Note: I'm reposting this essay in honor of the 89th anniversary of the birth of Elvis Presley.
Five Elvis Presley songs made it on to the Billboard Top 100 chart for 1956: “Heartbreak Hotel” at Number 1, “Don’t Be Cruel” was Number 2, “Hound Dog” at 8, “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” at 14, and “Love Me Tender at 15. …