THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

194-Elvis Presley-Can’t Help Falling in Love.

1962-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 1.05. In the late 1960’s, and during the 1970’s, this was the song that Elvis Presley would nearly always finish his concerts with. It is also the very last song he ever performed live, which was at his concert in Indianapolis, at Market Square Arena, on June 26th, 1977.

Elvis Aaron Presley (see also best songs 954-664 and 442) was born on January 8th, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, United States, he died on August 16th, 1977, at the age of 42, with the immediate cause of death being given as cardiac arrest. Elvis Presley is without dispute the most famous name Popular Music has ever produced, and I can confidently state that they will still be speaking his name in 1000 years time. Elvis Presley’s has sold in excess of 500 million records, making him the best ever selling solo artist of all time, with his discography including 23 studio Albums, 18 soundtrack Albums, 13 compilation Albums, and eight official live Albums. During his lifetime he issued 117 singles, and there have since been a further 24 posthumously released. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, 18 of his singles reached the Number 1 spot, although ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ only made Number 2. While in the UK, by the end of the 20th Century both Elvis Presley, and the Beatles were both tied with a record 17 Number 1 hits each. In 2004 ‘RCA Victor’ re-issued many of Elvis’ 1950’s, and 1960’s songs, with three of them reaching the Number 1 spot in the UK, they were ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ ‘(Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I,’ and ‘One Night,’ which had all previously also been UK Number 1’s.

‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ was co-written by Hugo Peretti, (1916-1986) with his cousin Luigi Creatore, (1921-2015) who wrote the music, and George David Weiss (1921-2010) (see also best songs 767) who provided the lyrics. Peretti and Creatore would go on to own part of ‘Avco Records’ in the 1970’s, and then establish ‘H&L Records,’ taking ‘The Stylistics’ (see also best songs 765) with them. Other notable lyrics written by Weiss include,’Lullaby of Birdland’, (1952) ‘What a Wonderful World,’ (1968) and ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ (1961.)

‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ was written for the 1961 movie ‘Blue Hawaii’ starring Elvis Presley in his fourth feature film, the song is track 5, on side 1 of the ‘Blue Hawaii’ soundtrack Album. In America it is the second best selling soundtrack Album of the 1960’s, behind ‘West Side Story,’ also from 1961. In the film Elvis Presley actually sings ‘Cant Help Falling in Love’ to the grandmother of the girl who he is dating.

The song has also been successful for others. In 1993 the British Reggae/Pop group UB40 spent seven weeks at Number 1 on Billboard, and it also topped the chart in the UK. Other hit versions of the song include Andy Williams, who reached Number 3 in the UK in 1970, and The Stylistics, whose Disco version made Number 4 in the UK in 1976.

‘Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you. Shall I stay would it be a sin, If I can’t help falling in love with you’