The Elvis Soundtracks Ranked
Here is a brief review of the Elvis Presley movie soundtracks. I present this review in the form of a chronological survey. I rank the films in a separate post. I will be brief. My criteria for judging a soundtrack consists of several factors: 1) the overall quality of the music, the extent to which it stands up as music independently of the movies; b) the quality of certain tracks, the high and the low; standout tracks; the extent to which the material serves the purpose of the film; the quantity of the material (some soundtracks have a mere four songs or less). There is also an issue of songs that were meant for a movie but cut (‘Tender Feeling’ for ‘Kissin’ Cousins,’ ‘Sand Castles’ for ‘Paradise in Hawaiian Style,’ ‘Let’s Be Friends’ for ‘Change of Habit.’ I love these songs. Do I include them?)
Without further ado, let me proceed to the soundtracks. In chronological order:
Movies starring Elvis Presley
1. Love Me Tender (1956)
Just four songs, which are cod Hollywood hillbilly. ‘We’re Gonna Move’ is in the manner of ‘This Ole House.’ ‘Poor Boy’ is a joyous track. The title track is by far and away the best track here, an all-time Elvis classic. On the whole, meagre quantity and average quality.
2. Loving You (1957)
Stunning soundtrack, Elvis the Hollywood Hillbilly with panache and flair. We have moved from black and white to technicolour, Elvis in blue jeans. Seven tracks of high quality. ‘Teddy Bear’ was the #1 smash hit, but ‘Party,’ ‘Mean Woman Blues,’ and ‘Gotta Lot o’Livin’ to Do’ are rock’n’roll classics. Just outstanding, classic Elvis, a time when his image and music coincided perfectly.
3. Jailhouse Rock (1957)
Another stellar soundtrack. Six tracks, of supreme quality, four of which were written by Leiber and Stoller, just to show us what we could have had. Each of the Leiber and Stoller tracks rank among the best of Elvis’ entire career. The ballad ‘Young and Beautiful’ also stands out for its simplicity and purity. Elvis at his best.
4. King Creole (1958)
Elvis’ best film, and a soundtrack to match. Eleven tracks, all but one capable of standing apart from the film. ‘King Creole’ and ‘Hard Headed Woman’ were big hits, ‘Trouble’ remained an Elvis classic. The highlight for me, though, is the swampy blues ‘Crawfish.’ Like ‘Loving You’ and ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ this is a soundtrack that is coherent and consistent when considered as music.
5. G.I. Blues (1960)
Here, I would argue, is where we move explicitly into soundtrack territory, with songs which are fine, in the main, but clearly related to plots and scenes in films. The songs are decent enough but, considered apart from the film, are less effective. The best songs here are ‘Doin’ the Best I Can’ and ‘Pocketful of Rainbows.’ ‘Wooden Heart’ is the song to divide opinion. It works perfectly in the film. If you enjoy the film, you will love the song. If not, you may think this is the start of Elvis’ decline. Me, I love a song sung to a puppet. It’s an enjoyable soundtrack but musically uneven, benefitting from good memories of the film (if you enjoyed it. For example, ‘Shoppin’ Around’ and ‘Frankfurt Special’ are decidedly tame rockers which serve to move a scene on, but unmemorable on disc).
6. Flaming Star (1960)
A western and a dramatic role for Elvis, with hardly any music, basically the title track (and the appalling ‘Britches,’ which has a claim to being the worst Elvis song ever, plus ‘A Cane and a High Starched Collar’ (little better)). ‘Summer Kisses, Winter Tears’ was recorded for the film but not used. It’s a fine ballad.
7. Wild In the Country (1961)
This was another dramatic role for Elvis, with the accent on the acting rather than the singing. There are just four songs. The title track is an excellent ballad and a hit record. The rest is fairly ephemeral.
8. Blue Hawaii (1961)
Glorious film with a glorious soundtrack. This was Elvis’ biggest selling album of the decade. The film looks and sounds good. There are fourteen tracks. There are some real highlights (‘No More,’ ‘Blue Hawaii,’ ‘Hawaiian Wedding Song’), a genuine classic (‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’), a few pleasant ballads, and the odd clunker (‘Ito Eats,’ ‘Slicin’ Sand’). Unfortunately, the latter tracks presaged what was to come – musical dreck which destroyed Elvis’ reputation. A substantial soundtrack for all that.
9. Follow That Dream (1962)
Fine film, possibly Elvis’ best and certainly my favourite. The title track boasts a boundless enthusiasm and is one of my most favourite Elvis tracks. It is poorly recorded, though, and doesn’t sound as good as it could. Other than that, there is little music in the actual film (just another three songs). The ballad ‘Angel’ is sumptuous.
10. Kid Galahad (1962)
Just six tracks, of which two (‘This is Living’ and ‘Riding the Rainbow’ are remarkably similar and equally ephemeral. OK, but musically without substance). The standouts are ‘I Got Lucky,’ an infectious little twister which deserves to be better known, and ‘King of the Whole Wide World,’ a rocker with chart potential. They are well short of being Elvis classics, though. There are two good ballads, too (‘Home is Where the Heart Is’ by Hal David and the pleasant ‘A Whistling Tune’). Like a lot of Elvis’ film songs, the songs here just seems to have been poorly recorded. There is a cheap sound which, I think, undermined ‘King of the Whole Wide World.’ Listening to Elvis live in the studio on this, I only wish he could have cut loose on material like this.
11. Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962)
Here we get a substantial soundtrack, thirteen tracks which are rich and varied in style – ballads, rock, R&B, calypso. The quality is unusual rather than uneven. Whether you appreciate this soundtrack depends on how eclectic – or idiosyncratic – your tastes are. Some may baulk at ‘Song of the Shrimp’ and ‘We’ll be Together,’ but they are genuinely catchy. It’s not the music that made Elvis’ name, admittedly. In fact, it’s the music that unmade his name. We also see an increasing number of tracks which can be described as ‘film fodder’ (‘A Boy Like Me, a Girl Like You,’ Earth Boy,’ (which is actually quite appealing), ‘Thanks to the Rolling Sea,’ ‘The Walls Have Ears,’ ‘We’re Comin’ in Loaded.’) Even set in a film context, a lot of these songs are tedious time-wasters. A decent rock’n’roll pastiche ‘I Don’t Want to Be Tied’ has Elvis performing as ‘king.’ The standout tracks here are Leiber and Stoller’s title track, the ultra-cool ballad ‘Where Do You Come From,’ and the classic Otis Blackwell number ‘Return to Sender.’ It’s exotic and substantial, but an Elvis with an increasingly expansive and confused musical profile. The quality is still fair, though.
12. It Happened At the World's Fair (1963)
There is a noticeable dip in quality, inspiration, and originality here, with the proportion of ‘film fodder’ tracks expanding (at least half of the ten song soundtrack). It is always wise to remember, before judging a song, that they were often incidental to a scene in a film, and never meant for anything more than that. Unfortunately, when they are released on record, they are judged as music. ‘How Would You Like to Be,’ ‘Cotton Candy Land,’ and ‘Take Me to the Fair’ are songs that could have been designed to sink Elvis. On the plus side, ‘World of Our Own’ is decent. The three best tracks are ‘One Broken Heart for Sale,’ essentially a slighter reheat of ‘Return to Sender,’ and the gorgeous Don Roberton ballads ‘They Remind Me Too Much of You’ and ‘I’m Falling in Love Tonight.’ A soundtrack like this would soon outstay its welcome if played to a non-Elvis fan.
13. Fun In Acapulco (1963)
Elvis and the Tijuana Brass. Eleven tracks on a Mexican theme. A lot depends on what you think of that theme. Personally, I like it and think Elvis acquits himself very well. I remember hearing ‘Guadalajara’ and having one of those ‘what the ..’ moments. I love it, and ‘Mexico’ and a couple more in that vain. It soon wears thin, though. And ‘The Bullfighter was a Lady’ and ‘There’s No Room to Rhumba in a Sport’s Car’ are not so much bad as baffling. Whilst ‘I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here’ and ‘You Can’t Say No in Acapulco’ pass the time, I can’t help but think that Elvis’ talents could have been much better spent. The best track by a mile is ‘Bossa Nova Baby,’ which has zero to do with Mexico and wasn’t written for the film. A lot of songs, whose appreciation depends on taste, ephemeral and uneven.
14. Kissin' Cousins (1964)
Heavens to Murgatroyd. This has to be a case of songs sounding a whole lot better when separated from the film. I actually think ‘Once is Enough’ is a decent track with chart potential. In the film, choreographed to dancing hillbillies and soldiers marching in uniform, it has to be seen and still not believed. Was someone out to deliberately destroy Elvis? Many songs here make sense only in the film, and suitably make little sense there. About all I can say about those tracks is that ‘Barefoot Ballad’ is another contender for the worst ever Elvis song, with ‘Smokey Mountain Boy’ not far behind. Just awful. Poor Elvis. On the plus side, both versions of ‘Kissin’ Cousins’ are catchy (if far from classic), ‘Tender Feeling’ is a ballad in ‘Love Me Tender’ class, and .. I think that’s it. I have a soft spot for ‘There’s Gold in the Mountains.’
15. Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Possibly the last blast of the classic Elvis movie soundtrack. Oddly, despite twelve tracks being available for selection, the film was not accompanied by a soundtrack album. I think we all know why – Elvis’ miscreant mismanager Tom Parker did not want to spend money on quality. All involved did a proper job here, great direction, super star in Ann-Margret, excellent songs. And it was a box office success. Parker hated it, had songs cut, rushed the ending, denied it a soundtrack release. And still people are mystified as to why Elvis’ reputation, career, and finally his life went down the tubes. He was being sabotaged from the inside by a parasite and a crook. This is a super soundtrack, one of the strongest of Elvis’ career. ‘Viva Las Vegas’ has endured as an Elvis classic. There are good rhythm songs – ‘C’mon Everybody’ and ‘If You Think I Don’t Need You.’ ‘What’d I Say’ is a little frenetic, but OK. ‘Night Life’ was cut is great. There are sublime ballads, the jazzy piano blues of ‘I Need Somebody to Lean On’ and the classical based ‘Today, Tomorrow, and Forever’ (Liszt’s ‘Liebestraum’). With Elvis also performing ‘Santa Lucia,’ he really shows his range (he’s no Caruso, but it’s very decent). Add a sexy duet with Ann-Margret, ‘You’re the Boss’ (mystifyingly cut), and you have a winner.
16. Roustabout (1964)
‘Roustabout’ could be defined as the quintessential film soundtrack. Not a lot of the music hear is capable of standing apart from the film. Without the visuals, the songs are a little lame, and even set in their scenes are lame (‘It’s Carnival Time,’ ‘Carny Time’). When The Beatles were moving pop and rock into a new dimension entirely, Elvis was being thrown back to something that he, more than anyone, had rendered outmoded. There are few standouts here. ‘Big Love, Big Heartache’ is a decent ballad, but far from classic. ‘Hard Knocks’ tries hard to dredge up some excitement. ‘Little Egypt’ is the old Coasters R&B number, written by Leiber and Stoller. It’s a highlight here, but is far from Elvis at his best. I like ‘There’s a Brand New Day on the Horizon,’ to the tune of ‘This Little Light of Mine.’ The amiable ‘It’s a Wonderful World’ sums it up. OK. Fans will tolerate it, but nothing to trouble the new sounds of the sixties.
17. Girl Happy (1965)
One is left judging the point at which the average descended into the plain mediocre. There is average here (‘Spring Fever,’ ‘Girl Happy’), lame attempts to dredge up some rock’n’roll spirit (‘Meanest Girl in Town,’ ‘I’ve Got to Find My Baby’), the plain misguided (‘Do the Clam’) and the desperately bad (‘Wold Call’). I’m not sure where to place ‘Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.’ With lyrics like ‘Girls on the beaches commit a sin / If they don't show yards and yards of skin’ and ‘Pretty girls 18 to 23 / If their technique ain't what it should be / Get love instruction for free from me’ should have this song subject to an edict. Having said all of this, it almost seems pointless to say that ‘Do Not Disturb’ is quite seductive and ‘Puppet on a String’ actually very good, if so soft and gentle as to be easily overlooked. By this point, Elvis is a pale shadow of his former self.
18. Tickle Me (1965)
I am not going to judge this as a soundtrack, for the simple reason that all the tracks here are culled from previous studio recordings. All that I will say is that this film is proof of the damage that the films did to the image and reputation of Elvis Presley. The songs here are very good. Their qualities are, however, thoroughly negated by the appalling way in which they are showcased. Find, if you can (and have the nerve), Elvis performing ‘Night Rider,’ see how laboured his movements are, and see all the girls flocking incontinently around him. It’s fake to the core, an exercise in rock’n’roll puppetry. I’m sorry if that upsets Elvis fans who enjoy the films, but this is the kind of think that killed Elvis.
19. Harum Scarum (1965)
This is the kind of thing that killed Elvis … The film itself is too bizarre for words, so I shall move to the soundtrack. You will hear nothing like this anywhere, not in the discography of any other pop and rock star. I could attempt to cover up the average and mediocre by use of the word ‘exotic.’ There are a couple of truly dire tracks here (that’s being generous). I actually quite like the sound of this, it is quite unique. ‘My Desert Serenade’ is dramatic, and I can’t help but like the ‘eastern’ promise of ‘Mirage,’ ‘Kismet,’ and ‘Go East – Young Man.’ I had a chance to sing Elvis songs when I was in America. I sang these, and baffled my American hosts into silence. I don’t think they had the heart to tell me it was awful – whether the songs or my singing. I do think the smouldering ‘So Close, Yet So Far (from Paradise)’ a minor classic. The less said about ‘Hey Little Girl’ the better. By this stage, it was all about selling ‘the Elvis film.’ The music was neither here nor there. There is just the one song on here that stands up as decent music.
20. Frankie and Johnny (1966)
My view here is coloured by reading an article in which the great Harry Nilsson praised this film and soundtrack for drawing on a musical tradition that pre-dated rock’n’roll. He cited it as an influence on his own music. Reading that, I saw this soundtrack in new light, and improved my estimation of it. I’ll also go so far as to claim it as an influence on The Beatles’ Sergeant Peppers’ (OK, I might be stretching things a little too far). That aside, I see a lot of the same reliance on ‘film fodder,’ songs that mean little or nothing independently of the film (‘Look Out, Broadway,’ ‘Chesay,’ ‘Everybody Come Aboard,’ ‘Come Along.’) We could, of course, judge them according to their effectiveness in the film. Personally, I look and listen in despair of the return of the real Elvis. The Pomus-Shuman ballad ‘What Every Woman Lives For’ is decent and ‘Hard Luck’ is an OK blues. Elvis’ stab at the old folk blues ‘Frankie and Johnny’ is fine if frenetic. Best by far are the two ballads ‘Beginners Luck’ and ‘Please Don’t Stop Loving Me.’ It’s a soundtrack for a film. As a listening experience deprived of the visuals, it tests the patience. As for ‘Petunia, the Gardener’s Daughter,’ what can I say? I can hear the influence on Harry Nilsson. It’s a throwback (which many may say deserves to be thrown back – it’s …. memorable).
21. Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)
Probably my least favourite Elvis film. It looks bad and has a soundtrack to match. I have seen this film more than any other Elvis film, since it always seemed to be on TV (and it is sacrilege not to watch Elvis whenever he is ‘on.’) My favourite song here is the charming ‘Sand Castles,’ which was mystifyingly – and mercifully – cut. The title track is overblown, and much of the rest ranges from the awful to the unbelievable. The best song – which outclasses the rest by a considerable distance – is the divinely ethereal ‘This is My Heaven.’ There’s a couple of average tracks (‘House of Sand’ and ‘Stop Where You Are’). After that, we are judging some of the worst songs Elvis ever recorded. I know many people always select ‘Queenie Wahine’s Papaya’ as the worst, and I don’t disagree that it is truly execrable, but I remain convinced that it has as yet undetected qualities and meanings (surely nothing can be as bad as this song seems). As bad as it is, I actually think ‘Datin’’ is far worse, with ‘A Dog’s Life’ not far short in the abominable stakes. Poor Elvis. ‘Drums of the Islands’ sounds like a classic in this company. It isn’t. The film and its music is a return to the formulaic 1930s musicals that Bing Crosby used to star in. Which begs the obvious question: ‘why’? Elvis had changed the world to become the very thing he had rendered obsolete. The explanation is simple: a wretched manager who was entirely without vision. Idle and forgettable. My mother never liked the song ‘Scratch My Back’ either. Suggestive lyrics and erotic female dancing. ‘Should I tape this?’ I asked her when the song started in the film (I always taped the Elvis songs). ‘You can do what you like,’ as she left the room frowning. I taped it, being a completist.
22. Spinout (1966)
This soundtrack has me contemplating the relative merits of the average and the mediocre. Whilst the mediocre can be judged the worst in quality, it does at least have the merit of being memorable. The average tends to be forgettable. The title track is quite good, the ballad ‘All That I Am’ is good, ‘Am I Ready’ is decent, and ‘Never Say Yes’ and ‘Stop, Look, and Listen’ are … average. ‘Adam and Evil’ and ‘Smorgasbord’ are appallingly bad. I would say that that judgement applies also to ‘Beach Shack’ were it not for the fact that that the lyrics single it out for another verdict entirely (good or bad I don’t know). The ‘rock’ here was dated when it came out. Times had moved well past this kind of caper. A couple of pleasant ballads. Idle.
23. Easy Come, Easy Go (1967)
Somewhere in the Elvis world it finally registers that there has been a sixties rock revolution. I think the title track is a pretty decent rocker (whose qualities are completely undercut in the film by Elvis performing it in uniform in a boat to his army buddies. The people making decisions were clueless and out of touch). There’s an attempt to sound contemporary, but it’s all very average and contrived. I quite like ‘Sing You Children.’ That said, ‘Yoga is as Yoga Does’ could have been written to severe what little connections Elvis still had to anything that was happening in the sixties, and destroy whatever was left of his image. They were trying, but they were failing. But there are signs of change. I maintain that 'Easy Come, Easy Go' is actually a very good rocker.
24. Double Trouble (1967)
Once more, the forced, contrived rockers in an attempt to get ‘with it.’ The title track boasts a good pedigree (Pomus and Shuman) and savours a little of The Doors’ ‘Break on Through’ (with the accent on ‘a little.’) The attempts to rock out don’t work. ‘Baby, If You'll Give Me All of Your Love’ just tries to force an excitement it can’t generate by its own merits. ‘Long Legged Girl’ (With the Short Dress On) is just loud and crude, with absolutely zero verve and vitality. The best two tracks here, by far, are the beautiful ballad ‘Could I Fall In Love’ and the pastiche jazz blues ‘City by Night.’ Not exactly great, but very decent. The only thing to decide which tracks represent Elvis at his worst, obvious dreck like ‘Old MacDonald,’ or the tracks where they were actually trying to sound current. By now, the Elvis soundtracks had become a matter of singling out the one, two, or three decent songs – the soundtrack had effectively become an inflated single or EP, with the plenty average material drawing attention away from the odd decent material.
25. Clambake (1967)
Seven tracks, of decidedly uneven quality. Apart from the pleasant ‘A House that has Everything’ and the good ‘You Don’t Know Me,’ the songs are a collection of the average, the non-descript, the ephemeral, and the awful. The title track tries to dredge up some excitement but is dire. ‘Confidence’ and ‘Who Needs Money’ are the latest additions to the lengthening list of contenders for the first Elvis songs ever. Dire. The signs of catching up with the times in the last two films bit the dust with this one.
26. Stay Away, Joe (1968)
There was no LP or EP release for this movie. Which was probably wise. In truth, no record release was planned. I’ll be positive and say that ‘Stay Away,’ played over the opening credits, is very good, to the tune of ‘Greensleeves.’ And the blues ‘All I Needed Was the Rain’ is very good indeed, capable of being appreciated apart from the film. Other than that, heaven help Elvis. ‘Dominick the Impotent Bull’ was sung by Elvis to two women in the film, and not the bull. Elvis made his record producer Felton Jarvis promise never to release the song if he should die. The song finally came out after the deaths of both Elvis and Jarvis. Poor Elvis.
27. Speedway (1968)
A return to the lame, the forced, and the contrived. Somebody was trying, but not too hard. If you don’t use it then you lose it, and it is evident that many involved hadn’t used it for so long now that they had forgotten how to do it and what it was for. The title track is just outdated and forced. Gee, this was the time of The Doors! ‘Who are You’ is in the decent ballad category. OK. ‘Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby’ is charming, but hardly likely to trouble the current pop world in any respect. ‘He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad’ is the latest addition to the list of worst ever Elvis songs. Best song by far is ‘Let Yourself Go,’ which Elvis returned to in the ’68 Special. This song is good but could have been so much better. The arrangements and instrumentation are behind the times, and Elvis didn’t give it full power. I think by now he had lost heart in the films. This track could have been a classic. Looking at the entire soundtrack, though, no wonder Elvis felt uninspired and uninterested.
28. Live a Little, Love a Little (1968)
It’s a purely personal view, and could maybe considered an eccentric view, but I always loved the soundtrack to this film. I say ‘soundtrack.’ There are only four songs. They are four very distinctive, even unusual songs. I liked ‘A Little Less Conversation’ long before it was rediscovered to become a global #1 smash in 2002. It’s a contemporary soul number, and I suspect would have done much better at the time had Elvis’ image not been so badly damaged by the films. The association with the film sunk it as a single release. Then there is ‘Edge of Reality,’ a kind of psychedelic rock ballad, whatever that is. It was released as the flip side of ‘If I Can Dream.’ It is often overlooked in Elvis lists, but it is radical. ‘Almost in Love’ is irresistibly romantic, Elvis trying on ‘Strangers in the Night’ for size and finding it a very nice fit. It could have come from leftfield and hit #1. Finally, there is ‘Wonderful World,’ which is far from the greatest song in the world (a UK Eurovision reject). Elvis goes at it as if it were a top aria and it is absolutely brilliant, uplifting, life-affirming.
29. Charro! (1969)
There’s just the title song to judge, a dramatic western ballad from the Hugo Montenegro orchestra, who had just hit #1 with ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.’ I shall also include ‘Let’s Forget About the Stars,’ a song recorded for the film but not used. It is a beautiful, wistful ballad. 30. The Trouble With Girls (and How to Get Into It) (1969) There are few songs in this, and many of those are ephemeral. The ballad ‘Almost’ is decent. ‘Signs of the Zodiac’ is one of those ‘what the ..’ moments. Best by far is ‘Clean Up Your Own Back Yard,’ an Elvis classic that deserved to be a smash hit. It’s a great contemporary piece of rock’n’soul.
31. Change of Habit (1969)
Just five tracks to judge here, of which one – the gently inspirational ‘Let’s Be Friends’ – was not used. ‘Let Us Pray’ is a slice of contemporary rock gospel, ‘Have a Happy’ is amiable if idle, ‘Rubberneckin’ an excellent slice of blue-eyed soul (recorded at the American Sound sessions and released as the flip side to ‘Don’t Cry Daddy’), and the title track, ‘Change of Habit,’ a fantastic up-tempo contemporary number that deserves to be better known. It is, of course, impossible to rank these soundtracks in any meaningful way, for the very reason we are more often than not unable to judge like with like. Some movies boast a substantial track listing, thirteen tracks, others a mere four or less. Sometimes, less is better, sometimes one or two outstanding tracks outweigh a lot of average tracks. It’s not quite impossible, though. I shall rank according to quality, coherence, consistency, and sometimes quantity.