BBC Radio 2 has announced the nation's favourite Elvis Presley song following its recent vote.
‘Suspicious Minds' topped the poll in the ‘Your Ultimate Elvis Song' vote, which was launched to mark what would have been the icon's 90th birthday on 8th January 2025. ‘Your Ultimate Elvis Song' is hosted by Vernon Kay and is available on BBC Sounds now.
In the Number 2 spot is ‘In The Ghetto', Number 3 is ‘If I Can Dream', Number 4 is ‘Always On My Mind' and Number 5 is ‘Can't Help Falling In Love'.
For the vote, which launched in November in Vernon’s mid-morning show (9.30am-12 noon) – the UK’s most listened to radio programme with 6.8m weekly listeners (RAJAR Q3 2024) – and closed on 13th December, listeners were asked to select up to five of their favourite tracks from Elvis’s 90 Top 20 UK hits. In ‘Your Ultimate Elvis Song', Vernon counts down the listeners’ Top 40 chart and reveals more extraordinary facts and stats and behind-the-scenes insights from BBC Archive interview clips with Elvis himself.
Vernon says: “The King has earned another crown! Radio 2 listeners have had their say and I couldn’t be happier with their favourite hit, and to have it introduced by Priscilla Presley is such an honour. I’m a huge Elvis fan so I can't wait to bring you two hours of the very best from his incredible catalogue of unforgettable songs.”
In the show, Priscilla Presley, says: “Hello everyone this is Priscilla Presley, and I want to thank you. To everyone who has voted and shown this outpouring of love ahead of such a special anniversary, it's wonderful knowing just how much Elvis’ music means to you all and that he lives on through the beautiful memories that remind you of him and his amazing career, and I send you all my love. To pick out one track from his vast catalogue is such a big decision. But between you, that's what you’ve done. So let's play Your Ultimate Elvis Song.”
Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, says: “We love to showcase the broad musical tastes of our listeners at Radio 2 and, as more than a hundred thousand votes have been cast, the enduring appeal of Elvis’ music, decades after he first serenaded his way into our hearts in the 1950s, is more than proved. These seminal songs have crossed through to new generations ever since, and I’m looking forward to tuning in on New Year’s Day.”
The Top 40 favourite Elvis singles as voted for by Radio 2 listeners are:
- Suspicious Minds
- In The Ghetto
- If I Can Dream
- Always On My Mind
- Can't Help Falling In Love
- The Wonder Of You
- An American Trilogy
- Burning Love
- I Just Can't Help Believin'
- Jailhouse Rock
- Love Me Tender
- A Little Less Conversation (Elvis vs JXL)
- Are You Lonesome Tonight?
- Viva Las Vegas
- Hound Dog
- Return To Sender
- (You're The) Devil In Disguise
- Wooden Heart
- Heartbreak Hotel
- (Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame
- It's Now Or Never
- The Girl Of My Best Friend
- Blue Suede Shoes
- All Shook Up
- Way Down
- Guitar Man
- That's All Right
- Blue Christmas
- Crying In The Chapel
- Don't Cry Daddy
- King Creole
- You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
- Suspicion
- (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
- Moody Blue
- One Night
- Don't (with The Jordinaires)
- Such A Night
- She's Not You
- Promised Land
There is an Elvis Night on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer (Saturday 4th January 2025) featuring ‘Elvis Presley: '68 Comeback Special' (8.20pm), ‘Jailhouse Rock' (9.35pm), ‘Tales Of Rock And Roll: Heartbreak Hotel' (11.10pm), and ‘…Sings Elvis' (11.45pm).

