"The Nation’s Favourite Elvis Song" is on ITV tonight at 9PM - if it's "The Wonder of You", I'm committing suicide

I’ll be watching, but I'm not expecting a sensible result. My own top ten would probably contain six of Elvis's greatest Sun sides: "Mystery Train", "Baby Let’s Play House", That’s Alright Mama", "Blue Moon of Kentucky", "Good Rockin’ Tonight" and "Trying to Get to You". But if I left out all of those in order to concentrate on the rest of his career, my top ten would look more like this:

1. "Jailhouse Rock" (his greatest straight rock ‘n’ roll – as opposed to rockabilly – performance)

2. "I Got Stung" (because it’s funny)

3. "Big Hunk of Love" (as raucous and aggressive as rock ‘n’ roll got)

4. "Little Sister" (that Hank Garland guitar riff - lordy!)

5. "His Latest Flame" (though when I was nine I couldn’t figure out how Elvis could ever lose a girlfriend)

6. "If I Can Dream" (his TV Comeback Special rendition is probably The King’s finest-ever vocal performance)

7. "Return to Sender" (ruthlessly professional pop outing)

8. "Don’t Be Cruel" (The King’s personal favourite – who am I to argue?)

9. "My Baby Left Me" (sounds like a Sun track, but was recorded in New York in January 1956)

10. "Heartbreak Hotel" (how very weird this must have sounded back in 1956)


The next ten:

11. "All Shook Up" (the debate over what exactly a “fuzzy tree” might be still rages)

12. "Bossa Nova Baby" (excellent cover of the witty Leiber and Stoller-penned Clovers classic)

13. "American Trilogy" (yes, it’s ridiculously overblown, but it always gets to me – probably because he meant it)

14. "I Feel So Bad" (lovely, yearning vocal)

15. "Guitar Man" (triumphant 1967 return to form on this version of a Jerry Reed composition – they had to ask Jerry reed along to play the guitar part, because even the legendary James Burton couldn't nail it: the disgusting 1981 remix, which was a much bigger hit than the original, is to be avoided at all costs, and those responsible should be hunted down and executed)

16. "I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water" (band on top form, and you can hear Elvis's enjoyment of their performance in his voice)

17. "One Night" (what a great, rasping bluesman he was - this cover of a Smiley Lewis original was sensational, and decidely dirty for the time)

18. "Such a Night" (bouncy pop perfection from the 1960 Elvis is Back LP)

19. "Gonna Get Back Home Somehow" (terrific, moody rocker from the excellent Pot Luck album, which also contains “Suspicion” and “Night Rider”)

20. "Follow That Dream" (for sentimental reasons)