The essential Elvis Presley playlist

Considered by many as the ultimate Elvis tack, Hound Dog is a culmination of everything the king had ever done. Elvis had written songs in the style of rock, country and blues--so why not mix them all into one? 

Heartbreak Hotel was the first song that launched Elvis--and Sunny Records--into the spotlight. Its mix of vocals and instrumentation still sounds fresh today. 

Showcasing Elvis at his most romantic, Love me Tender sounds like it was recorded on a beach at midnight. The sway of his vocals and the tide of his guitar are the musical equivalent of a wave lapping against the sand. 

You know a song is cool when it's in The Blues Brothers. Even more remarkable: the song's two-chord riff that has you shaking your hips before the chorus even starts. It's the perfect opening to a toe-tapping, hip-shaking classic. 

Though everyone from Johnny Cash to Anne Murray has covered it, there's no denying the appeal of Elvis' version. Recorded in 1957, it sounds so smooth you could swear he had been singing it for decades. 

This infectious tune was a #1 hit for several months. It makes you wonder how we went from dancing to this to dancing to this? It's about time we shook things up again.

Elvis never recorded this in studio, but it was a staple of his late-career concerts. This version, recorded in 1970, might be the most glorious of them all. You can hear him climb the scales like a rocket taking off into space--he bursts through the stratosphere with such force, you can feel the shock in your bones.  

More than five decades after its release, Suspicious Minds remains one of the greatest love songs ever written. No other song is this vulnerable, this insightful, this honest, this catchy. Elvis had found what every singer searched for: perfect harmony. 

The bright lights of Vegas got a new anthem in this jittery, drug-fueled banger. Gone are the days of suits and ties; in are the days of noise and booze!

Fans likely didn't know it at the time, but Surrender was a riff on a famous Italian ballad. The song proved to be as timeless as ever, with a guitar that whisks you away to the hills of Naples. 

Released in 1976, Way Down was the last song Elvis made before he passed away. It's not a bad way to go out, thanks to J.D. Sumner's vocals and Neal Mathew's guitar. 

The song that many associate with Elvis, Blue Suede Shoes still has the power to make you tap your feet, bop your head and shake your hips. There aren't many songs from 1956 that still hold up, but this is one of them. 

One Night is yet another song about Elvis lookin' for some lovin', only this time there's a melancholy to how he sings about the blues.   

What's that in his bag? It's not presented for the kids, that's for sure. Elvis took the traditional Christmas carol and turned it into a blues track with Muddy Waters overtones--and by overtones, we mean sexual innuendos. 

Back in 1956, when every Elvis song was a chart-topper, Don't Be Cruel found a way to stand out. It spent 11 weeks at #1 and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

Elvis wrote this ode to Martin Luther King Jr. two months after he was assassinated in Memphis, and it nearly explodes with white-hot rage and gospel fervor. He really gives it his all here, from the quiet intro to the explosive ending. This is Elvis at his best. 

How did this classic not reach #1? That's the burning question...well, that and how Elvis managed to come up with such a catchy chorus?

Elvis was inspired by the gospel of his youth, which has never been more apparent than in How Great Thou Art. His gospel record from 1966, the album features a number of tunes you can imagine being played at a church in Louisiana. 

Elvis starred in several movies that weren't very good. To be fair, though, many of them churned out songs like Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear. So maybe they weren't complete travesties...just 95% travesties. 

It should come as no surprise that this is one of the most listened-to songs on Spotify. It's one of those records you can listen to over and over again, and not get bored. Whether you play it for a loved one or play it for yourself, there's no better way to get in the mood.