Elvis Presley Delivered One of Rock's Most Powerful Live Performances in 1968 During A Core Moment in His Career

Elvis Presley is undoubtedly the King of rock 'n' roll. His music, a mash-up of country, gospel, and rhythm and blues, not only revolutionized the 1950s and beyond, but his distinct voice, electric dance moves, and magnetic persona did too. Beyond his influence on music, his talent graced the big and small screen, and he defined what it meant to be a triple threat. Today, his legacy is synonymous with the word' icon,' and it's hard to believe that during his lifetime, anyone could outmatch his talent. And while Presley certainly had many memorable moments throughout his prolific career, tragically cut short by his untimely death at the age of 42, this one performance stands out not only as one of his greatest musical achievements but also as one of the most iconic moments in rock n roll history.

Elvis Made Music HIstory With His 1968 Comeback Special

The year was 1968. The year that arguably made Elvis Presley an absolute legend. It was a pivotal moment in his career, as it marked his return to the stage after a seven-year hiatus during which he focused on his lucrative acting career. The concert, dubbed 'Singer Presents... Elvis and also the '68 Comeback Special' aired on NBC on December 3. The concert, which had initially been 4 hours long, was condensed to 55 minutes after executives felt it was more easily digestible for audiences. And they weren't wrong. The concert special was a hit and placed first in the Nielsen television ratings the first week of airing. It would later become the most-watched show on NBC that entire season. But the concert wasn't just a hit with American audiences; it was also a hit with fans around the world, particularly in England.

Presley sang a total of 16 songs during the set, some of which included some of his most popular tracks, such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "All Shook Up", "Can't Help Falling in Love," "Hound Dog", "Blue Suede Shoes, "Baby What You Want Me To Do" and "Jailhouse Rock".

Shortly after, the concert special's soundtrack was released, the latter of which cracked the top ten on Billboard's Top LP charts before it was eventually certified gold.

The concert (and the soundtrack) were not just a hit with fans, it was also heavily praised by critics. Such as The New York Times, which wrote: "What this special points out is that [Presley] was at his best 10 years ago, but he hasn't lost his grip on the best music has to offer. And even today, his performance is lauded by critics such as Rolling Stone, which in 2017 declared Singer Presents...Elvis as legendary and one of the greatest performers of all time.

Elvis Received a Poor Reception During One of His Earliest Performances

Fresh off his hit debut single "That's All Right", Elvis Presley released a follow-up song under his then record label Sun titled "Good Rockin' Tonight." To commemorate its release, Presley, alongside his Blue Moon Boys bandmates Bill Black and Scotty Moore, made their first appearance at The Grand Ole Opry. As ardent music fans will know, the Grand Old Opry located in Nashville, Tennessee, is where up-and-coming and established country music artists such as Dolly Parton, Loretta Young, and Randy Travis have performed since its inception in 1925. At the time, Presley was a bright-eyed 19-year-old who was reportedly excited and anxious for his big break. However, the performance got off to a rocky start, as the event's host, Hank Snow, failed to remember Presley's name when introducing him on stage.

From there, things got from bad to worse as the trio performed a rendition of "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Instead of treating audiences to a country sound, they leaned into their rockabilly roots, which reportedly disappointed the crowd. “The crowd was polite. They didn’t roll in the aisles or anything like that because this was something new to them,” recalled Moore. But according to other sources close to Presley, the experience was so bad that the singer not only never returned to the event but also almost quit his music career entirely. However, he eventually recovered from the icy reception, and two weeks later, he appeared on the Opry's biggest competitor, the Louisiana Hayride, and signed on for 52 Saturday night appearances on the radio show, which would later launch his legendary career.