everywhere. it's just so wrong!

You should have called me before you came! You obviously missed the Mississippi Blues Trail, the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale (and all the other Clarksdale sites), the guitar monument at the crossroads on Highway 61 where Robert Johnson supposedly met the devil, all the birth sites and grave sites, such as Sonny Boy Williamson's . . . And that's just in one small area of Mississippi!

But why no street names?? I wonder why.
Elvis had a great voice and his performance was new and shocking at the time. But that's all he had to offer (plus his handsome face which drove women crazy).

Nonsense.
He also arranged and produced the TCB band keeping them in top shape. One of the most respected touring bands of its time. He also arranged songs which went on to win awards and become commonplace...

Sorry, add those achievements to his achievement record.

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kleermaker

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Munichhilton

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kleermaker

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Aquamarine

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guitarbastard
elvis had a great voice and of course was important somehow. but he could hardly play the guitar and didnt write a song on his own. how can anyone call him the KING of rock n roll?? this title goes to chuck berry. when i travelled down the mississippi last year i was shocked how little attention the old (black) blues and rock and roll masters get. no street is named after them, no museum, nothing. but elvis is @#$%& everywhere. it's just so wrong!

You should have called me before you came! You obviously missed the Mississippi Blues Trail, the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale (and all the other Clarksdale sites), the guitar monument at the crossroads on Highway 61 where Robert Johnson supposedly met the devil, all the birth sites and grave sites, such as Sonny Boy Williamson's . . . And that's just in one small area of Mississippi!

But why no street names?? I wonder why.
Elvis had a great voice and his performance was new and shocking at the time. But that's all he had to offer (plus his handsome face which drove women crazy).

Nonsense.
He also arranged and produced the TCB band keeping them in top shape. One of the most respected touring bands of its time. He also arranged songs which went on to win awards and become commonplace...

Sorry, add those achievements to his achievement record.

Elvis was a marketing sensation. His face was all he needed; he was a very handsome guy with a nice voice. He is the original "American Idol" in every sense of the word. He appealed to hordes of screaming girls, pre-Beatlemania.

The label "King of Rock and Roll" is as daft as calling The Stones "The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" (don't The Who call themselves that too?).

I absolutely agree that technically, Chuck Berry deserves the crown. But hey, it was The States, it was the 50s. Americans still practiced legal segregation for crying out loud! God Bless 'Murica.

[thepowergoats.com]

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jamesfdouglas

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nightskyman
Another Apples and Pears comparison. Two different eras. Elvis certainly may have dominated the late 50s.

Jagger and the Stones came into their own during the course of the 1960s and especially during the 1970s. Nowadays, they're raking it in (including the dough). Where's Elvis compared there?

I have to agree, not even comparable. But as for legend status, worship, etc. Mick doesn't come CLOSE to Elvis. THe Stones will always be a footnote to The Beatles as far as the laws of the Rock and Roll Cosmos go. THe Stones only win out by still being alive and being an un-dead cash cow.

Do you work at coming up with great band names in each post? Or does that just come naturally?

Garth Brooks has sold more albums than Elvis, and played to more live fans. Hes country AND rock and roll...this is America after all

I am 40 and American & people of my generation all know the Stones - for us, the Stones were somewhat contemporary, but Elvis was considered oldies. You could hear his songs on oldies radio, but very few people my age ever owned an Elvis record.

I can't say I'm surprised by most of the comments here because most of these comments reek of typical "classic rock" mentality. In a genre comprised mainly of guitar heroes/gods, it's no surprise why Presley is generally misunderstood to most classic rock fans. The lack of songwriting, the crappy 60's movies, Vegas and whatever flimsy reasons to dismiss Presley are generally very weak that more often than not usually hide a personal dislike for Presley that one cannot admit. Whatever the reason, it displays a hugely irresponsible view on his impact on popular music and proves taht there is much room for education regarding Elvis Presley.

A popular notion that Presley was less "musical" than his peers is incorrect. Presley in essence produced all of his sessions himself. All those great songs we know and love? Yeah Presley arranged them. The music all came through the filter that was Presley's. The inspiration started with him and worked its way throughout the band. It was his guitar playing that served as foundation to Scotty Moore and Bill Black on what is considered the first rock and roll record ever: "That's All Right." His rhythm playing which was clearly based in country music, combined with his voice dripping of blues is the basic recipe for any rock and roll tune which is still being used today.

The cheap shot that Elvis never wrote a song is nothing but that: a cheap shot. "Hound Dog" was originally recorded by the great blues singer Big Mama Thornton but the song was written by two Jewish men from New York: Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. Does that make Thornton's version any less great? The truth is by the time the song got to Elvis Presley---he had transformed the song into something that never existed before. He took a blues song and completely transformed it into a rock and roll song. Whether he wrote the song or not has become of a footnote to the bigger issue: he created something that no one had heard before.

One cannot also forget that the song that single-handedly brought our guy Keith Richards to rock and roll was Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel." It was Scotty Moore's guitar playing that influenced not only Keith Richards but Jimmy Page and a slew of other players from the period. It goes without saying that the effect Presley had on singers was immeasurable: from Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey to Elton John...the list is long. Musicians have gone on record to cite Presley's music as a huge influence on them.

Presley's influence was humongus. It was more than what you saw and what he sang or what he did/didn't play. It's how he made people feel. The essence of rock and roll however you want to call it: danger, fear, sex, anger...Elvis Presley pulled it right out of everyone during a period when no one knew they had it in them. His contribution to music extends into popular culture in a way that even the great Chuck Berry could not even reach. Bob Dylan said it best: "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail." Chuck Berry's influence is tangible: it comes in the form of his songwriting and guitar work which laid the foundation to the "sound" of rock and roll. Elvis Presley's influence was much much larger.

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Justin
I can't say I'm surprised by most of the comments here because most of these comments reek of typical "classic rock" mentality. In a genre comprised mainly of guitar heroes/gods, it's no surprise why Presley is generally misunderstood to most classic rock fans. The lack of songwriting, the crappy 60's movies, Vegas and whatever flimsy reasons to dismiss Presley are generally very weak that more often than not usually hide a personal dislike for Presley that one cannot admit. Whatever the reason, it displays a hugely irresponsible view on his impact on popular music and proves taht there is much room for education regarding Elvis Presley.

A popular notion that Presley was less "musical" than his peers is incorrect. Presley in essence produced all of his sessions himself. All those great songs we know and love? Yeah Presley arranged them. The music all came through the filter that was Presley's. The inspiration started with him and worked its way throughout the band. It was his guitar playing that served as foundation to Scotty Moore and Bill Black on what is considered the first rock and roll record ever: "That's All Right." His rhythm playing which was clearly based in country music, combined with his voice dripping of blues is the basic recipe for any rock and roll tune which is still being used today.

The cheap shot that Elvis never wrote a song is nothing but that: a cheap shot. "Hound Dog" was originally recorded by the great blues singer Big Mama Thornton but the song was written by two Jewish men from New York: Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. Does that make Thornton's version any less great? The truth is by the time the song got to Elvis Presley---he had transformed the song into something that never existed before. He took a blues song and completely transformed it into a rock and roll song. Whether he wrote the song or not has become of a footnote to the bigger issue: he created something that no one had heard before.

One cannot also forget that the song that single-handedly brought our guy Keith Richards to rock and roll was Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel." It was Scotty Moore's guitar playing that influenced not only Keith Richards but Jimmy Page and a slew of other players from the period. It goes without saying that the effect Presley had on singers was immeasurable: from Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey to Elton John...the list is long. Musicians have gone on record to cite Presley's music as a huge influence on them.

Presley's influence was humongus. It was more than what you saw and what he sang or what he did/didn't play. It's how he made people feel. The essence of rock and roll however you want to call it: danger, fear, sex, anger...Elvis Presley pulled it right out of everyone during a period when no one knew they had it in them. His contribution to music extends into popular culture in a way that even the great Chuck Berry could not even reach. Bob Dylan said it best: "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail." Chuck Berry's influence is tangible: it comes in the form of his songwriting and guitar work which laid the foundation to the "sound" of rock and roll. Elvis Presley's influence was much much larger.

Post of the month!

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Justin
I can't say I'm surprised by most of the comments here because most of these comments reek of typical "classic rock" mentality. In a genre comprised mainly of guitar heroes/gods, it's no surprise why Presley is generally misunderstood to most classic rock fans. The lack of songwriting, the crappy 60's movies, Vegas and whatever flimsy reasons to dismiss Presley are generally very weak that more often than not usually hide a personal dislike for Presley that one cannot admit. Whatever the reason, it displays a hugely irresponsible view on his impact on popular music and proves taht there is much room for education regarding Elvis Presley.

A popular notion that Presley was less "musical" than his peers is incorrect. Presley in essence produced all of his sessions himself. All those great songs we know and love? Yeah Presley arranged them. The music all came through the filter that was Presley's. The inspiration started with him and worked its way throughout the band. It was his guitar playing that served as foundation to Scotty Moore and Bill Black on what is considered the first rock and roll record ever: "That's All Right." His rhythm playing which was clearly based in country music, combined with his voice dripping of blues is the basic recipe for any rock and roll tune which is still being used today.

The cheap shot that Elvis never wrote a song is nothing but that: a cheap shot. "Hound Dog" was originally recorded by the great blues singer Big Mama Thornton but the song was written by two Jewish men from New York: Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. Does that make Thornton's version any less great? The truth is by the time the song got to Elvis Presley---he had transformed the song into something that never existed before. He took a blues song and completely transformed it into a rock and roll song. Whether he wrote the song or not has become of a footnote to the bigger issue: he created something that no one had heard before.

One cannot also forget that the song that single-handedly brought our guy Keith Richards to rock and roll was Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel." It was Scotty Moore's guitar playing that influenced not only Keith Richards but Jimmy Page and a slew of other players from the period. It goes without saying that the effect Presley had on singers was immeasurable: from Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey to Elton John...the list is long. Musicians have gone on record to cite Presley's music as a huge influence on them.

Presley's influence was humongus. It was more than what you saw and what he sang or what he did/didn't play. It's how he made people feel. The essence of rock and roll however you want to call it: danger, fear, sex, anger...Elvis Presley pulled it right out of everyone during a period when no one knew they had it in them. His contribution to music extends into popular culture in a way that even the great Chuck Berry could not even reach. Bob Dylan said it best: "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail." Chuck Berry's influence is tangible: it comes in the form of his songwriting and guitar work which laid the foundation to the "sound" of rock and roll. Elvis Presley's influence was much much larger.

Straight fire...

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DandelionPowderman

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Justin
I can't say I'm surprised by most of the comments here because most of these comments reek of typical "classic rock" mentality. In a genre comprised mainly of guitar heroes/gods, it's no surprise why Presley is generally misunderstood to most classic rock fans. The lack of songwriting, the crappy 60's movies, Vegas and whatever flimsy reasons to dismiss Presley are generally very weak that more often than not usually hide a personal dislike for Presley that one cannot admit. Whatever the reason, it displays a hugely irresponsible view on his impact on popular music and proves taht there is much room for education regarding Elvis Presley.

A popular notion that Presley was less "musical" than his peers is incorrect. Presley in essence produced all of his sessions himself. All those great songs we know and love? Yeah Presley arranged them. The music all came through the filter that was Presley's. The inspiration started with him and worked its way throughout the band. It was his guitar playing that served as foundation to Scotty Moore and Bill Black on what is considered the first rock and roll record ever: "That's All Right." His rhythm playing which was clearly based in country music, combined with his voice dripping of blues is the basic recipe for any rock and roll tune which is still being used today.

The cheap shot that Elvis never wrote a song is nothing but that: a cheap shot. "Hound Dog" was originally recorded by the great blues singer Big Mama Thornton but the song was written by two Jewish men from New York: Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. Does that make Thornton's version any less great? The truth is by the time the song got to Elvis Presley---he had transformed the song into something that never existed before. He took a blues song and completely transformed it into a rock and roll song. Whether he wrote the song or not has become of a footnote to the bigger issue: he created something that no one had heard before.

One cannot also forget that the song that single-handedly brought our guy Keith Richards to rock and roll was Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel." It was Scotty Moore's guitar playing that influenced not only Keith Richards but Jimmy Page and a slew of other players from the period. It goes without saying that the effect Presley had on singers was immeasurable: from Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey to Elton John...the list is long. Musicians have gone on record to cite Presley's music as a huge influence on them.

Presley's influence was humongus. It was more than what you saw and what he sang or what he did/didn't play. It's how he made people feel. The essence of rock and roll however you want to call it: danger, fear, sex, anger...Elvis Presley pulled it right out of everyone during a period when no one knew they had it in them. His contribution to music extends into popular culture in a way that even the great Chuck Berry could not even reach. Bob Dylan said it best: "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail." Chuck Berry's influence is tangible: it comes in the form of his songwriting and guitar work which laid the foundation to the "sound" of rock and roll. Elvis Presley's influence was much much larger.

Post of the month!

Agreed.

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kleermaker

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Aquamarine

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guitarbastard
elvis had a great voice and of course was important somehow. but he could hardly play the guitar and didnt write a song on his own. how can anyone call him the KING of rock n roll?? this title goes to chuck berry. when i travelled down the mississippi last year i was shocked how little attention the old (black) blues and rock and roll masters get. no street is named after them, no museum, nothing. but elvis is @#$%& everywhere. it's just so wrong!

You should have called me before you came! You obviously missed the Mississippi Blues Trail, the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale (and all the other Clarksdale sites), the guitar monument at the crossroads on Highway 61 where Robert Johnson supposedly met the devil, all the birth sites and grave sites, such as Sonny Boy Williamson's . . . And that's just in one small area of Mississippi!

But why no street names?? I wonder why.

Not many, admittedly, but there are some--John Lee Hooker Lane, McKinley St., plus Muddy waters has a Chicago street named after him.