229 Elvis Presley (1935-1977) “Don’t Be Cruel” 1956

Otis Blackwell was an impoverished, starving song writer when he was rescued by the Shalimar music company. He wrote and cut a demo designed for Presley about “teenage psychology and the way that teens maximized each of life’s small emotional dramas” (Collins, Untold Gold).

Elvis Presley “Don’t Be Cruel”