Elvis
Presley
may
be
the
single
most
important
figure
in
American
20th
century
popular
music.
Not
necessarily
the
best
and
certainly
not
the
most
consistent.
But
no
one
could
argue
with
the
fact
that
he
was
the
musician
most
responsible
for
popularizing
rock
&
roll
on
an
international
level.
Viewed
in
cold
sales
figures
his
impact
was
phenomenal.
Dozens
upon
dozens
of
international
smashes
from
the
mid-'50s
to
the
mid-'70s
as
well
as
the
steady
sales
of
his
catalog
and
reissues
since
his
death
in
1977
may
make
him
the
single
highest-selling
performer
in
history.