This is a
list of hit singles and extended plays by Elvis Presley. The US singles charts are explored in detail. While it is not the only measure, the number of hits an artist had is an important indicator of success and popular impact. The number of hits Elvis Presley had in the US became a topic of discussion in several news articles when it was announced by
Billboard magazine in April 2008 that
Mariah Carey and
Madonna had surpassed Elvis Presley in the number of "Number 1" and "Top Ten" hits, with 18 and 37 hits respectively.
Both of these claims were disputed by music historian
Joel Whitburn and
Elvis Presley Enterprises. Whitburn lists Elvis as having 18 number 1 hits (placing him in a tie with Mariah Carey at that time) and 38 top ten hits (one more than Madonna at that time). The differences depend on whether a double-sided hit single is counted as one hit single, or two hit songs.
Before the age of Compact Discs and digital music downloads, singles were released on vinyl
45 RPM records, with one song on each side (an A-side and a B-side or flip side). Both songs of many Elvis singles became hits and were listed on the charts. "Hound Dog / Don't Be Cruel" was a double sided hit single that topped the Billboard Sales chart for 11 weeks in 1956. At the time, "Hound...
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