70 Years Ago Today: The World Was Introduced to Elvis Presley

If you take a look around in 2024, you can still find a ton of things that will remind you of Elvis Presley. But there are only a few of us who will remember being there and hearing an Elvis song on the radio for the first time ever on July 2, 1954.

The Moment the World Was Introduced to Elvis Presley

Prior to the moment that Dewey Phillips — a local radio DJ in Memphis, Tenn. — played Presley's first ever song, "That's All Right," most people in America had never heard the name Elvis Presley.

As the story goes, Phillips heard the tape that had been recorded just days before at Sun Records, and he wanted to play it on the air immediately.

It hadn't even been pressed into a record yet, but when Phillips got his hands on it, it changed the landscape of music as we know it.

What Was Fan Reaction When They First Heard Elvis?

To be blunt, the people went nuts. The request lines blew up as Phillips played the song repeatedly and begged and pleaded for someone to find the singer and bring him in for a radio interview.

Presley was at the movies during this moment that changed music forever. His mom tracked him down and brought him to the radio station, and the rest was history.

Here we are 70 years later, and that wasn't even Presley's biggest hit.

These Are the Top 10 Elvis Presley Radio Hits, According to Billboard:

10. "Stuck on You"
9. "Don't"
8. "Love Me Tender"
7. "It's Now or Never"
6. "Are You Lonesome Tonight"
5. "Jailhouse Rock"
4. "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
3. "Heartbreak Hotel"
2. "All Shook Up"
1. "Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog"

Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 130 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today's top stars, like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, + more!