On This Day in 1955, Elvis Presley Dropped His First No. 1 Hit—Topping the Country Jukebox Charts for Five Weeks
In July 1954, Elvis Presley was an aspiring electrician when he crossed paths with record producer Sam Phillips. Having launched Sun Records just two years earlier, Phillips was looking for a performer who could bridge the gap between Black and white audiences. At just 19 years old, Presley quit his job and inked a deal with Sun Records. The next summer, Phillips began to see his investment bear out when Presley released his first No. 1 hit, “I Forgot to Remember to Forget / Mystery Train,” on Aug. 17, 1955.
Elvis Presley Flexed His Country Muscles
Although hailed as the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley grew up on country music. While the Mississippi native had a fraught relationship with the genre during his career, he first reached the top of the charts with a country song.
Written by Stan Kesler and Charlie Feathers, “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” introduced Presley to a country music audience. He teamed up with Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and Johnny Bernero to record the mournful ballad.
Six months later, “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” hit the top of Billboard’s national country music chart, remaining there for two weeks. Overall, the song spent 39 weeks on the country charts. It was also sat at No. 1 for five weeks on the Country & Western Most Played in jukebox chart.
Fittingly, Presley’s first No. 1 single was also his final with Sun Records, as he left for RCA Records shortly after. He wouldn’t score another No. 1 country hit until the end of his life, with “Moody Blue” in 1976 and “Way Down” in 1977. Presley died two months after releasing “Way Down” at his Graceland home on Aug. 16, 1977. He was 43 years old.
Why Did Elvis Leave Sun Records?
Despite Elvis Presley’s first-ever No. 1 hit, Sun Records was flailing. Faced with mounting debt, soaring manufacturing costs and legal action, Sam Phillips knew he simply didn’t have the resources to support Presley’s rising star. So he sold the “Hound Dog” crooner’s contract to RCA Records on Nov. 21, 1955.
“I feel Elvis is one of the most talented youngsters today,” Phillips told the Memphis Press-Scimitar. “And by releasing his contract to RCA-Victor we will give him the opportunity of entering the largest organization of its kind in the world, so his talents can be given the fullest opportunity.”